Chapter Seven – Cocoa
The house was hectic when school let out that day. Tommi, Jason, and I had just returned from the daycare center where I worked and from picking up Akira at school. I put them down for naps and was drawing a bath to relax when I heard the door downstairs slam shut.
"GIMME FOOD!" Tyson screamed.
"Shut up, Tyson! God, you're so annoying!" yelled Cody.
Damn. I had forgotten the kids were getting out of school an hour early.
I turned off the running water and let what little had filled the tub out. Then I slowly descended the stairs to greet the elementary school-ers.
Tyson was digging through the cupboards in search of an after-school snack and Cody was buckling up her rollerblades.
"Cody," I warned sternly, "no rollerblades in the house."
"I'm going outside, Mom," she objected and rolled her eyes.
"It's freezing outside," I reminded her as I grabbed the box of cookies from the cupboard to prevent Tyson from crawling onto the counter. He snatched the box without thanking me and took off for the basement.
"Where are you taking those cookies?" I called after him.
He grinned slyly before running downstairs. "To feed the ferret," he laughed.
"Tyson!" I hollered. "Bring those cookies up here now!" As I yelled for him to come back, Cody snuck out the door, grabbing a puck and a hockey stick on the way.
I turned around. "Cody—"
As soon as the door closed, it was opened again and in walked the twins and Cade. Kirian stomped away up the stairs looking angry and defeated, as though she had lost an argument. Kieran followed her silently.
Cade looked like he always did. Black t-shirt, baggy black pants, spikes, chains, black beanie cap. His hair was getting long, but he refused to let me cut it. It was "cool."
His face was expressionless, like usual. He walked – almost glided – to the living room, flopped onto the couch, and flipped on the TV.
"Cade," I began, "do you want you something to eat? There are all kinds of snacks in the cupboard."
"No thanks, Mom," he replied. "I ate a big lunch today."
I closed the cupboard door and headed for the living room. "What's wrong with your sister?" I asked him.
"One guess," Cade said.
I sighed. "What were you arguing about?"
"Nothing. No big deal."
I was about to press on for details, but I felt a tap on my arm. Tyson was standing there, tears streaming down his face.
I put my hand on his cheek. "Baby, what's the matter?"
He sniffed a little. "Cocoa's dead, Mom," he said. "I don't think anyone has feeded him for awhile."
I had to smile a little at that, but then I put my arms around him and hugged him tight. I motioned to Cade to go downstairs and check on the other animals just as Ariana and Chandler walked in.
"Jesse didn't go to school to—" Ariana began, then stopped when she saw her little brother. What's wrong? she mouthed.
I stood up as Ariana took Tyson in her arms and let him cry on her shoulder. As I reached the bottom of the basement steps I saw Cade, Jason, Akira, and Tommi sitting around Tyson's ferret's cage.
"How did you three sneak past me?" I questioned the toddlers. "You're supposed to be napping."
All four had tears in their eyes, and Akira was humming "Day is Done," a song she'd learned in Girl Scouts, sung to the tune of "Taps." I made my way through all the animals and pet toys and sat in their little circle, between Tommi and Jason. They leaned on me, and Tommi patted my belly.
"Baby won't get to meet Cocoa," she sniffled. "Poor Baby."
The house was hectic when school let out that day. Tommi, Jason, and I had just returned from the daycare center where I worked and from picking up Akira at school. I put them down for naps and was drawing a bath to relax when I heard the door downstairs slam shut.
"GIMME FOOD!" Tyson screamed.
"Shut up, Tyson! God, you're so annoying!" yelled Cody.
Damn. I had forgotten the kids were getting out of school an hour early.
I turned off the running water and let what little had filled the tub out. Then I slowly descended the stairs to greet the elementary school-ers.
Tyson was digging through the cupboards in search of an after-school snack and Cody was buckling up her rollerblades.
"Cody," I warned sternly, "no rollerblades in the house."
"I'm going outside, Mom," she objected and rolled her eyes.
"It's freezing outside," I reminded her as I grabbed the box of cookies from the cupboard to prevent Tyson from crawling onto the counter. He snatched the box without thanking me and took off for the basement.
"Where are you taking those cookies?" I called after him.
He grinned slyly before running downstairs. "To feed the ferret," he laughed.
"Tyson!" I hollered. "Bring those cookies up here now!" As I yelled for him to come back, Cody snuck out the door, grabbing a puck and a hockey stick on the way.
I turned around. "Cody—"
As soon as the door closed, it was opened again and in walked the twins and Cade. Kirian stomped away up the stairs looking angry and defeated, as though she had lost an argument. Kieran followed her silently.
Cade looked like he always did. Black t-shirt, baggy black pants, spikes, chains, black beanie cap. His hair was getting long, but he refused to let me cut it. It was "cool."
His face was expressionless, like usual. He walked – almost glided – to the living room, flopped onto the couch, and flipped on the TV.
"Cade," I began, "do you want you something to eat? There are all kinds of snacks in the cupboard."
"No thanks, Mom," he replied. "I ate a big lunch today."
I closed the cupboard door and headed for the living room. "What's wrong with your sister?" I asked him.
"One guess," Cade said.
I sighed. "What were you arguing about?"
"Nothing. No big deal."
I was about to press on for details, but I felt a tap on my arm. Tyson was standing there, tears streaming down his face.
I put my hand on his cheek. "Baby, what's the matter?"
He sniffed a little. "Cocoa's dead, Mom," he said. "I don't think anyone has feeded him for awhile."
I had to smile a little at that, but then I put my arms around him and hugged him tight. I motioned to Cade to go downstairs and check on the other animals just as Ariana and Chandler walked in.
"Jesse didn't go to school to—" Ariana began, then stopped when she saw her little brother. What's wrong? she mouthed.
I stood up as Ariana took Tyson in her arms and let him cry on her shoulder. As I reached the bottom of the basement steps I saw Cade, Jason, Akira, and Tommi sitting around Tyson's ferret's cage.
"How did you three sneak past me?" I questioned the toddlers. "You're supposed to be napping."
All four had tears in their eyes, and Akira was humming "Day is Done," a song she'd learned in Girl Scouts, sung to the tune of "Taps." I made my way through all the animals and pet toys and sat in their little circle, between Tommi and Jason. They leaned on me, and Tommi patted my belly.
"Baby won't get to meet Cocoa," she sniffled. "Poor Baby."