feel the same, however odd it may seem,” Katy wanted to come clean but then she didn’t say anything out loud. She had just thought it would sound nutty as a fruitcake out of her lips.
They didn’t talk until they reached home. And both of them would be very surprised to find out they had been thinking the same thoughts…
When girls came back home, their windows had been already lit. It meant their father had already been home from work.
Michael was a policeman; he had definitely been involved with the job, having earned a perfect service record. However he had also earned a reputation of a pilot light among his colleagues. It was no surprise: being constantly on the move, he never had time to make any friends. He spent his leisure at home, with his daughters, cooking some wickedly good meals and reading his favourite detective stories.
For Katy and Alice he wasn’t just a father, but a best friend. Michael did his best for fear of his girls feeling lonely without their mother. That’s why he pampered them in all possible ways he could. He was the one to discuss book with, to share a secret or a problem. There hadn’t been one case of him not helping out, at least with some advice. So Alice and Katy now called him father and then Michael – like an old pal.
“Look, mail’s here!” Alice shouted, pointing at the mailbox with something whitening in its split. She had returned to her cheerfully-blusterous mood. Having run up to the mailbox, Alice extracted a small narrow envelope out of it.
“To Michael Johnson,” she read. “I wonder who’s been writing him? There’s no return address.”
“Well…” Katy drawled. “I don’t remember him ever to receive mails… at least except bills and official invitations”.
“Maybe…” Alice pulled a mysterious face, “He is seeing someone.”
The thought seemed not that ridiculous at all to Katy. Michael was a quite handsome man: a tall brunette with excellent body. His grey eyes were shining with kindness, always showing some cheerful sparks in his glance. Moreover, he was strong: he could put a fallen tree out of the way, though it took several men only to lift it. Fooling about with his daughters, Michael tossed both of them up at the same time easily, like some balls.
But neither Katy nor Alice had ever seen Michael dating someone.
“Hold on!” Alice stopped suddenly – the envelope in her hands – and snuffled.
“What’s wrong?” Katy got a bit alerted at once.
“Don’t you smell it?” Alice raised her index finger and snuffled even louder. “Chicken wings! Let’s go, I’m starving!”
Michael was indeed taking steaming chicken wings out of the oven. Their fuzzy-wuzzy – a red cat called Boniface – was reeling in his way, hoping some bit might fall off accidentally.
“Hey there, students!” Michael uttered cheerfully. “You’re right on time…
The girls pecked him on his flushed in the oven heat cheek as they usually did.
“Dad, your dish has probably been discussed by all the neighbours already; the smell is magnificent… And what’s for side dish?”
Michael put the saucepan off the stove and took the lid off triumphantly:
“How about that?”
Alice peered into the pan.
“My favourite vegetable stew!” Alice delighted. “Daddy, I absolutely adore you!”
“Enough talks then,” Katy told her sister sternly. “Let’s lay the table…”
“Yes, Sir!” Alice snapped a playful salute. And only now had she remembered of the letter. “Dad, there’s a letter for you,” she passed it out to Michael.
He dried his hands on his apron and took the envelope.
Was Katy imagining things or had his face really been clouded with a shadow? But even if so, Michael got a grip on himself fast.
“Girls, you go ahead with serving the cutlery, and I’ll be right back…” having said that, he went off to his room.
A couple of minutes later Michael popped into the kitchen. Alice had already been sitting at the table and Katy was filling their father’s plate.
“Sit down, quickly,” Katy put the dish on the table. “And… why in the world are you wearing a jacket? Are you leaving somewhere?”
“Have dinner without me.” Michael did well and yet he couldn’t hide his anxiety. “I’ll be back soon. I’ll make it for tea with lemon cupcakes…”
He broke into what was not a really genuine smile – Katy thought – and rushed out the door.
“How do you think, where did he go?” Alice wondered, feeding the last wing off to Boniface.
Katy shrugged her shoulders.
“I don’t know, but he did seem strange to me…”
“Everything always seems like that to you,” Alice razzed her. “That’s because you’re thinking too much.”
Katy wanted to sneer but then she changed her mind.
“Yeah,” she admitted instead, “Name but a few our perpetual moves. What are they for? As if we’re running from somebody…”
“Well,” Alice drawled. “Michael has explained those: he is being offered nicer jobs…
“For almost every year?” Katy wondered mockingly.
“Listen,” Alice took the plates away, “let’s discuss something more interesting. Tomorrow, for instance…”
Katy slapped her forehead:
“I’m so sorry, Alie! Don’t you dare thinking I have forgotten your birthday… How are we celebrating?”
“I’ve got a whole bunch of plans,” Alice brightened in a clap. “It’s not just any birthday, it’s ADULTHOOD! That’s why I’m offering: cinema, amusement ride, an ice-cream parlour, and as for the evening – an awesome party with dancing till the break of dawn! I’ve already invited mates from our class.”
“Could we make all this for the only tomorrow?” Katy wondered suspiciously. “Consider that we have classes!”
“We’re skipping them,” Alice stated, giving her sister a glance of her innocent blue eyes. “You’re having adulthood only once in your life, you know!”
Katy kept silent, indecisive to object. Skipping classes was contrary to her every idea of responsibility. But she really didn’t want to spoil her sister’s celebration tomorrow.
“What would Michael say about that skipping?” she made a faint attempt to bring Alice to her senses.
“Michael wouldn’t mind,” their father had suddenly interfered, entering the kitchen. He looked a bit tired. Or was he upset?… “Indeed, you have adulthood only once in your life. So, girls, have a good blast…And, one more thing, Alice…
