by Elsie Davis
“I will have them here at noon. Thank you ever so much. I promise you this won’t happen again.” They were the words he was expected to say, but unfortunately, it wasn’t a promise he had complete control over. That would be up to the girls.
“The girls will remain in school and need to return to their classrooms.”
“Thank you.” Kevin stood and quickly left the office. He stopped in front of the twins and shook his head. “I’m disappointed in you two. We’ll talk about what’s going to happen tonight after school. For now, you need to go back to your classrooms and stay out of trouble.”
The twins nodded. “Yes, Daddy,” they spoke in unison, their sullen faces enough to touch his heart. Kevin wished he had a magic wand and could make everything right for them, but so far, one hadn’t magically appeared. Before the divorce, they’d been angels, but they were growing up and had strong opinions of their own. He watched as they walked down the hall and turned the corner before he headed back to Turlington.
The day went by slowly, and at times, it seemed as though everything that could go wrong in the lab did. From spilled liquids to a broken Bunsen burner, to a minor test-tube explosion, he was relieved when the three o’clock bell rang. Except today, he had to go from kids that didn’t listen at school, to his own kids who didn’t listen at home.
He pulled up in front of the elementary school and waited. He spotted them as they cleared the front entrance, breaking into a run to get to the car. There was no evidence of the trouble they’d been in today and faced tonight. They’d gone on their merry way through the day and played with their friends, but that would change the minute they walked through the front door at home.
“Hey, Daddy. I got picked as the head of the dodgeball team in school today.” Macy strapped on her seatbelt and leaned forward, excitement in her voice.
“That’s great. Just remember to always be fair in whatever choices you make for everyone.” He was proud of her and wouldn’t let today’s trouble sour her achievement.
“Yes, Daddy.” Macy nodded.
“How was your day, Lacy?”
“It was fine.” He glanced in the rearview mirror just in time to see her eyes darken and her face scrunch up. “Other than the kids all asking me if we were getting kicked out of school. Are we?” She grabbed the headrest of the front passenger seat and leaned forward.
“Not this time.” He arrived back at the house and parked in the driveway. “You girls need to put your things in your room. Come downstairs and grab a snack, and then meet me in the living room. It’s time for a family meeting,” Kevin said, using a tone that brooked no argument.
They looked at one another and took off running. He used the time they were gone to figure out what to say. Over and over, he played out the twins’ recent transgressions. The oven shenanigans with Amanda had been wrong, but cheating on state testing? Definitely going from bad to worse.
As for Amanda, he felt bad because he’d gotten her hopes up about figuring out the missing ingredient and he’d failed. The sad expression in her eyes spoke way louder than her actual words trying to convince him not to worry. Once again, it would seem the girls were muddling things up for her. There had to be something more he could do.
Kevin paced the living room while he waited. An idea hit him, one that just might work. He pulled his phone from his pocket and called Amanda. “Hey, it’s Kevin.”
“Hi there. Is everything okay with the girls?” Leave it to Amanda to be worried about them. She always put others ahead of herself, even when she was struggling.
“No, not really. I’ll tell you about it sometime, but not now. I’m waiting on the imps to come downstairs now and face the music. But I had an idea about the recipe and figuring out the missing ingredient, which by the way, I’m more convinced than ever you’re right and the kids had something to do with it.” It was only fair to tell her the truth.
“What’s your idea?” she asked, hope tinging her voice.
“Common sense and deductive reasoning. If we review what’s in my pantry and rule out the known ingredients, the ones eliminated by today’s tests, and the obvious wrong choices, we can start narrowing the options based on probability. It’s got better odds than looking for a needle in a haystack.” Not to mention, it would give him a chance to see her again. Something he wanted more than he realized, even if it wasn’t the smartest thing he could do.
“That sounds like a great idea. When can we do it? I’ve only got a week before the deadline.”
