Slaying Dragons

Chapter Six

"Do I pick up the poop today?" Mally asked.

"No. It ‪starts Monday‬." Marcy started stacking dishes for Mal to wash. On Saturdays, they got started later than usual and ate crêpes and omelettes. Mal usually did the dishes. "Go play."

All the kids ran out.

"Are you about to walk your dogs?" Ellen inquired.

"Yeah. When I come back, they'll get dressed and we can leave." Marcy took Aisling out of her highchair.

"Where are we going?"

"The girls have gymnastics and the boys have football. Then the girls have ice skating while the boys have peewee hockey. Then we come home for lunch."

"And after lunch?"

"Whatever they want to do. We don't see each other a lot during the week so Saturday afternoons are for bonding."

"That's so sweet!"

Marcy shrugged. "I'll see you guys in a bit."

"Can I go with you?"

"You want to walk my dogs with me?"

"Well yeah. I don't want you to be alone."

"I won't be. Mercy walks with me."

"I still want to come. I like Mercy. Unless it's a sister thing?"

"It's a dog owner thing. You can come. Are you ready?"

Ellen looked down at herself before looking back up. "Yes."

"Alright. Come on." Marcy kissed Mal then clapped her hands. "Who wants to go for a walk?!"

The dogs went crazy.

M&MC

"The girls are really good at tumbling." Ellen was in awe.

"They get it from Mommy." Marcy teased.

"You can tumble?" Ellen blinked, shocked.

"I can do more than tumble. But I'm pregnant and can't show you."

"Aww! I'd love to see it."

"Remind me a few weeks after I give birth."

"Will that be safe?"

"I won't do anything stupid."

"Alright. I'll remind you." Ellen shifted on the bleachers.

"Cool." Marcy snapped a picture of the girls moving on the mats.

"Are you going to put Aisling in gymnastics?"

Marcy looked down at the baby in her lap. "Not for another year."

"Why two?"

"We got started in lessons at two."

"Mal says you were bad." Ellen watched her carefully.

"I was bad?!" Marcy's temper rose.

"No. You all."

It tempered off. "Maybe."

"He says you and Mike were the worst."

"Mikey was somethin else. But he wasn't the worst. I was."

Ellen accidentally smiled. "Are you proud?"

"Oh no. I did a lot of bad stuff and that'll always rest with me."

"But you were a kid."

"Evil is evil."