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Authors: Caitlyn O'Leary
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take, because there was also another pan with a dishtowel over it. “What’s this?” He took off the dishtowel and found brownies. He damn well knew he didn’t have any brownie mix at home. As a matter of fact he didn’t have most of the ingredients needed to make these baked goods.
“Honey, you didn’t have to go to this much trouble.” He rubbed his ear, wanting to somehow offer her money for the food, but knowing it would offend her and ruin her efforts.
“It wasn’t any trouble. Billy and I were remembering how much fun it was when Mom would have a baking day. So we decided to have one of our own.” Mason could drown in her sunny smile.
“It was great. We still have to test everything. I don’t know if Soph can make stuff as good as Mom.” Billy gave his sister a poke in the ribs and Mason saw her flinch.
“Gentle, Billy,” Mason cautioned.
“I’m sorry, Soph.” He gave his sister a soft hug.
“Billy, we need to talk about how your sister got hurt,” Mason said as he cut brownie squares and put them onto plates for everyone. They sat around the kitchen island.
“This isn’t really any of your concern, Billy and I will handle it.” She turned away from him and gave all her focus to her brother.
“Has Sophia explained how she got hurt?” Mason asked the boy who looked so much like his sister. He was reaching for a second brownie and he stopped.
“We were supposed to last night but I ended up going to sleep. It happened when she was looking for me, right?” Billy looked at Mason with growing guilt.
“That’s right.” Mason watched as tears filled Billy’s eyes, and how he wiped them away with the sleeve of his shirt.
“I’m sorry, Soph. You shouldn’t have been out there. I didn’t ask you to be,” the last was said with the defiance of a teenager. Mason figured at twelve that’s basically what he was.
“Billy, if Sophia was missing wouldn’t you go out and look for her? Especially if something bad almost happened to her last time?” Mason gave the boy a hard look, wanting him to understand the consequence of his actions.
“Mason, this isn’t your business. This is between me and Billy.” Sophia looked brittle. She looked mad. He was not scoring any points that was for damn sure.
“I would have gone looking for her,” he answered quietly. Mason was impressed, he didn’t have to admit it and he could have hidden behind his sister.
“You can’t do this again. Both of you could end up seriously hurt or dead next time.” Mason tried to soften his tone, but it was too vital for the boy to understand how important his words were.
“But you don’t understand.” The boy clenched his fist and looked him in the eye, and then over at his sister.
“What don’t I understand?” he asked, eyeing the boy steadily.
Billy opened his mouth and then shut it. “May I be excused?”
“Yes.” They both watched as Billy left the kitchen. Mason didn’t have to wait long.
“That wasn’t your place.” Sophia threw down the napkin she’d been shredding.
“I’m sorry you feel like that but he needed to hear how he endangered you.” She glared at him, and he might have felt bad if her face weren’t a rainbow bruise.
“Right now I’m trying to get him calmed down and happy enough to stick it out with the Bard household until I can petition the courts to have him come live with me.”
“What makes you think he won’t pull this same stunt when he’s living with you?” Mason bit out.
“What?” It was obvious the thought hadn’t entered her mind.
“You did say he was trying to track down your dad. Well wouldn’t he still be trying to do it even if he comes to live with you?” She looked past him towards the kitchen entrance. Then she got off her chair and motioned for him to follow her out onto the back porch.
“I tracked down dad and he’s living in Mission Hills. He has a new wife and a baby.” Sophia threw out the information.
“Did you call DHCS?
“Honey, you didn’t have to go to this much trouble.” He rubbed his ear, wanting to somehow offer her money for the food, but knowing it would offend her and ruin her efforts.
“It wasn’t any trouble. Billy and I were remembering how much fun it was when Mom would have a baking day. So we decided to have one of our own.” Mason could drown in her sunny smile.
“It was great. We still have to test everything. I don’t know if Soph can make stuff as good as Mom.” Billy gave his sister a poke in the ribs and Mason saw her flinch.
“Gentle, Billy,” Mason cautioned.
“I’m sorry, Soph.” He gave his sister a soft hug.
“Billy, we need to talk about how your sister got hurt,” Mason said as he cut brownie squares and put them onto plates for everyone. They sat around the kitchen island.
“This isn’t really any of your concern, Billy and I will handle it.” She turned away from him and gave all her focus to her brother.
“Has Sophia explained how she got hurt?” Mason asked the boy who looked so much like his sister. He was reaching for a second brownie and he stopped.
“We were supposed to last night but I ended up going to sleep. It happened when she was looking for me, right?” Billy looked at Mason with growing guilt.
“That’s right.” Mason watched as tears filled Billy’s eyes, and how he wiped them away with the sleeve of his shirt.
“I’m sorry, Soph. You shouldn’t have been out there. I didn’t ask you to be,” the last was said with the defiance of a teenager. Mason figured at twelve that’s basically what he was.
“Billy, if Sophia was missing wouldn’t you go out and look for her? Especially if something bad almost happened to her last time?” Mason gave the boy a hard look, wanting him to understand the consequence of his actions.
“Mason, this isn’t your business. This is between me and Billy.” Sophia looked brittle. She looked mad. He was not scoring any points that was for damn sure.
“I would have gone looking for her,” he answered quietly. Mason was impressed, he didn’t have to admit it and he could have hidden behind his sister.
“You can’t do this again. Both of you could end up seriously hurt or dead next time.” Mason tried to soften his tone, but it was too vital for the boy to understand how important his words were.
“But you don’t understand.” The boy clenched his fist and looked him in the eye, and then over at his sister.
“What don’t I understand?” he asked, eyeing the boy steadily.
Billy opened his mouth and then shut it. “May I be excused?”
“Yes.” They both watched as Billy left the kitchen. Mason didn’t have to wait long.
“That wasn’t your place.” Sophia threw down the napkin she’d been shredding.
“I’m sorry you feel like that but he needed to hear how he endangered you.” She glared at him, and he might have felt bad if her face weren’t a rainbow bruise.
“Right now I’m trying to get him calmed down and happy enough to stick it out with the Bard household until I can petition the courts to have him come live with me.”
“What makes you think he won’t pull this same stunt when he’s living with you?” Mason bit out.
“What?” It was obvious the thought hadn’t entered her mind.
“You did say he was trying to track down your dad. Well wouldn’t he still be trying to do it even if he comes to live with you?” She looked past him towards the kitchen entrance. Then she got off her chair and motioned for him to follow her out onto the back porch.
“I tracked down dad and he’s living in Mission Hills. He has a new wife and a baby.” Sophia threw out the information.
“Did you call DHCS?
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