“How about tonight? The girls will be grounded, and I’ll have plenty of time without having to worry about them getting in more trouble.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? I sense they don’t approve of me being around,” she tried to tease, but there was far too much truth to her comment for his liking.
“It’ll be fine. Trust me.” At least he hoped it would be.
“That sounds great then.”
“And maybe while you’re here, I can pick your brain for other ideas on what to do with the girls. I’m clueless.”
“I can try, but it’s not as though I have kids, so I’m no expert, either.” He needed all the help he could get, and the best kind of help would be the female kind. Women had a special knack for understanding kids.
“The girls are coming downstairs, and I need to talk to them. How does seven sound?” He glanced up at the twins, who were eyeing him with interest over the stair banister.
“Perfect. See you then. And thanks.”
Kevin wasn’t sure how the girls would take Amanda coming over, but based on the way they’d acted today, it was a non-consideration in his book. The two of them trudged slowly down the stairs and plopped on the sofa.
“Aren’t either of you getting a snack?” Kevin asked, making sure they didn’t have an excuse to leave the discussion once he got started.
“I’m not hungry.” Macy folded her arms across her chest and flopped back against the sofa.
“Me, either,” Lacy echoed, duplicating her sister’s grand theatrics.
“Fine. Have it your way. So, I’m going to do the talking, and you’re going to do the listening. There’s nothing you could say about what happened today that could justify your actions. What you did was wrong. I know you’re not getting suspended, but only because Miss Martin was gracious enough to give you a second chance. Not everyone gets those second chances. Cheating is cheating. It doesn’t matter if it’s a state test, a quiz, or when you’re playing a game. It makes people not trust you. And trust is one of the most significant character traits people want in friendships, work, or in any relationship for that matter. Without trust, there’s no real connection to people.
I get that you two are twins, but using that to your advantage in a wrong way will hurt you both. Something you should think about. I don’t know which one of you suggested this crazy idea, but you need to think about more than yourself. You need to think about your sister. Because both of you would’ve taken the fall for this one. The way it stands now, Miss Martin has agreed for you to go in this Saturday and retake both tests under her direct supervision.”
“Saturday? That’s our weekend. She can’t make us do that,” Macy exclaimed.
“She can, and I agreed. Consider it detention. It’s taking responsibility for your actions and paying your dues. The principal is going easy on you. This time. Next time, it’ll be an automatic suspension, and I doubt there will be anything I can do to change the outcome. And that would affect your permanent school records and possibly your futures.” It was basically the same lecture he’d received every time he’d gotten into trouble at school when he was a kid.
“Doesn’t sound light to me.” Lacy twirled her hair around her finger. “I’m supposed to meet Ariel at her house, and her mom is gonna let us bake cookies.” Her pout tugged at his heart, but not enough to open the door to get her way. Not this time.
“Sorry. You’ll have to tell Ariel some other time. As to your punishment at home, that’s
another story. You both are grounded for a week.” He rubbed the back of his neck as he delivered their sentence.
“A week? That’s not fair!” Macy jumped up, hands on her hips, looking far too much like her mother.
“What’s not fair is Miss Martin having to give up her Saturday to monitor you because of what you did. What’s not fair is that the other kids had to study twice as hard as either of you to pass the exams honestly. Something neither one of you were willing to do. So, don’t talk about fair. For one week, you go nowhere after school.”
“Feels like jail time to me. Whatever happened to second chances?” Macy asked, her sullen attitude nothing less than he’d expected.
“Speaking of second chances, you’re both going to get one with Amanda and I hope you’ll use the opportunity to making things right with her.”
The girls looked up at him, a question in their eyes.
“I’ve invited Amanda to come over.” He had a feeling they wouldn’t be happy about it, but neither of them were in a position to influence his decision.
“Her again?” Macy shook her head and rolled her eyes.
