Toby shuffled down the hallway at 8 o’clock in the morning. He ground his tiny fists into his droopy eyelids to rub out the sleepiness, and when he looked up he found he had managed to walk himself to the kitchen without even thinking about it.
“Morning, Mom. Morning, Dad.”
“Morning, Toby.”
Dad flipped to the sports section. Mom took a sip of coffee.
Toby pulled out his chair at the round, white table and it made and unexpected squeak across the tile that caused Mom and Dad to jump. They looked at Toby sternly.
“Sorry.”
Dad turned to the crossword. Mom checked the time. All was forgiven.
Toby looked around the table set for four. All was in order. He got up from his seat, carefully, and got out the toaster.
“Have you signed the permission slip yet Mom?”
Dad continued to think about 14 across, but Mom stopped mid-coffee sip.
“Where is this trip again?”
“I told you, the new museum in town!”
“Can’t be that one, it’s still under construction.”
Toby waited, until she had taken her sip of coffee, to explain himself again. “It was finished a month ago, remember? I asked to go there when they brought in the Medieval exhibit for a week…”
Her coffee was finished, and it was 8:17. That meant she had four extra minutes until it was time to go get ready for work, so she cleared her dishes, sat back in the chair, and waited patiently until the clock read 8:21. Toby considered fetching the permission slip, but did not want to risk upsetting the routine. Dad had already reached the Sudoku, meaning there was not much time left until they both got ready for work.
It was 8:19 and all was going well, until the toast popped from the toaster and Mom and Dad were jarred from their routine. Dad lost his train of thought, and could no longer complete the Sudoku in his allotted time. In his frustration, he folded the newspaper, set it in the recycling bin, and walked up the stairs to get ready a full 47 seconds before he was scheduled to. Mom saw Dad leave and, in a panic, figured the clock was off and she was potentially off schedule. Both Mom and Dad would arrive at work with a full 47 seconds extra than they would know what
“Morning, Mom. Morning, Dad.”
“Morning, Toby.”
Dad flipped to the sports section. Mom took a sip of coffee.
Toby pulled out his chair at the round, white table and it made and unexpected squeak across the tile that caused Mom and Dad to jump. They looked at Toby sternly.
“Sorry.”
Dad turned to the crossword. Mom checked the time. All was forgiven.
Toby looked around the table set for four. All was in order. He got up from his seat, carefully, and got out the toaster.
“Have you signed the permission slip yet Mom?”
Dad continued to think about 14 across, but Mom stopped mid-coffee sip.
“Where is this trip again?”
“I told you, the new museum in town!”
“Can’t be that one, it’s still under construction.”
Toby waited, until she had taken her sip of coffee, to explain himself again. “It was finished a month ago, remember? I asked to go there when they brought in the Medieval exhibit for a week…”
Her coffee was finished, and it was 8:17. That meant she had four extra minutes until it was time to go get ready for work, so she cleared her dishes, sat back in the chair, and waited patiently until the clock read 8:21. Toby considered fetching the permission slip, but did not want to risk upsetting the routine. Dad had already reached the Sudoku, meaning there was not much time left until they both got ready for work.
It was 8:19 and all was going well, until the toast popped from the toaster and Mom and Dad were jarred from their routine. Dad lost his train of thought, and could no longer complete the Sudoku in his allotted time. In his frustration, he folded the newspaper, set it in the recycling bin, and walked up the stairs to get ready a full 47 seconds before he was scheduled to. Mom saw Dad leave and, in a panic, figured the clock was off and she was potentially off schedule. Both Mom and Dad would arrive at work with a full 47 seconds extra than they would know what
