90: Here Little Mouse
Luci
“I wish I could show Firetail my hot chocolate.” Cole laments as he stirs it around. I reach into the freezer and pull the dragon out with a towel.
“Here. But don’t share that. Hot chocolate is his nemesis.” He looks at me puzzled. “Like Darth
Vader and Obi Wan. Batman and the Joker. It’s a fancy word for enemy.”
He laughs. “Luci, you’re silly. You have big words for all things.”
“I am very silly. Now…. Firetail the ice dragon of…Reedville must return to the realm of Freezeria or else he will begin to drip dragon drops. Which cause unbelievable destruction and fear to the ground they touch upon. Humans slip and fall. They cry out in pain. But…” I pause
dramatically and hold my finger up for him. “Imagine the real scariness when someone opens the portal to Freezeria late tonight or in the morning and discovers him lurking there waiting to frighten the pajamas off the poor unsuspecting soul. Therefore, Sir Coco of Reedville, ice dragon tamer and beloved friend of Firetail, we must put a warning sign with pictures on the portal entrance to avoid possible waffle deaths by floor contact. Or pancakes. Both would be
disastrous.”
Cole dissolves into giggles and I laugh with him before I hear a clap behind me. The whole Reed clan stands there listening to me. Easton leans against the wall trying not to laugh. I feel
my cheeks turning pink as Becker applauds again. “Keep going. We’re waiting for the ending.”
“How long have you guys been there?” I grab Cole a napkin.
Baker stands there too, smiling. “I shall be very careful opening the portal to Freezeria. No
need for the sign.” He tells Cole very seriously.
“No, Luci has to make the words. I draw the picture. We has to protect Firetail. And waffles.” I
hand him a piece of paper from the stash Baker keeps here for lists along with two colored pencils. He begins drawing as I grab my hot chocolate mug. “I made extra.” I say quietly and
hold Easton’s out to him. He takes it and I move to sit by Coco watching him draw adding his
words.
“I think maybe we should turn the Tale of Firetail into a book. It would be better than some of
the ones I’ve read to Coconut.” Becker grimaces as he thinks.
“Seriously. That one about the colors and the penguin. It had no resolution.” Jackson mutters,
making me laugh.
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90: Here Little Mouse
“That book is horrible. I threw it out.” I admit to them. “Anything by that author is like that. They forget they were actually writing a story that kids want an ending to.”
“Luci, how does Firetail story end? Mr. Ted sounded like one day he would melt.” Cole asks
sadly.
I think for a minute. I actually looked the time frame up for sublimation of a thick sculpture on the way home. “Well, Firetail lived in Freezeria for a long time, a few months. Visiting Reedville and his friend Coco as much as he could every day. Ice dragons are special. The longer they live with someone who loves them, they shrink. Because they give that love back to their person and it makes them get smaller every day. By the time they disappear completely, they have made sure their person knew they were loved so much. They fly away to Airville where they float in the clouds forever looking over their people.”
“Happy ending for Firetail.” He says with content.
“Coconut, let’s go watch the end of Frosty the Snowman.” Jackson offers. “I’ll carry your cup.”
I’m about to get up when Easton shakes his head. “What did she say to you?”
His dad leans on the wall facing me.
I sigh and think back to the restaurant. Imogen had been waiting for me when I emerged from the bathroom stall, which is where every ill–intentioned villain confronts another woman in every movie or show. Should be a crime, like women only want to go to the bathroom in peace and wash our hands…focus Luci. I shake my head and find Easton patiently watching me. “She is concerned about you. That you are…feeling sorry for me and could ruin your life trying to fix things because I’m not strong enough to on my own. That I’d…I’d pull you down and waste your time. Said I was similar to her and she knew I wouldn’t survive in the world you live in. Asked me to make sure I’m doing the right thing and if I know I’m not….to leave.”
Easton’s eyes flash. “She doesn’t know how strong you are Luci. She has no tenacity like you
do.”
“She referenced the fact that what Marshall and the Humphries did to me was three years ago
and I just let it slide.” I confess softly.
“Ignore her Luci. You were trapped and you showed how strong you were by making the best of it and not allowing it to change you. To poison you and make you bitter and hateful. The way she did when she hit one point of adversity in her life.” Mr. Jason moves closer. “Imogen is weak. She always was, honestly. I thought she got stronger as we grew and the boys did too. Grew a backbone and started paying attention to her intuition better. How bitterly wrong l was. You are not weak. I’ll deal with her.” He pats my shoulder before leaving.
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90: Here Little Mouse
“Dad’s right. You continued to live your life and didn’t run away. There’s nothing weak about that. Not everyone can burn the world in answer to what’s done to them.” I gaze up at him.
“That’s me. I turn into the volcano and throw lava at them for you.”
Vince
“Remind me to ask the Reed brothers how many concussions this guy had? Because he is
dumber than a box of rocks.” I move back into the car after I left a basket of chocolates on his
doorstep along with breakfast. I knocked and ran. Dude accepted it all happily and carted it
back inside. “I mean who leaves their car windows cracked when it’s been snowing outside all
night?”
“A superbly stupid shitbrick whose stupidity we are certainly enjoying.” Marco looks proud of
himself. “Say that three times fast.”
“True. I hope he likes rubber mice.” I grin with malice as I take a sip of my coffee. Jason Reed
sent me a very long text that his boys helped him compile of Maxton’s offenses against Luci.