“Yes, her. Again. Now, more than ever, I’m convinced she’s right, and that you added something to her cake. I don’t know what or why, because whatever you did made it better. Amanda’s done nothing to you, and she’s not trying to step in and take your mother’s place. She’s just a sweet lady who cooked us dinner, one that you girls ruined. Amanda’s trying to keep the Sweeter Side of Life bakery open by winning a contest, and she really needs to know what you added. Now, if either of you wants to tell me what the ingredient was, I might consider reducing your sentence.” Cutting a deal might not be the smartest thing on his part, but heck, if it worked in the legal system, why shouldn’t it work for him?
“I’ll be in my bedroom.” Macy stood and headed for the stairs, Lacy following suit. Sooner or later, Lacy would need to think and act on her own, or her headstrong sister would end up running her life.
“Well, here’s the thing. I mentioned you are grounded, but I didn’t say doing what. And I’ve decided you’re going to sit in the kitchen with Amanda and me while we work on the recipe. If we need a hand, you’ll help. And if you choose not to, then I’ll just keep adding more days to your grounding. The choice is yours. I’m expecting you to put aside your differences and play nice. It’s exactly what your mother would expect you to do.” It was true. Victoria wouldn’t allow them to be rude any more than he could. She might not be up for a mother-of-the-year award, but she wasn’t totally clueless.
“Well, she’s not here, so that doesn’t matter.” Lacy’s bottom lip trembled as she spoke.
“Our meeting is adjourned. You two can go to your rooms and start studying for your exams. Dinner is at six, and Amanda will arrive at seven.”
“Fine,” they mumbled, stomping back up the stairs. The slamming of their bedroom door was an indicator neither of them got the play-nice message.
* * *
Amanda arrived at Kevin’s promptly at seven. She knocked hesitantly on the door, unsure of the reception she’d get.
It was Kevin who answered, looking pretty amazing in blue jeans and a thick black sweater that molded his chest.
“Come in. It’s freezing outside.” He pulled her inside and closed the door, shutting out the cold wind.
“If it wasn’t for the lure of the secret ingredient, nothing could’ve gotten me out in this weather tonight.” She stomped her snow-crusted boots on the mat, small white clumps falling away. “Let me take these off. I don’t want to track water all over your floor.”
“Sounds perfect.” He took the bags she held and moved them out of the way. “Let me help you with your jacket first.” Kevin helped her out of her coat and hung it in the nearby closet.
Amanda unzipped her fur-lined boots and carefully placed them on the mat. “Let’s just hope it’s a more productive evening than it was this morning. I brought what I needed since I didn’t know what you have on hand.” Kevin looked good, too good if there were such a thing. Not that she was interested because her focus had to remain on the business, not to mention, the self-preservation of her heart.
“I had a talk with the twins, and it didn’t go so well. But just so you know, I’ve told them they need to be in the kitchen while we’re working so I can keep an eye on them. And that they have to be our helpers.”
“That’s pushing them a little hard, don’t you think?” Poor girls. Today had certainly been a rough day for them.
“Maybe so, but the rough day was of their own choosing.”
“Girls, Amanda’s here. Time to come downstairs and help us,” Kevin hollered up the stairs.
“Hi, girls. I hope you don’t mind me being here. Your dad was thoughtful to volunteer his time to help me.”
They glanced at her in surprise and then at each other as if just realizing something. “Hi,” the twins spoke in unison, rounding the corner and starting toward the kitchen, leaving Kevin and Amanda to follow.
“Can I get you a glass of wine?” Kevin asked as he took two glasses out of the cupboard.
“No, thanks. Water would be great though. I can only stay long enough to mix this cake together and get it baked. I need to let Cupcake out for her last potty break for the night. I called Jennifer, but she’s out with her fiancé and couldn’t help.”
“Water it is then. Will one of you girls get Amanda a glass of water, please?”
Lacy’s mouth dropped open in shock. Macy, on the other hand, pursed her lips in defiance. Amanda was about to tell them never mind when she caught the shake of Kevin’s head. His warning stopped her cold, but it was his grin that made her toes curl. The man was up to no good, but they were his kids.
