One of the maids was on the floor of the den, crawling around on her hands and knees looking for an earring that Mother had dropped. Redheaded Zora and blonde Kayley were watching Bonanza reruns, arguing over Little Joe Cartwright or Adam Cartwright (Who was hotter? Jusging by the fact that Kayley's face was as red as Zora's hair, Adam was winning!), and Lucas was playing some fighting game that was causing him to curse like a sailor. Jada was curled up on one of the leather couches, a book in her hand, and watching her siblings enjoy themselves.
When Bonanza was over, another argument started between the girls. Jada put the televisions on mute, dragging Lucas away from his video game. “Zora, Kayley, what are the two of you going on about?”
“Wishes.” Kayley said promptly. “Zora's tutor says she has to write a paper on what she'd do with three wishes!”
“That's easy.” Lucas glanced back at his television, feet bouncing in his shoes. “She'd wish to be grown up.”
“I am grown up, LUCAS.” Zora sneered at her younger brother.
“Are not.”
“Am too.”
“Are not!”
“Am too!”
“Shhh!” Jada waved her hand impatiently, making Kayley giggle. “So tell us, Lucas, since you are so certain of everyone else's wishes, what are yours?”
“I wish I could be playing my game instead of listening to my stupid older sister.” he said promptly. The twins hid giggles behind their hands. Lucas grinned, pleased by their quiet praise until he saw Jada's raised eyebrow and quailed.
“Well, once we've all shared some wishes, you can have yours.” she said easily. The maid had found the earring, and was starting to leave. “Vanessa,” Jada caught her before she left, “Could you have someone bring up four cups of ice cream?”A curtsy and the young woman was gone without so much as a word of response to the young woman's request.
“I want to be a grown up.” Lucas said importantly, pleased his big sister had ordered them all a treat. “And I want Santa to get me everything on my Christmas list next year.” he screwed up his small face thoughtfully. He giggled as Jada reached over, tickling his belly. “Nooo!” he protested, flailing.
“Last wish!”
“I wish you'd stop tickling me.” he wailed it. Zora and Kayley broke down in giggles and Jada hauled the younger child into her lap. “Jayjay, I'm too big for that! Not a baby anymore!”
“Pffffft. You'll always be my baby brother.” And he would. Though if he got much bigger she wouldn't be able to do this to him; wouldn't be able to hug him close to her. She wouldn't be bigger than he for much longer.
“I'm a young man!” he protested again, giggling and wriggling as her fingers easily found his ticklish spots again. “Papa said so. He said I need to turn my mind to manly pu- I'll be good! Just stop! Stop!” Jada did so, and he eventually settled down into her arms. “Do I still get my third wish?”
“I suppose.” she agreed. “Kayley, Zora, do you mind?” The twins shrugged.
“I wish that...” his small face scrunched up. “That I could fly.” he decided.
Why did he want to fly? Well, the mind of a ten-year-old boy was not something Jada had ever had the privilege of understanding. “I wish that I had a motorcycle.” Zora piped up. A motorcycle?! “And that I had that new lipstick I saw on TV. Oh, and that I had a-” she looked at Kayley, and the two giggled. “A boyfriend.”
Oh dear lord. Little girls were growing up far too fast these days. “I wish Lucas would stop leaving his underwear in the bathroom on the maid's night off.” Kayley spoke up next. “And that I wasn't still in a-” she stopped, gave Lucas the eye, then gave Jada the look. “That I wasn't still tiny.” Oh. “And I wish I was dating Zora's boyfriend's twin brother.” The two girls started giggling again, impish.
There was a gentle knock on the door to the den and Vanessa walked back in with a tray holding their bowls of ice cream. Zora had cookie pieces in hers, Kayley had cookie dough; Lucas' was chocolate, his favorite flavor and they'd brought Jada plain vanilla, a few fresh strawberries to the side. After ten years or more of serving the Chamberlyn family, the help knew 'their' children quite well.
“What are your wishes, Jay?” Zora slid onto one arm of the plush chair, and Kayley onto the other.
Tough question. Jada bit her lip, dipping one of the strawberries into the ice cream. “Well, I think you can go back to your game, Lucas.” The best thing to do when you were faced with a question that you didn't want to answer was to ignore it.
Apparently, however, Lucas was wise to that trick. He shook his dark head, taking a big bite of his chocolate ice cream. The small nose scrunched up; brain freeze! “You gotta tell too.” he insisted.
Wishes. Wishes were nice, but that was all they were. When a wish became reality it wasn't there anymore. It was human nature to yearn and wish for the things one didn't possess. Jada had lots of wishes, but none of them were as solid in her mind as those of her younger siblings. Kayley and Zora, thirteen in a few days, were dreaming of romance. That was a luxury.
“I wish I hadn't lost my cell phone,” she said finally, looking pointedly at her little brother. Lucas had snitched it, she knew, to look through the pictures she had on it. He always did so on the weekends she came home, and he would sit with the twins and pore over the pictures she had on there.“And I also wish someone would stop snitching my favorite eyeshadow.” Zora got the eye this time. “Not that I know who would do such a dastardly thing. And I guess with my third wish...” she looked thoughtfully over her three siblings. “I think I'd set the genie free.”
