Day 2

Nancy didn’t wake up till 8:30pm! She’d stirred once or twice, but inevitably woke up 11 and 1/2 hours after she’d fallen asleep, that must be a new world record.  Nancy was a little sad that she’d missed the famous San Antonio sunset her first day back, but quickly resolved that she’d make sure to see the next one and quickly checked her phone to find 2 missed calls and a text from Phebie.

The text read:

                Comin round Ur place l8r

                Luv Phebs ;)

As Nancy descended the stairs heading to the kitchen, she spotted the family cat coiled up beside one kitchen door. The cat quickly looked up, flashing luminous green eye’s at Nancy as she tried to pet her. The cat, whose top half was Black and bottom half (the tummy area) snow-white, hissed at Nancy’s out stretched hand and made a swipe at it, Nancy quickly drew back her right hand and missed the cat’s claws by mere inches.  With another hiss, the cat ran to hide behind Nancy’s fathers’ red arm chair.

“What’s up with Gingy?”  Nancy asked her mom when she entered the kitchen “it’s as if she doesn’t know me anymore.”

Nancy sat at the table in the middle of the kitchen which her family preferred to use to the dining room.  It hurt her to think that her loyal feline friend might have forgotten about her while she was away.

“May be you just startled her, love” Rebecca said in a mock British accent “or she was surprise to see you, remember honey, Ginger is only a cat” Rebecca was in the middle of baking potatoes.  When the oven timer went off, signaling that the pot roast was done, Nancy jumped up from her seat and went to help her mother for it had been so long since she did.

Suddenly Will and Philip burst into the kitchen, Will was talking to a girl on his phone while chatting with another girl on Facebook with Phil’s, whom was following diligently after him, obviously watching a master at work. Anytime Will spoke Phil hurriedly bent his head, it was then that Nancy noticed the notepad in Philip hands, Was he taking note! Nancy wondered with a laugh.

“I’m sorry I missed our date Jenny” Will was saying into the phone “yeah, I know I said 6:30 but some family matters came up… how ‘bout I make it up to you tomorrow? Eight-thirty....” Will tapped Philip, Nancy realized, to write it down for him to remember later.

‘‘Tomorrow’s a school night” Rebecca reminded him from the fryer.

“Sorry, make that five-thirty ….. Why? Because …..” Will look at Philip for assistance as to what to say next, Philip quickly scrawled something on the notepad and held it in front of Will to read.

“……‘‘because, I-care-for-your-welfare” Will read “I want-you-back-home-early-so-that-nothing-happens….To you on our date.’’”

Nancy heard the girl, Jenny, say something about Will being sweet and that she looked forward to their date, then Will ended the call.

“So...” Will said, addressing Philip “I have a make-up date with Jenny tomorrow cause I forgot the one we had today. Why didn’t you remind me?”

“Cause you said to cancel that so you could go out with Suzy, remember?” Philip said

“When did I say that?” Will clearly didn’t understand, so Philip resorted to saying it in a language Will would understand.

“You told me to cancel on the Busty Blonde to go out with Redhead 10”

“Oww……I get it……but what happen to sweetie 12?

“You broke up with her this afternoon, remember? Claire?

“Ow right, right. So...” Will clapped and rubbed his hands together, like their mom does “what’s next on my agenda?”

Philip look at the notepad “your date with Suzy starts in 15mins, but you have a few hearts to break before then” Philip sat at the table.

“Huh?” This time the sound came from Nancy’s mouth, the two looked up just noticing Nancy’s presence.

“Ow, hey Nancy, didn’t see you there, almost forgot you were back” Will said, sitting down.

Nancy ignored the slight pinch she felt in her heart and asked why Will had “a few” hearts to break.

“Well, you see” Will begin. “I currently have 7 ‘lady friends’, used to be 8 but I just broke up with……Claire, yeah. So, I wanna reduce the list a little, cause of school tomorrow so I’m breaking-up with 3 more of them.”

“Okay” Nancy said, she wasn't that much surprised, even thought she knew she should be. She tried to make conversation with Philip who wouldn’t even look in Nancy’s direction. Nancy sighed and finally resorted to talking to her mother about her father’s whereabouts.

“Mom? Where’s Dad?  I thought he’d be back from work by now?”  But Nancy quickly bite her tongue at the sad look on her mom’s face, Rebecca slightly shook her head while the boyz weren’t looking indicating that Nancy should drop the subject.

“Dads’ on a business trip” Will says, oblivious to what just transpired between his mother and sister. “Been away for almost 2 weeks now” he said, stuffing one hole fried potato in his mouth.

“At least we’re sure he’ll come back” Philip glared at Nancy while poking his chicken leg with a fork.

“Don’t count on it” Rebecca mumbled, but everyone pretended as it they hadn’t heard.

The rest of dinner was eaten in silence, only the occasional sounds of tears or beeps of texts from Will’s phone, which ended up being seized by Rebecca. When dinner was through and the pots, pans and dishes washed and put away, Will went upstairs to get ready for his date and Philip took his bike and headed off to the library for some reading before school started tomorrow.  Rebecca silently motioned for Nancy to follow her and they went out the kitchen, in and then out the dining room, in to the parlor to the far side of the room where Nancy’s father’s study/workroom was located, Rebecca unlocked the room and motioned Nancy in then shut the door firmly behind her.

 "You can't talk about your father" Rebecca whispered hurriedly.

"W-what? why?" Nancy was feeling worry crept up her spine. "Is he okay? is everyth-"

"Don't worry about that right now, you just rest. We'll talk so I promise." Than Rebecca put on a smile. "Now, shoo before the boys notice."

"We'll meet back here in afew more day."

"Oooookay," Nancy turns to leave while looking at her mother funny.

That was weird...