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If Lizzie didn’t like something, it was competition. Now, that she had a perfect daddy, the only person she could bear sharing Rowan with was her mommy. After all, a mommy and a daddy cuddling and hugging were a prerequisite for a happy family. For now. In due time, when Grace would be old, like forty, Lizzie could put her into a retirement home and marry Daddy herself.
But her paradise was beginning to unravel. For the last few weeks, Daddy’s energy had started to fade, and his performance was lacking. He had dozed every time he asked him to read her a book before going to sleep, and even when riding a bicycle together. Straight into a tree, he went.
Something was fishy. She decided to pay attention to details and borrowed a deerstalker cap from the school’s Drama club, and a magnifying glass from Dmitri. However, roaming the house holding the lens in hand didn’t achieve the expected results. She was stuck.
Lizzie was so depressed that she had trouble falling asleep. And that proved a strike of luck. Lizzie heard whispers in the corridor. Opening her door an inch, she peered outside. For whatever reason, Auntie Isla and Mommy were talking in front of the guest room. Then, surprisingly, it was not Auntie who entered the guest room, but Mommy. Aunt Isla tip-toed her way to the master bedroom.
A terrible suspicion aroused in Lizzie’s heart. For an hour, she walked back and forth behind her door, waiting, struggling with the sleep that was now assaulting her. And finally, there were whispers again. And this time, Auntie Isla went back in the restroom, and Mommy to the bedroom.
Truth stroke like lightning. Auntie was siphoning Rowan's vital energy because Mommy was sharing the hugging and cuddling with her. He could understand it, after all, her Daddy was a great hugger, and if she’d believe Mommy, a good kisser. But things had limits. A Daddy’s first and foremost duty was to take care of his daughter, not to hug Mommy’s best friend.
With the resolve to put an end to this folly and speak her mind to Rowan as soon as possible, she went to bed.
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The next morning, she arrived early for breakfast, skipping a few things like washing her face or searching for new socks. Or matched socks for what it mattered. Mommy and Auntie Isla were sipping coffee, and Dmitri prepared pancakes. She fretted for half an hour until Rowan appeared, his beard shaved irregularly, wobbling and eyes half open.
Lizzie's attempt at speaking first was cut off by Grace.
“Morning, honey. Isla came to say hi, before her shift.”
“Hi, Isla,” Rowan said, kissing Lizzie’s hair and Grace’s cheek.
Waving an anemic hand, Auntie avoided everyone's eyes and the sky fell on Lizzie’s head. Daddy was not aware, he was tricked into wasting out his precious hugs. Why, oh, why, her own mother has enacted such a betrayrous thing? Or was it bitchtairous? Never mind words, it was bad.
Lizzie’s face reddened. Opening her mouth to scream her disappointment, she was interrupted again, when a pancake landed inside, pushed by a fork, and the fork handled by Dmitri.
“You tell me how you like this new recipe,” he blurted, then leaned and whispered in her ear: “It’s better to let them sort it out themselves. It will not be long.”
Fuming, she threw back a furious frown, meaning: Did you know about this?
Dmitri half-shrugged, palms up: I couldn’t help.
The situation was way worse than she imagined. For the first time in her life, Lizzie couldn’t wait to go to school. It was time to bridge the gap and reach out to the class enemy. As soon as the bell rang for the first break, she beelined for Thomas’s class.
“We need to talk,” she grabbed him by the hand.
“Your fiancée's visiting, Thomas,” a boy joked, but she ignored him. Two minutes later, they reached a secluded spot behind the main building.
“What’s up?” Thomas asked.
“Mommy and Isla are sharing Rowan!”
“Oh, God! How did you find out?” the boy blurted, taking a step back.
“You knew?”
“Yeah… of course. I figured out when she asked Dad to keep me for another month. And I also eavesdropped and asked my dad. He’s everyone’s shrink, but let me tell you, not so strong on doctor-patient confidentiality.”
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“Well, aren’t you going to do something?” Lizzie stomped her right foot on the grass.
