" Uh..... Hey, Annie?"

On the other line, Annie appeared to be drinking something. " Spit it out." She said. " I have fries to eat."

Mia choked but shook her head. " Could you.... Oh, I don't know.... Cut your shopping spree short?"

" Why?"

" Because....."

" Because what?"

Mia took a deep breath. " BecauseweburntthekitchenandEmmasdriftingoffintospaceinareallyweirdtreetrunk."

Annie blinked. " What?"

Nelson was running around the kitchen, throwing open drawers and cabinets in a desperate search for...something, anything that could fix the disaster they were in. Pots and pans clanged loudly, silverware spilled everywhere, and he kept muttering, "This is bad, this is so bad, why does she have to float off in a tree trunk of all things!?"

Meanwhile, Blackie sat serenely on the counter, sipping a boba tea and delicately picking up fries from a container, completely unfazed by the chaos around him. He looked as if he were enjoying a casual afternoon snack, his tail curled elegantly around his paws.

"Annie," Mia said, her voice wavering, "we really, really need your help. Like, immediately."

"Okay, wait, back up," Annie said slowly, clearly trying to make sense of the mess Mia had just dumped on her. "First of all, how did you burn the kitchen? And second, what do you mean Emma is drifting off into space in a tree trunk?!"

Nelson, still rummaging around, suddenly threw a spatula over his shoulder with a dramatic cry. "We're doomed! Emma's going to end up somewhere near Saturn, and it's all my fault!" He dramatically flopped onto the kitchen floor, as if that would somehow fix things.

Blackie raised an eyebrow and sighed, taking a long, slow sip of his drink. "Oh please, you're being so dramatic," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "It's just space. Emma will be fine. She's got a tree trunk, doesn't she?"

Mia shot a desperate look at Blackie. "You're not helping!"

"I'm not trying to," Blackie replied smoothly, crunching on another fry. "You're the one who needs help, not me."

Annie's face was slowly contorting with a mixture of disbelief and amusement. "Okay, okay. You two are hopeless. I'll be there in ten minutes. Just...don't do anything else that's crazy until I get there. And stop panicking, Nelson!"

"PANICKING? I'm not panicking!" Nelson yelled, flailing his arms dramatically. Then he paused, caught sight of Blackie casually dipping another fry into his boba tea, and let out a frustrated groan. "How are you so calm?!"

Blackie gave a lazy shrug, not even looking up from his meal. "Because unlike you, I'm not the one who's supposed to fix this mess. I'm just here for the show."

Mia threw her hands up in the air, clearly at her wit's end. "Okay, Blackie, if you're not going to help, at least stop being so smug about it!"

The cat gave a feline grin, his whiskers twitching with amusement. "Oh, but I am helping. I'm keeping you both entertained while Annie comes to the rescue."

Nelson's face was red with frustration, and Mia had to physically stop him from grabbing a nearby frying pan and launching it at Blackie. "Just... breathe, Nelson," she said, trying to calm him down. "Annie's on her way, and she'll know what to do."

Nelson took a shaky breath, nodding. "Right... Right. We just have to hold it together until she gets here."

Blackie licked his paw with a satisfied smirk. "Good luck with that."

As the chaos continued, the soft buzz of the phone call ended with Annie's voice floating back, "And please make sure Emma doesn't get too far away from Earth while I'm driving, okay?"

Mia looked out the window at the speck that was Emma, drifting slowly through the sky in her bizarre wooden spaceship. "We'll try," she muttered, crossing her fingers.

Nelson picked himself up off the floor and looked at Mia. "We're not going to try. We're going to make sure she's safe. Let's do this!"

"Yeah," Mia agreed, the two of them locking eyes with a determined nod.

In the corner, Blackie finished his fries and sighed contentedly. "Oh, I love it when a plan comes together."

" Well that was a dumb plan."

Mia shot Blackie a look. " Do you have another idea?"

" No.... But still. It was stupid to try and build a rocket out of fabric and try to launch it at Emma with a cow on a rope."

Mia glanced at Nelson. " How's the co-"

She did a double take when she saw her husband.

He was wearing farmer overalls, a straw hat, and was sitting on a stool

And he was milking the cow.

Mia's jaw dropped and a sweatdrop appeared. " Nelson....."

Mia's voice trailed off as she tried to process what she was seeing. Nelson, completely absorbed in his task, didn't even look up. He continued to milk the cow with a calm, almost serene expression on his face, as if this was the most natural thing in the world. The cow mooed softly, content with Nelson's gentle handling.

