In Little Ways

Chapter 3

Lia walked into the apartment and sighed, tossing down her bag onto the small dining table. She ran her hands through her hair, pulling it from its hair tie and smiling as she heard her cat's loud meowing.

"Hi, Lucky! How was your day?" She asked, looking down at the three-legged tomcat as he hopped into the room, followed by her daughters.

"Mommy! You're home!" Kami squealed, running in wearing a bright pink tutu and a Bedazzled denim jacket. Bec strolled in after, her Yankees hat resting on her head, wearing a baggy shirt and a pair of black basketball shorts. Even as twins, they were entirely different.

"What are you two doing by yourself?" Lia asked, wondering what had happened to the neighbor she had asked to take care of them.

"Oh. Mrs. Wallenbe said that she had an emergency with one of her sons. He got in a car accident with a famous friend of his named Harvey. Smacked into some big ugly tree. She was really just worried about the car. It's her husband's work car. But she said that they were fine, somehow." Bec said, and Lia sighed, picking up Lucky as he rubbed against her leg, his loud purring impossible to ignore.

"Well. I really need to find you guys a better babysitter. Maybe I could leave you guys with your uncle. How does that sound?" She said and walked over to the couch, placing the orange tabby down on one of the fluffy cushions.

"With Uncle Tony? Would brother Peter be there?" Kami asked, bouncing on her toes. Lia smiled and walked into the kitchen, looking through the fridge. It was running low due to her inability to get to the store at the beginning of the week.

"Can we get Chinese food? I am craving some fried rice!" Kami cried from the table, and Lia chuckled, closing the fridge door and turning back to the girls.

"Of course. Take out sounds great." She said and reached for the landline, speed dialing the local Chinese place as they all sat on the couch.

"Hey, Cecilia! How' you doing tonight?" The owner of their favorite Chinese restaurant yelled when he picked up. Lia smiled and told him she was fine, not even having to order due to their almost weekly calls.

When the call had ended, Bec and Kami began retelling the adventures that the day had held, from tree-climbing competitions to who could read a book on astrophysics the fastest. Cecilia loved that the girls were so brilliant. It made sure that they would never have to go through what she had.

***

"How is there nothing good to eat around here?" Peter groaned from the couch and looked over as the elevator opened, Lia and the girls standing on the other side.

"Brother Petey!" Bec and Kami cried, and he shot up from the couch to run up to them, picking them both up easily and swinging them in circles as they all laughed.

"Hey, guys! I missed you both so much! And hi auntie Lia." He said and walked over to the couch, flopping down with them and giggling as they began chattering excitedly. Lia smiled as she watched before looking towards Tony's lab. He was crouched over a small panel, blasting ACDC.

Lia walked over and punched in the PIN before pulling the door open, her presence unknown to him.

"Hey, Tony!" She watched as he jumped and whipped his head around to glare at her, F.R.I.D.A.Y immediately lowering the music level so that it would be easier to talk.

"Lia! You can not just scare me like that! Don't you know what your poor uncle has gone through?" He scolded, smiling before turning back to his work. Lia laughed and walked over, standing beside him.

"What are you working on?" She asked, and Tony sighed, becoming somber.

"Well...remember the kid I told you about? From a few years ago?" He asked, and Lia nodded, watching his face as he tinkered with the panel.