Luck or Fate?

Chemical X

As I'm walking down the hallway of our apartment building, I hear voices coming from my own apartment, number 221. I unlock the door and find Henry and Claire at the dining table playing cards. At a glance, Claire has long brown hair fastened up in a ponytail. She has fair skin and is wearing a cute blouse and skirt. Okay be cool, but not weird. "Hey guys? How has Times Square?"

They look at each other and smile. "It was great." Henry says. I walk over to them and they set down their cards and stand up. "Claire, this is my mom. Mom, this is Claire."

I shake hands with her. "Hi, Mrs. Swan. It's very nice to meet you."

"Please, call me Emma. It's nice to meet you, Claire." I say, grinning. "I'll let you guys get back to your game. What are you playing?"

"Egyptian War." Henry says, picking up his cards. "I taught Claire and now she loves it."

"It's the best game ever! This is like the third round." she says, clear excitement in her eyes.

"I'm glad you're having fun." I say.

At nine o'clock, there's a ring from the doorbell. I open the door and there's a women standing in the doorway. "Hello! Are you Claire's mom?"

"Yes. Hello, nice to meet you. I'm Beatrice." She says, shaking my hand. "Emma." I say. I invite her inside and I see Henry and Claire cleaning up the cards. "Thank you so much for watching Claire."

"It was no trouble at all. She's very well behaved." I say.

"I'm glad to here it. Honey, let's say goodbye."

Henry and I both walk them to the door. "Bye Claire. See you at school." He says.

"Bye Henry." I close the door as they walk away. "So," I turn to face him. "How was it?"

"It was super fun. We walked around, went in some shops. We had ice cream, which I bought of course."

"Good. It's very important for a first date that the man buys the lady something." I say, trying to keep from laughing.

"Mom! Not that again." He rolls his eyes before saying "I think I'll go to bed now. Goodnight, Mom."

"Night, Henry."

----

The next day, I take out bread and cheese for lunch. Henry is reading on the couch as I turn on the stove. "I'm in the mood for a grilled cheese. Want some?"

"Yes please. Thanks, Mom."

The yummy aroma of melted cheese fills the air as I flip the sandwich onto the other side to cook. I hear a ding ding from my phone and I get it from the table. I check the screen and see an email notification from Belle. I open it and read through it quickly.

Emma,

Our new project needs a necessary component for it to be successful. If you are available, pick it up from the address listed below. It is crucial that this gets delivered today. Please respond as soon as possible.

Belle French
CIA Director

I click the address and see that it is only about half an hour away. I respond and place the grilled cheeses on two plates. "Lunch is ready."

I eat my grilled cheese and grab my coat and purse. "Henry, I have to go do some work stuff. I'll be back in about an hour. Are you okay be yourself?"