The Super Killer

Ch.16

How does Kevin travel like this all the time? Heather paid the on-call sitter her usual rate along with a very generous tip for the short notice. She said, "Again, thank you."

"It's really not a big deal. Your kids are so fun to be around and so well spoken for their ages."

Heather's tired eyes beamed from the compliment. "Kevin and I have been reading to them since they were babies."

"It shows. Have a great night."

"Thank you. Have a safe trip home." She locked the door and turned to face her newly constructed bookcase. She smiled at it and all her books like one would acknowledge an old friend. Heather then turned her attention to the top of the stairs. "Kids! It's your mother. Everyone downstairs, I have an announcement." Heather was met with silence and walked to the first step. "I have ice cream!"

Both bedroom doors swung open, and Gracie shouted from the top of the stairs, "Ice cream!" She looked down at her mother. "Hey, you don't have ice cream."

"What are you talking about? I-screamed your names, but no one answered."

Gracie rolled her eyes. "That's not something you joke about."

Cheryl stepped around her sister and said, "I think it's funny."

Heather waved them both down the stairs. "Come here, I have something exciting to share with both of you." She brought them into the living room and sat with them on the couch. She told Gracie to put her phone away and then said with much delight, "Today, I accomplished a lifelong dream I've had since I was Cheryl's age."

"That's like forever ago," Gracie blurted out.

Cheryl raised her hand and asked, "What did you do?"

"You don't need to raise your hand, but to answer your question, today I wrote a news article that will be read all around the world." Cheryl and Gracie reacted with blank stares. "It's a topic that might even get me a book deal." Nothing. "Your mother is famous."

Gracie's eyes opened wide. "Do we get to move to California? I heard Wonder Woman has a house in Malibu."

"No," Heather answered, pushing away a thought, "I'm not movie famous; I'm journalist famous. It's a little different."

Gracie's shoulders dropped along with her excitement. "Oh."

"I'm proud of you," Cheryl said.

"Suck up."

"I'm not a suck up."

"Yeah-huh. You were doing it with the babysitter, and you suck up to all the teachers at school."

Heather raised her hand not to ask a question but to demand silence. "You two are everything to me, and I will always love you, but right now you're souring a very special moment in your mother's life."

"Sorry."

"We're sorry."

"You are both forgiven. Now, go pick out a book from my library."

"Are you going to make us read?"

"Yes."

"A whole book in one night?"

"Not in one night."

"But that's boring," Gracie said. "Why can't we watch a movie instead?"

Heather hugged her girls into her sides. "Because it's my moment, and nothing in this world makes me happier than torturing my children with fine literature. Now, both of you, pick out a book." Heather watched their frustrated efforts to work together and loved every second of it. When the girls returned, they did so with her worn copy of The Lathe of Heaven.