The fact he bruised her not once but three times was enough to make me see red. “Ironically,
he’ll never connect the dots because he’s so stupid.”
“How many did you shove into his car?” Marco asks me.
“Like fifty so far.” I shrug.
“Only fifty huh? How many came in the pack?” He grins.
“Fifty.” I deadpan. “That was all I could get in overnight shipping on prime. Otherwise I’d have bought the 5000 pack and absolutely stuffed his car. Asshole. I have more on order, don’t
worry.”
He grins as he lifts the remote control in his hand. “Where should I park our cute little mouse?
Maybe under his couch…nah too easy when he hears it squeak. I need a good buried corner
option.” He rolls him around using the camera he attached to him for navigation on his phone
screen. “This thing is awesome. It has a timer for when you can make the sound go off. I’m
thinking tonight around 2:30 and maybe every fifteen minutes after that.”
“And you think I was bad with the rubber mice?” I chuckle as he shrugs too, but doesn’t look at
all remorseful. “Catalina wanted me to order cockroaches and stick a box of those in his car. I
told her about what’s going on and you can imagine she was pissed.” I shake my head blowing
out a breath. My wife is a ball of fire when she gets pissed off and she was cursing in three
languages to hear what happened with this guy. She gets pretty fiery about any job like this when I tell her. “Luci sent her some suggestions for things to do with the girls while school is out too after I mentioned how she was overwhelmed over the Thanksgiving holiday. Sensory
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90: Here Little Mouse
stuff and these free printable paper building things. Let’s just say Catalina is willing to march into battle for Luci now because it’s seriously already saving her sanity. And mine.”
Marco shakes his head. “I would bet squeaky douche here actually wants her for himself.
Becker said he asked her on a date and got handsy when she refused.”
“He’s going to his father’s house for dinner.” I tell Marco as I listen to him on the phone.
“Good. Maybe he’ll stay there until after Christmas. We all deserve a normal holiday.”
“Jason said we don’t have to follow him the next two days for the holiday. Spend it with our
families. He’s not going to let Luci even be in the house by herself over the next few days.” I
tell him.
“I respect a man who knows family is important to everyone.” Marco nods appreciatively and I agree wholeheartedly.
Jason
She’s late and I have no doubt it’s on purpose. Especially after I texted her that she’d be
signing papers and immediately leaving with no contact to the boys. I’m willing to speak to
her for five minutes and warn her to stay away from Luci. I glance over at the wall at the
family photo of us when the boys were twelve. It was my favorite one out of all the ones we
took and I kept it up regardless of her presence. All her photos on my desk here and at work
are gone. But this one was the boys all on the ice acting like they were sneaking up on us in
the middle. Each set of twins on opposite sides approaching with big smiles. We are staring
down at each other like we were happy. We still were at that point. I shake my head. I am at
fault in this break too for ignoring it and burying my head in work like she asked me to. But I
still believed in my wife and my marriage. I wasn’t afforded the same courtesy, meaning I
cannot forgive her. Knowing she basically thought the worst of me and didn’t even care
enough to find out if it was true after we’d been together so long. Couldn’t even fight for me a
little. It was a betrayal and not one I can consider looking past.
I head for the kitchen to find Baker. I hear the sounds of Cole and Barrett chasing each other
pretending to be Jedis and laugh. They are in the kitchen squaring off with Luci watching
them as she fills their cups. “Grandpappy! Barrett’s here!”
“I see that. You two are quite excited.”
Baker is setting up a snack tray and I lean over stealing a grape. Cole fusses at me and I wink
at him.
I watch them playing as he and Luci finish setting up their snack. “Want me to leave them
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here to eat?” She asks me quietly.
“No take them back to the playroom. She’ll be here any minute. Thank you though Luci. They brighten up the house.”
Fifteen minutes after she herds them out, the doorbell rings. I hold my hand up to Baker and
move to open the door.
She begins to step over the threshold and I shut the door behind her before walking to the
kitchen without even glancing at her face. “Jason….”
“The paperwork is right here. I have the pen ready.” I tap the folder on the island.
“Jason we need to talk. I….” She fidgets with her coat button.
“I’m not interested. Ironic now that the shoe is on the other foot.” I hold the pen out. “Sign it.”
“I came today to fix things. I did like you said and took some initiative to show Easton I want
to help him.”
“What did you do?” There is no way this is good. Another knock on the door.
She backs away. “Just wait Jason. I am going to fix this.” She steps back toward the foyer. “I
brought a gift.” She looks so optimistically pleased with herself.
Lorelei steps into the room behind her when she returns.
“You are a blithering i***t I swear, Imogen!” I snarl at her. “She isn’t going to listen to you. She’s manipulating you once again to get near Easton! Get the hell out of my house, Lorelei! And you can go with her!” I point to the door. “My lawyer will talk to you later.”
“Well lawyer threats and yelling, this is where the party is.” I blink as I see Vivienne stepping
into the house.
Imogen screams at Vivienne. “YOU are not welcome here. I only invited your daughter.”
“Let one demon in, the rest follow along.” Kingston breathes out as the two of them begin yelling at each other.
“Holy shit.” I hear Becker breathe out as their footsteps come racing in.
Ivory Row
A little psychological warfare for Maxton. And Imogen the i***t has arrived in full fanfare showing her moron skills.
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