The Antics of Lindsey Willows

Chapter 7

Catherine rose later that afternoon to the scent of freshly brewed coffee and cinnamon. She had been warm beneath the mountain of covers splayed on her bed and could've easily given in to temptation and thrown herself back on them, but she resisted. The delightful smells were calling her attention.

She stuck her toes into furry bunny slippers (a past birthday gift from her daughter) and pulled a robe over her satin nightgown. After a furtive glance in the hall mirror (she deemed she looked somewhat respectable) she waltzed nonchalantly into the main living area of her house.

It was a sight she had never counted on witnessing in her lifetime. A bubbly thirteen-year-old (that was a shock in itself) sat perched on a wooden stool. She had a spoonful of batter smeared over her nose. Lindsey was staring contently at the man behind the counter. He was shirtless (the garment lay amidst a mess of blankets on the floor) and whipping up a treat. He stuck his finger into a bowl and held it out to the girl. She licked it right off without a second thought. Her squeal was enough to signify that she found it quite delectable.

Catherine leaned against the wall and folded her arms across her chest. She gazed at the scene and silently prayed that she wasn't dreaming. After pinching herself (and cursing under her breath at the pain) she broke out in a grin. It covered her whole face. She was completely enamored by the scene set out in front of her. The image of the two of them playing in the kitchen just seemed to fit.

Her mind began to wander. Her thoughts drifted away from present-day Las Vegas and moved to a time in the future. She was standing in the exact same position in the room. Warrick was cooking in the kitchen and Lindsey watched his every move. They were a bit older and were not alone. Two other children (who she did not recognize, but could only assume they belonged to, well, her) jumped at the counter, hoping to get a taste. Her dream-self moved forward. She reached the group and one youngster wrapped his arms around her leg. She was about to pick him up when—.

"Cath? Catherine, are you alright?"

She nodded and the daydream ended. Warrick stood before her, a look of concern spread across his face. "I'm fine. Just thinking." She met his eyes and her own circled his face. Flour stuck to hairs. She lifted the washrag from his shoulder and placed it in his hand. "Did you have a fight with the flour bag?" she asked.

He grinned and threw the rag at Lindsey. It hit her in the face. "Yeah, see, what happened was that Lindsey thought we weren't cooking right if we weren't wearing what we were cooking with. Then she fixed me, so I fixed her. We'll clean up; don't worry."

She followed him to the kitchen. "I'm not worried. Lindsey's a great cleaner when she sets her mind to it. I'm sure she can teach you a few things."

He picked the rag up from where Lindsey had discarded it and tossed it at Catherine. "You better be nice, or I'll have to eat all of your secret breakfast dish."

She placed a hand to her chest. "Surely you jest?"

"Not at all, sweetheart."

It was a picture perfect hour. The three of them sat around the dining room table feasting on Warrick's creation. He wouldn't disclose what it was, no matter how hard Catherine prodded him with an extra fork. Both girls agreed it was unfair for him to treat them to a melt-in-your-mouth delight and then leave them guessing as to what it was. As fate would have it, Catherine ended up cleaning the kitchen. She didn't complain. Warrick and Lindsey stayed at the table, conversing over coffee and milk. It was like they'd known each other for years, which of course they had, but Warrick hadn't seen her much since her father died. There was a lot of catching up to do.

The hour neared five and Catherine sent her daughter to work on homework. She was tired of sub-par grades. Warrick nearly fainted when he saw the time.

"Jeez, it's late. I've got some things to take care of at home before shift tonight. I'm sure you do too."

She nodded and helped him find his shirt in the blanket pile. "Thank you, so much, for coming over yesterday. Lindsey really appreciates it. I really appreciate it. We really appreciate it. You're a life saver."

He gave her a quick hug. "It's no problem at all. She's a good kid and I like spending time with her. You've raised a good one, Cath."

"Thanks, Warrick, really." He tugged his shirt over his head and she walked him to the door.

"I'll see you in a few hours, then."

"Yeah, you will." She watched him walk to his car. He waved just before pulling out of the driveway.

As she closed the door on a perfect day, she realized something. There hadn't been one mention of Lindsey's hand the entire time. She went down the hallway to her daughter's room and pushed open the door, only to find Lindsey on the phone.

"Lindsey Willows, I believe I told you to do your homework."

"Yeah," her daughter whined, "but it's Lexi. She's in Texas, you know, so I rarely get to talk to her."

Catherine walked over and plucked the phone from her hand. "Hi Lexi…I'm fine, how are you?...That's good…We miss you too….Say hello to your mom and dad…Buh-bye." She pushed the off button on the phone. "There. Now you can do your homework." She turned to leave and remembered her original reason for coming to the room. "Hey, kid, let me see the hand."

Lindsey gave an eye roll and stuck it out to her mom. "It's fine, Mother! It doesn't hurt unless I whack it on something. It's no big deal."

"Quit your whining. It was obviously a big deal yesterday if you called Warrick over. He doesn't leave work for just anybody."

"I know. I am severely grateful that I belong to you. Thus, he comes to my rescue. Maybe I'll send him a card…with a plea to give us that recipe. Was that good or what?"

"I'm glad you're okay, Linds, but I'm also a little disappointed. You didn't try very hard to get a hold of me, did you?"

"Greg said you were busy enough that if I bugged you you'd be mad at me. I didn't want to make you mad. So I called Warrick. I would've called Lexi, but she was out of town. She couldn't very well fly over from Texas now, could she?"

Catherine sighed. "Okay, but let's keep these injuries to a minimum alright?"

"Fine. I'll try not to slam my hand in doors anymore. As if I did it on purpose."

"I'm getting ready for work. You do your homework. Now!" She left.

Lindsey stared at the closed door, grinning madly. She glanced down at her slightly bruised hand. Yep, she told herself, it was totally worth it.

Warrick entered his home with a nervous smile. He was in trouble. One doesn't spend the night at someone else's house and not be in trouble. Tina wasn't waiting for him in the living room, but she was in the bedroom. A scowl was written across her face.

"Where have you been?" she asked angrily.

"Boy," he said as he reached for a pair of clean jeans in a drawer, "you really like to start a conversation off with that, don't you?"

A/N: I'm not completely sure, but I believe I do my best on this story when I write it after midnight. This is probably my favorite chapter. What are your thoughts?