"Uh... yeah?" Nelson replied, looking up at her with a casual smile, as if they weren't in the middle of an utterly bizarre rescue mission.

"Why are you... why are you milking a cow right now?" Mia managed to say, her expression somewhere between incredulous and defeated.

Nelson shrugged as he squeezed the milk into a wooden bucket. "Well, you know, the cow was just sitting there doing nothing. And I figured, you never know when fresh milk might come in handy."

Blackie snorted with a mocking laugh. "Oh, of course, fresh milk! It's *exactly* what we need to rescue Emma from floating away in space."

Nelson shot him a mild glare. "I don't see you doing anything useful," he retorted, shaking his head. "And besides, you never know-maybe Emma will want a glass of milk when she gets back."

Mia's eyes widened, her patience starting to fray. "Nelson, focus! Emma is drifting through the atmosphere in a TREE TRUNK, and you're over here playing farmer! What is wrong with you?"

Nelson tipped his straw hat back and gave her a sheepish grin. "Hey, I'm just trying to stay positive, okay? A little farming never hurt anyone. Plus, it's kinda... relaxing."

"Relaxing?!" Mia's voice hit a new octave, and she covered her face with her hands, groaning in frustration.

Just then, the cow let out another gentle moo, nudging Nelson affectionately as if to encourage him. Nelson patted its side and looked back at Mia with the most innocent expression he could muster. "You know, this cow's pretty sweet. Maybe we should keep her."

"WE ARE NOT KEEPING THE COW!" Mia shouted, throwing her hands up in the air.

Blackie rolled over on his back, howling with laughter. "Oh, this is priceless," he said between chuckles. "I'm glad I didn't miss this comedy show. Nelson, do you even remember that your wife is floating through space right now?!"

"Hey!" Nelson said, standing up with an indignant look. "I do remember! I'm just... multitasking, okay?"

Mia's sweatdrop only grew larger. "Multitasking?! What, are you going to make cheese next while we're out here trying to figure out how to save Emma?"

Nelson actually considered it for a moment, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "You know... that's not a bad idea."

Mia nearly fainted, feeling a mix of exhaustion and the tiniest hint of amusement. She gave him a hard stare, barely suppressing a giggle. "Nelson, if you even think about turning that milk into cheese while your wife's friend is floating off to who-knows-where, I will personally throw you into orbit myself."

Nelson chuckled, finally setting down the bucket of milk. "Okay, okay. No more farming. I promise."

Mia sighed, still not quite believing that this was her life, and glanced over at Blackie, who had managed to compose himself. "Alright, genius," she said, hands on her hips. "If you've got nothing useful to add, then at least help us come up with a real plan."

Blackie yawned lazily, flicking his tail with an air of boredom. "Oh, I already have a plan," he said nonchalantly.

Mia perked up, suddenly hopeful. "You do?"

Blackie gave her a feline grin. "Yep. My plan is to sit here and watch you two make even bigger fools of yourselves until Annie shows up. Shouldn't take long, judging by the way things are going."

Mia groaned, and Nelson-still wearing his ridiculous straw hat-burst out laughing, almost doubling over.

Mia just threw up her hands. "Great. Just great. We've got a floating friend, a sarcastic cat, a wannabe farmer, and me, stuck here trying to save everyone. What could possibly go wrong next?"

Nelson grinned at her, tipping his straw hat in a mock salute. "With us? Everything, of course."

Blackie settled back comfortably, already munching on a fresh batch of fries he'd somehow produced out of nowhere. "I wouldn't have it any other way," he said with a smirk.

Mia sighed, but a reluctant smile tugged at her lips. "Alright, team. Let's get it together. We've got a space rescue to plan... and no cows allowed."

Nelson grinned sheepishly, and the cow mooed in what could only be described as a farewell.

"Fine, fine," Nelson said, patting the cow one last time. "Guess you're on your own, buddy."

"Thank you," Mia said with exaggerated relief. "Now, let's go save my best friend."

Nelson adjusted his straw hat, giving Mia a playful smirk. "Alright, alright. I promise I'll be serious now," he teased, the laughter still shining in his eyes. They'd put the cow incident behind them, and Mia had finally managed to coax Nelson away from his unexpected farming diversion. They had a mission now, and Nelson was determined to make it up to her.

"Good," Mia said, eyeing him suspiciously. "Because we need to figure out how to launch me into the air so I can get a better view. Emma's floating somewhere out there, and we have to find her before she drifts too far."

Nelson's face brightened with enthusiasm, his playful energy returning in full force. "I've got it! I'll just toss you up there! I mean, I'm pretty strong, right?"