Amanda was surprised when Lacy did as she was asked with no rebuttal. The girl handed her a glass of iced water and returned to her stool without a word. “Thank you, Lacy.”
The young girl eyed her with interest, her eyes questioning. Amanda didn’t have a clue about what was going on and gave up wondering. There’d be time enough for that later.
“What can I do to help? It’s only right that I’m your assistant since you were mine this morning.” Kevin grinned.
“When did you see her this morning?” Macy asked, cradling her chin in her hands for support as she watched them, a scowl on her face.
“You wouldn’t tell us the ingredient, so I had her come to the science lab this morning. We worked together, trying to figure it out.” Kevin was doing his best to make a point, that much was obvious. Except she didn’t want to be his point. The girls disliked her enough as it was.
The twins looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
“If you’ll chop the nuts, that would be a big help. Other than that, I can easily handle the rest. It’s just a matter of measuring ingredients and stirring them all together. Oh, and if you want to grease these cake pans with oil, you can do that. Just use a paper towel.” She handed him everything he needed, and he went straight to work without complaint.
“Sounds easy enough. Girls, if you watch Amanda, you might learn something about cooking. Her pastries and desserts are the talk of the town.”
Amanda laughed, knowing he was referring to the Wilson’s plan to set him up with her at the auction. Kevin was doing a good job trying to engage the girls, but they were having none of it. He kept the conversation rolling, filling Amanda in with tales of the science lab and of the twins, much to their consternation. But it did help cover the awkwardness of the girls’ silence.
“Oh, darn it. I didn’t realize I was this low on sugar. I hope you have some.” She looked at Kevin expectantly.
“I’m pretty sure we have plenty of sugar.” He nodded and then looked at the girls expectantly.
“I just need enough to top this measuring cup off. Macy, can you handle that for me?” She was trying to find a way to make friends with the girls.
Macy resisted just long enough that Kevin had to step in. “Remember what I to
ld you. One week can get a whole lot longer.”
She shrugged, taking the measuring cup from Amanda and headed for the pantry.
“I’ll help her find it,” Lacy added.
The girls returned moments later, surprisingly more amiable than when they entered the pantry, immediately setting off alarms in Amanda’s head. She glanced down at the measuring cup Macy held out to her.
Based on everything else they’d done, she knew better than to accept the offering without question. Amanda wet the tip of her finger with water and dabbed it into the white crystals. She licked her fingertip. Salt.
The girls would have to be more original than that to get one past her now. Enough was enough, and the guilty looks they shot her way were all the proof Amanda needed to know the mistake was intentional.
“That’s the oldest trick in the book, girls. And with all your tomfoolery lately, I wasn’t about to fall for it. Think of all the time and food that would have been wasted. You’re too old for these antics.” She let out a deep sigh, hoping Kevin wouldn’t be upset with her for taking charge.
“You’re not our mother, and you can’t correct us. Tell her, Dad.” Macy stood, her feet apart, hands on her hips, glaring at Amanda.
“I’ll tell her no such thing. I can’t believe you tried another prank. You owe her an apology.”
“You can ground me to my room forever. I’m not apologizing.” Macy turned and stormed out of the room.
“Me, too,” Lacy added, following her sister out of the room.
“I’m sorry. I know I keep saying that when it comes to the twins. And there’s only so many times I can make excuses. But their birthday is this coming Tuesday, and they just found out their mother isn’t planning on coming back to see them, even after she’d promised to try and make it. They’ve taken the news hard, and I think that’s why they’ve ramped up their shenanigans. I think they’re worried you want to take their mother’s place and it upsets them. It’s only natural for kids to make the leap, even if there’s not a grain of truth to it.” Kevin shook his head, frustration vibrating from every inch of his tense frame as he leaned his back against the counter.