“But that's a wasted wish!” Zora protested. “What can the genie do for you when it is gone? And why should it help you?”
Jada smiled. “It isn't always going to be about what the genie can do for you, is it?”
“Duh.” came the chorus of younger voices.
When Bonanza was over, another argument started between the girls. Jada put the televisions on mute, dragging Lucas away from his video game. “Zora, Kayley, what are the two of you going on about?”
“Wishes.” Kayley said promptly. “Zora's tutor says she has to write a paper on what she'd do with three wishes!”
“That's easy.” Lucas glanced back at his television, feet bouncing in his shoes. “She'd wish to be grown up.”
“I am grown up, LUCAS.” Zora sneered at her younger brother.
“Are not.”
“Am too.”
“Are not!”
“Am too!”
“Shhh!” Jada waved her hand impatiently, making Kayley giggle. “So tell us, Lucas, since you are so certain of everyone else's wishes, what are yours?”
“I wish I could be playing my game instead of listening to my stupid older sister.” he said promptly. The twins hid giggles behind their hands. Lucas grinned, pleased by their quiet praise until he saw Jada's raised eyebrow and quailed.
“Well, once we've all shared some wishes, you can have yours.” she said easily. The maid had found the earring, and was starting to leave. “Vanessa,” Jada caught her before she left, “Could you have someone bring up four cups of ice cream?”A curtsy and the young woman was gone without so much as a word of response to the young woman's request.
“I want to be a grown up.” Lucas said importantly, pleased his big sister had ordered them all a treat. “And I want Santa to get me everything on my Christmas list next year.” he screwed up his small face thoughtfully. He giggled as Jada reached over, tickling his belly. “Nooo!” he protested, flailing.
“Last wish!”
“I wish you'd stop tickling me.” he wailed it. Zora and Kayley broke down in giggles and Jada hauled the younger child into her lap. “Jayjay, I'm too big for that! Not a baby anymore!”
“Pffffft. You'll always be my baby brother.” And he would. Though if he got much bigger she wouldn't be able to do this to him; wouldn't be able to hug him close to her. She wouldn't be bigger than he for much longer.
“I'm a young man!” he protested again, giggling and wriggling as her fingers easily found his ticklish spots again. “Papa said so. He said I need to turn my mind to manly pu- I'll be good! Just stop! Stop!” Jada did so, and he eventually settled down into her arms. “Do I still get my third wish?”
“I suppose.” she agreed. “Kayley, Zora, do you mind?” The twins shrugged.
“I wish that...” his small face scrunched up. “That I could fly.” he decided.
Why did he want to fly? Well, the mind of a ten-year-old boy was not something Jada had ever had the privilege of understanding. “I wish that I had a motorcycle.” Zora piped up. A motorcycle?! “And that I had that new lipstick I saw on TV. Oh, and that I had a-” she looked at Kayley, and the two giggled. “A boyfriend.”
Oh dear lord. Little girls were growing up far too fast these days. “I wish Lucas would stop leaving his underwear in the bathroom on the maid's night off.” Kayley spoke up next. “And that I wasn't still in a-” she stopped, gave Lucas the eye, then gave Jada the look. “That I wasn't still tiny.” Oh. “And I wish I was dating Zora's boyfriend's twin brother.” The two girls started giggling again, impish.
There was a gentle knock on the door to the den and Vanessa walked back in with a tray holding their bowls of ice cream. Zora had cookie pieces in hers, Kayley had cookie dough; Lucas' was chocolate, his favorite flavor and they'd brought Jada plain vanilla, a few fresh strawberries to the side. After ten years or more of serving the Chamberlyn family, the help knew 'their' children quite well.
“What are your wishes, Jay?” Zora slid onto one arm of the plush chair, and Kayley onto the other.
Tough question. Jada bit her lip, dipping one of the strawberries into the ice cream. “Well, I think you can go back to your game, Lucas.” The best thing to do when you were faced with a question that you didn't want to answer was to ignore it.
Apparently, however, Lucas was wise to that trick. He shook his dark head, taking a big bite of his chocolate ice cream. The small nose scrunched up; brain freeze! “You gotta tell too.” he insisted.
Wishes. Wishes were nice, but that was all they were. When a wish became reality it wasn't there anymore. It was human nature to yearn and wish for the things one didn't possess. Jada had lots of wishes, but none of them were as solid in her mind as those of her younger siblings. Kayley and Zora, thirteen in a few days, were dreaming of romance. That was a luxury.
“I wish I hadn't lost my cell phone,” she said finally, looking pointedly at her little brother. Lucas had snitched it, she knew, to look through the pictures she had on it. He always did so on the weekends she came home, and he would sit with the twins and pore over the pictures she had on there.“And I also wish someone would stop snitching my favorite eyeshadow.” Zora got the eye this time. “Not that I know who would do such a dastardly thing. And I guess with my third wish...” she looked thoughtfully over her three siblings. “I think I'd set the genie free.”
“But that's a wasted wish!” Zora protested. “What can the genie do for you when it is gone? And why should it help you?”
Jada smiled. “It isn't always going to be about what the genie can do for you, is it?”
“Duh.” came the chorus of younger voices.
