Kate stood in the playground waiting for Grace. Despite the school having implemented separate entrances and exits and staggered start and finish times for each year group Grace's class was still late out. There was an idiocy to it all as they would charge you extra in a heartbeat if you were late and they took the child to aftercare. Something which happened to them a lot because of work over running or the ship getting in later than planned.
Looking down at her watch she sighed. She had less than 10 minuets to get across the campus to meet Nicole.
"come on" she muttered to herself.
Looking up she was pleased to see Graces class eventually coming out of the doors. As usual Grace was dawdling behind chatting with one of the girls in her class.
"come on Grace" Kate called as she got closer
"mummy Lucy is coming for tea and a sleepover okay" Grace smiled dropping her bag on the floor running towards the climbing frame
"um not so fast misses" Kate pulled her daughter back. "and does Lucy's mummy know about this?" Kate folded her arms
"no but it's okay" Grace smiled sweetly
"Lucy can't come for tea tonight. 1 we are still in the middle of a pandemic and 2 we need to sort it out properly and need to discuss it with Lucy's mummy"
"but we have been planning it all day"
"Grace! Enough it is just not possible right now. You know I am on patrol from tomorrow now come on we have to go meet your sister" she sighed as Lucys mum came walking up
"LUCY! There you are I have been waiting over there for you" Lucys mum frowned
"i am going to Gracie's for tea and a sleepover" Lucy smiled up at her mum
"sorry about this. Seems they have been planning in class. I have already said we cant do it for obvious reasons" Kate sighed looking apologetic
"Lucy you can't go for tea tonight" Lucys mum looked at her daughter "you know you are not allowed to go to other people's houses. Now we need to go" she sighed looking up at Kate "Kids eh who'd bloody have them" she smiled
"yeah" Kate half laughed "sorry about this. I think I know who was behind this more"
"don't sweat no harm done. See you around" Lucys mum smiled hearing her daughter towards the gates.
"right you. Come on move it. We need to meet Nicole" Kate said holding Graces bag out.
Walking through the school grounds Kate had to keep hurrying Grace along who seemed to be staging a protest and walking slowly.
"there you are mum" Nicole walked up
"yes I know Gracie's class was late out again. Are you all set"
"yes" Nicole sighed picking up her school bag struggling to put it on her back
"right Homework done girls and maybe we can have pizza for tea okay" Kate sighed as they walked through the front door
Grace dropped her bag in the hall skipping in to the living room watching the television.
"Grace homework now!" Kate called picking up the remote turning the T.V off
Flouncing off the sofa Grace stomped back in to the hall picking up her school bag.
"and less of the attitude please" Kate sighed
"everything alright" Mike appeared in the kitchen from the office
"fine apart from Grace invited a friend round for tea and expected it to happen tonight. And now she is in full on teenager mode because I said no. If this is what it is going to be like roll on patrol" she smiled
"brew?" Mike asked
"perfect" she smiled sitting on the sofa.
She watched as Chris was playing with his farm set on the carpet. Scooting on the farm, she picked up the cow moving it around.
"wahh you doing it wrong" Chris moaned taking the cow from her sticking in the middle of the blue circle that was the pond.
"okay I'm sorry" Kate laughed holding her hands up as Chris gave her his own death stare.
Lifting herself back on to the sofa she sighed
"finished my homework mummy" Grace skipped in.
"really" kate raised her eyebrow. She had only sat down for 15 minuets
"yes" Grace smiled sweetly
"so if I look in your bag I wont find anything else?"
"nope it was only one sheet this today"
"right go up and get out of your uniform and make sure you put it away and then you can bring me your reading book" Kate said as Mike carried a mug over
"so we having Pizza tonight?" Mike asked
"yeah" Kate reached over to the coffee table pulling the menu towards her. "i'll ring up in a bit" she sighed
As Nicole walked in.
"All finished love?" she asked
"yeah there is still some history but that not due to next week and I left my text book in my locker" Nicole smiled
"right well go get changed and see what your sister is doing please"
"yes mum" she sighed heading to the stairs
"oh it's a hard life being 13" Kate smiled
"yeah. What time are you sailing tomorrow?" Mike asked
"10 I think. Still waiting for the operations plans to come through."
"well we best get those pizzas ordered then" he smiled sliding the menus form her hand
okay so another little look in to 2020 with the Flynns. hope you like this. i hate to say as a kid i did do what Gracie did on several occasions and was upset that mum said no. and then my little cousin did it to me (i was picking her up as a favour) her and her friend came up dumping their bags at my feet and i am like errrr and was trying to get ahool of my auntie because i knew that i wouldn't have the 2 of them she had been told no but still carried on planning.
anyway hope you like this. and a note to the anonymous guest reviewer i am trying to update this but it will be a bit ad-hoc as i want to make it relevant which is tough as a uk based writer writing about Australia. any way enjoy