“Absolutely not,” Thomas shook his head.
“What? No more I’ll kill you in your sleep? They hug, Thomas! Isla and Rowan hug every—”
“Please, don’t go into details!” he pushed his hands forward in a stopping gesture. “It hurts my soul… but there are greater things in play, and I must be strong… for Cora…” the boy sighed, raising his eyes to the sky and putting his right hand over his heart.
“For who?”
“Cora. Look, you’ll pester me with questions anyway, so I’ll give you the full story in one go. You know Cora pretended to be Cory, the core’s sentience, right? She developed a crush on Rowan, being stuck in that ship and all. Such a sweet, and pure intellectual girl… She has an INT build, and that’s supposed to match a WIL well. She asked Grace to share Rowan with her because Grace owes her big. Your mother agreed, as long as Cora manages to reach out to Rowan’s heart by herself. But Grace only pretended to agree, she hates Cora. Mom and her are best friends, so Grace thought: instead of sharing with Cora, let’s share with Isla, getting Rowan too busy to care for an alien. They tricked him, for now, and hope that once he finds out, he’ll accept the fait accompli. That means the done deed. Poor Cora… she’s been deceived. But here I come in play. I’m an INT build. I’ll be the shoulder on which she’ll cry her sorrow out, and in time, I’ll get her to love me instead. INT plus INT, you know. I plan to propose to her when I’m twelve.”
“You’re an idiot,” Lizzie stated. Instead of returning to class, she aimed for the exit. A simple flicker of her fingers made the school’s guard open the door for her without too much questioning.
“Tell Miss Gwen I’m not in the mood for school today,” she ordered.
There was always a bodyguard around the school or the house, day or night. Today, it was Bree, smoking under a tree, a hundred feet farther. When Lizzie beckoned her, the woman threw the butt, crushing it under her boot, and came forward.
“Take me home, please.”
“Sure, hop up,” Bree said, putting the girl on her shoulders. Lizzie had already noticed the Ranger wasn’t the type to ask too many questions.
“This is so cool!” she yelled ecstatic, as Bree began running at a tremendous speed, promising herself to train Daddy at being a good horse.
When they got back home, there was no one around. Mommy worked on some music projects, Rowan and Isla chased Cores, and Dmitri… who cared. Bree made sandwiches for both of them and lounged on the couch, and then Lizzie went to her room.
She felt depressed. ALL the Universe was after her Daddy. The problem was how to make this idiocy stop. Crying and screaming were good options, but at some point, Grace could reprimand her and say this was adult stuff and not her business. Using her powers would have worked… at least on Isla and Cora, who had weaker minds than Mommy… but she didn’t want to risk hurting them. Auntie was nice and protected everyone, including Daddy. And Cora had helped them a lot, too.
If tantrums or manipulations were out, what remained? Niceness, of course. It was the only way, and she’d prove to the adults how wise and considerate she was. Slowly, she compiled some ideas and then wrote them down on a piece of paper, as well as she could.
Providence helped her, and Rowan returned home first. She jumped in his arms.
“Daddy!”
“Sweetie!” he hugged her. Oh, how glorious his hugs were. Filling her heart with joy and indescribable happiness.
“Can I speak to you?” she asked, pulling him to the table.
“Sure, sweetie, what’s up?”
“You do know you’re a good Daddy and person, yes?”
“Err… I try my best, sweetie.” Even when he ruffled her hair, there was so much delight!
“So good that everyone wants a piece of you. Cora is… what was the word… secretly enamouerd of you, and mommy promised to share you with her, if she manages to win your heart, but then changed her mind and lets Auntie Isla sneak into your room at night to hug you when you’re asleep, like a vampire or something, to siphon your energy and not be able to cuddle with Cora. The problem is you’re so tired you can’t take care of me properly anymore, and I’m very sad. But don’t worry! Everything will be all right as long you follow this.”
Beaming with pride, Lizzie placed the schedule she had drawn on the table.
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Isla Free Mommy Free Cora Free