Mia blinked, her eyes widening a little. "Uh, I don't know if that's the best-"

"Come on!" Nelson cut her off, already rubbing his hands together and grinning. "Trust me! I've got this!"

"Nelson, I don't think-" But before she could finish, Nelson had already crouched down, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Ready?" he asked, his smile so eager and earnest that Mia couldn't help but crack a nervous grin of her own.

"Well, I guess-"

"On three!" Nelson counted down. "One, two... three!"

With all the strength he could muster, Nelson launched Mia into the air with a powerful throw. At first, everything seemed to go well-Mia sailed upward, arms flailing a bit as she caught her balance, the wind whistling past her ears.

But Nelson had overestimated his throw, and before he could react, Mia's upward arc began to curve... towards the small lake just behind their house.

"Oh no," Mia muttered, her eyes widening as she twisted mid-air, desperately trying to redirect herself. But gravity had other plans.

"Nelson, you idiot!" Mia yelled just before she hit the surface of the lake with a dramatic splash, sending water flying in every direction.

Nelson's triumphant expression fell as he watched his wife disappear beneath the surface of the water. "Mia!" he shouted, his straw hat tumbling off his head as he ran toward the lake's edge, eyes wide with shock.

Mia's head bobbed above the water a moment later, hair soaked and sticking to her face. She wiped her eyes and glared daggers at her husband, sputtering and dripping wet.

"You. Are. Dead," Mia growled, her voice half-drowned out by the sound of her flailing in the water.

Nelson cringed and took a cautious step back, trying not to laugh as he saw the furious expression on Mia's face. "I-I'm so sorry!" he stammered, covering his mouth with his hand to hide his grin. "I didn't mean to-"

"You threw me into a lake!" Mia interrupted, spitting water and waving her arms dramatically. "I said 'up'! Not 'splash'!"

Blackie had wandered up to the scene, licking his paw and sitting calmly on a rock, watching the chaos unfold with the air of someone enjoying a particularly entertaining show. "I told you it was a dumb plan," he meowed dryly, his voice filled with smug satisfaction.

Nelson's face went red with a mix of embarrassment and laughter. "I-I'll get you out!" he promised, leaning down to extend his hand toward Mia.

"Oh, you better!" Mia snapped, grabbing his outstretched hand with a vice-like grip.

Nelson pulled, but Mia yanked back harder, using the momentum to pull herself out of the lake-and to drag Nelson down with her. There was another enormous splash as Nelson toppled into the water, his straw hat landing on the shore just behind them.

"Gah!" Nelson spluttered, his eyes wide with shock as he surfaced next to Mia. "Mia, what was that for?!"

Mia's expression softened into a wicked grin, and she shrugged, flicking water at him. "Payback," she said sweetly.

Nelson chuckled and shook his head, pushing his wet hair out of his face. "Alright, alright, I deserved that," he admitted, laughing despite himself. "Guess I owe you another apology, huh?"

"You bet you do," Mia teased, her laughter joining his as they both floated in the cool, clear water.

Blackie, meanwhile, sighed dramatically and licked his paw again, looking thoroughly unimpressed. "Well, at least this rescue mission got a little more entertaining," he commented, flicking his tail and turning his gaze to the sky.

"Don't worry, Emma," he added lazily. "They'll save you... after they're done splashing around like children."

Nelson and Mia exchanged a glance, and then both burst out laughing, the tension between them dissolving into easy humor. They swam back to the shore together, dripping and a little colder, but closer than ever.

"Okay," Mia said, catching her breath and squeezing water out of her clothes. "No more throwing me into lakes, alright?"

Nelson grinned sheepishly, his eyes full of affection. "Deal. No more lake dives. But hey," he added, his voice softening, "you've gotta admit... it was kind of fun."

Mia rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the smile tugging at her lips. "Maybe just a little," she said, leaning up to give him a quick, forgiving kiss. "But next time, let's try something a little less... wet."

Nelson laughed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close despite their soaked clothes. "Deal. Let's save Emma... dry this time."

Blackie, bored now that the chaos had settled, padded back to the house. "Finally," he muttered. "Now, if you two lovebirds are done, I'll go check on Annie's progress."

"Tell her we're working on a new plan," Mia called after him, as Nelson playfully spun her around in his arms one more time before letting her go.

"No more cows," Nelson agreed.

"And no more lakes!" Mia shot back, laughing.

Hi guys!

Just so you know this is scheduled

So today's date is 10- 22- 24

Yep