Part One - Chapter One

"Are you up yet?"

Nicholas bellowed up the stairs as he walked past through the downstairs hall. The century and a half old brick house had a cherry banister and a long, steep, straight stairway that the Children's Services caseworker had worried about in the initial screening. "What if a child falls down that?" she asked.

"They'd better bounce" said Natasha. She had never worried about upsetting the screener, while Nicholas had been anxious for days. That was years ago, and the foster kids were now teenagers, and Natasha was buried just up the hill beyond the village, and it was time for school.

"Not yelling again," Nicholas, never Nick, said loudly if not angrily, and moved on into the kitchen. He put two waffles in the toaster from the always hanging open box in the freezer, and turned to the task of making coffee. The device could be set the night before, and sometimes was, but was more often regretted in the rush for school and starting out.

Over the gurgle of near-boiling water squirting into the grounds, Sarah was the first down in a tumble and crash. "Is the coffee ready?"

"No, but you need juice first."

"Daaaad, orange juice first makes the coffee taste weird."

"Not as weird as coffee makes the orange juice taste. Drink up."

Shaking her head, Sarah turned to the fridge and dug out a carton of juice. Mattie was down next.

"I want oatmeal, Dad."

"There's not time for oatmeal. If you'd gotten up with your alarm, then..."

"Don't we have minute oats?"

"Why do you want oatmeal today, anyhow? You eat crackers and honey."

"Principal said oatmeal would help us on the grad tests; something about soluble fiber."

Sarah chimed in: "She's right. It keeps your blood sugar from swinging up and down. And she's gotta pass, not like me."

Sarah was eighteen, a senior, still struggling with her classes and tests. She had the same tests her sophomore sister had today, having flunked them twice, but the extra tutors and home training Nicholas had arranged for her had them in a surprisingly relaxed state, Mattie included. As they chattered about oatmeal, Susie quietly slid into the kitchen and grabbed two of the four toasted waffles, and went into the corner by the window overlooking the garden.

"Morning Suze."

"Morning Dad."

"Do you have anything today? Anything major?"

"No. Just ninth grade stuff. And play practice tonight."

"Right. Are we all set for the day, ladies?"

Ninth, tenth, and twelfth graders stared back at him in the form of three daughters. "The day" was not how they looked at their stage, their arena, their obstacle course. Sarah replied for all of them "We have this one covered, Dad. Just go sort doors or something."

"After I get you there."

Mattie was first out the door to the garage, Susie and Sarah right behind. Nicholas got into the SUVs driver seat, and pushed the button for the door to raise. "Gear check?" It had probably been years since they'd stopped to let anyone go back in the house to get something, not since Natasha's death, but he still asked.

"All good," said Mattie, and Nicholas backed into the drive, and swiveled around into the lane and downhill to the road. It was a new day, and anything could happen. Nicholas prayed that it wouldn't, but would be one more blessed boring day.