"Are you coming back soon?" Jack called to me.
I was in the middle of stuffing a blanket into an already full picnic basket, and did not want to be bothered. I gave a loud grunt for an answer. After prodding the blanket I decided that I would have to carry the heavy thing on my shoulder. And it already felt like the surface of the sun outside. Wonderful.
Jack appeared in the kitchen doorway.
"You will be back before the concert, won't you?" he asked worriedly.
Normally the sight of his anxious little face made my heart soften and I would stop what I was doing and comfort him. But since he had asked this question thirty times already as I prepared for my outing, I was beyond grumpy and not wanting to hear those words one minute more. The fact that it was unbearably hot in the house didn't help.
"Jack! What did I say before?" I exclaimed, heaving the big basket off the table. I plodded over to the dutch doors that lead to the backyard and swung the top open, hoping to feel a breeze.
"Well, you said first that you would be there for sure, and then you said you would try to make it, and then... I don't know," he finished, twisting his tie around, wrinkling it.
I reached out and brushed his hand away from his clothes. Mum would have to iron them again.
"Look, Jack, I would love to go to your concert. And I will try to make it. But honestly, no one told me that it was today, and I've been planning to go on this picnic for a month. Everything has been too busy for me, and I really need a break." Jack was sagging visibly; I knew he was sad. "I mean, you don't want a Miss Grumpy-pants for a sister, do you?" I teased. A flicker of a smile appeared on Jack's face.
"Alright," he mumbled, turning away.
"Get Mum to re-iron your clothes," I called after him. He groaned.
"Told you you should've waited to wear your dress clothes!" I laughed back at him.
I was in the middle of stuffing a blanket into an already full picnic basket, and did not want to be bothered. I gave a loud grunt for an answer. After prodding the blanket I decided that I would have to carry the heavy thing on my shoulder. And it already felt like the surface of the sun outside. Wonderful.
Jack appeared in the kitchen doorway.
"You will be back before the concert, won't you?" he asked worriedly.
Normally the sight of his anxious little face made my heart soften and I would stop what I was doing and comfort him. But since he had asked this question thirty times already as I prepared for my outing, I was beyond grumpy and not wanting to hear those words one minute more. The fact that it was unbearably hot in the house didn't help.
"Jack! What did I say before?" I exclaimed, heaving the big basket off the table. I plodded over to the dutch doors that lead to the backyard and swung the top open, hoping to feel a breeze.
"Well, you said first that you would be there for sure, and then you said you would try to make it, and then... I don't know," he finished, twisting his tie around, wrinkling it.
I reached out and brushed his hand away from his clothes. Mum would have to iron them again.
"Look, Jack, I would love to go to your concert. And I will try to make it. But honestly, no one told me that it was today, and I've been planning to go on this picnic for a month. Everything has been too busy for me, and I really need a break." Jack was sagging visibly; I knew he was sad. "I mean, you don't want a Miss Grumpy-pants for a sister, do you?" I teased. A flicker of a smile appeared on Jack's face.
"Alright," he mumbled, turning away.
"Get Mum to re-iron your clothes," I called after him. He groaned.
"Told you you should've waited to wear your dress clothes!" I laughed back at him.
