Chapter 18 Mommy woke you up with a kiss
"Alright, let's get the cards out," declared Billy, shuffling the deck.
"Go, Thomas, go!" cheered Samantha, her little fists balled up in anticipation.
Aaron raised an eyebrow, giving Billy the nod to deal.
The game was simple: Twenty-Four. Deal four cards and then use any combination of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to hit the number 24. It was all about who could crunch the numbers fastest.
Cards hit the table, and all eyes fixated on the spread: three, three, seven, seven.
Aaron barely glanced before speaking up with a hint of nonchalance, "Got it."
Alex and Billy did double-takes, staring at him in disbelief.
" Three divided by seven is three-sevenths, add that to three to get twenty-four sevenths, then multiply by seven, and there you have it, twenty-four."
There it was. The solution, rattled off with alarming speed.
Alex and Billy exchanged a look, their competitive edge sharpening. "Another round," they said almost in unison.
"Hold up," Aaron interrupted, his brow arching towards Samantha who stood frozen. "Didn't we forget something?"
Forget something? Oh right! The loser gets a turtle drawn on their face!
Samantha's realization unfolded into a grin wide enough to split her face. "Come here, I'm about to turn your faces into an art exhibit of turtles!"
The brothers frowned, the idea sour on their tongues. Yet under Aaron's teasing gaze, they surrendered to Samantha's doodling.
"Done! Another round! Keep it up, Mr. Thomas!" Samantha urged gleefully.
"Of course," Aaron replied, his indulgent smile signaling Billy to proceed.
Billy cast a glance at Alex who gave a nod, took a deep breath, and began dealing slowly, methodically. The kids were all in, focus dialed to the max.
But before they could even piece together a calculation, Aaron tapped the table. "There it is."
Alex and Billy's faces dropped. Could Aaron actually have x-ray vision? Cards barely revealed, and he'd already figured the puzzle?
Round after round, Aaron trumped the brothers, their faces slowly morphing into an array of impromptu turtle canvases.
Samantha, hands waving in the air with an exaggerated pout, declared, "Oh my, I'm getting tired from all this drawing. You guys are so slow!"
Alex and Billy were dumbstruck. Even their little sister was throwing shade their way!
"No more, I'm done! Man, you're just a big bully!" Billy protested, pushing the cards away in a sulk.
Aaron's eyebrow lifted provocatively, "And how am I bullying you?"
"You're an adult, it's not exactly fair and square beating us," Billy retorted with a pout.
A wry smile played on Aaron's lips. "Weren't you the ones who boasted about having IQs of 180?"
Alex and Billy were left speechless.
Talk about a swift turn of events!
"Hey, it's only fair! From now on, I've got backup!" Samantha leaned against Aaron, smirking triumphantly.
Alex and Billy exchanged glum looks, both feeling outplayed and sulky.
"Mr. Thomas, do you know how to play chess?" Alex was itching for a challenge and turned to Aaron.
"Sure do," Aaron nodded.
"Then let's have a match."
"Sounds good to me."
Alex retrieved the chess, and they began their game. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a warm glow on the silent room. The only sounds were those of the pieces being placed on the board, as the two, their faces set in concentration, locked in a battle of wits.
Nearby, the other two kids watched. Samantha couldn't care less about the game and yawned, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
"Billy, how long are they going to play? I'm getting hungry."
Billy, who was also spectating, glanced at his phone for the time.
"Whoa, it's getting dark already. Why isn't Mommy back yet?"
"Yeah, Mom said she was meeting someone. How come it's taking so long?"
"I'll give Mom a call," Billy decided, stepping out of the room with his phone.
The call connected, and a man's voice came through the earpiece.
"Hello."
"Who's this? Where's my Mommy?"
"This is West Suburb Station. Your mother is here giving a statement; she's injured someone."
What! Mommy's at the police station!
Billy's face drained of color, and he quickly turned and burst back into the room.
"Alex, stop playing! Something's happened to Mommy!"
Alex was taken aback. "What happened to Mommy?"
"The police answered the call. They said Mommy's hurt someone and she's at the station giving a statement."
Nora had hurt someone? Aaron's brows furrowed slightly but before he could speak, Samantha burst into tears at the side.
"What do we do, Alex? Let's go save Mommy!"
"Yeah, yeah, Alex, we need to get Mommy from the station!"
Billy's little face was a picture of panic.
"Okay," Alex agreed, his own face flickering with unusual alarm.
They were all sharp kids, but at the end of the day, they were still just four-year-olds.
"Hold on, you're just kids, you can't do anything," Aaron interjected quickly.
The three children stopped and turned to him in unison, their eyes wide with anticipation and worry.
Aaron spoke with a calm authority that seemed second nature to him. "Alex, do you have any close family friends who could help out? If so, give them a call and ask them to head to the police station to check on the situation before we jump to any conclusions."
His voice exuded a confidence that provided a sense of comfort to the three little ones, significantly easing their anxious hearts.
"Yeah, I'll call my godmother right away," Alex said, regaining his composure before dialing a number.
"Godmother, where are you? Mommy's in trouble. She hurt someone and she's at the police station. Please hurry to the West Suburb Station."
"What? Okay, I got it. Don’t panic, Alex. I’m on my way."
After hanging up, Alex looked up at Aaron. "My godmother is heading to the station now."
Aaron nodded reassuringly. "Don’t worry, your mom will be fine."
Alex paused for a moment, then scampered off. "I’m going to check the computer for any clues about Mommy's whereabouts."
"Aaron, leave your phone with me. I'll check for any news updates," Aaron requested.
Hesitantly, Alex handed his phone over. "If Godmother calls, make sure you answer."
"You can count on me."
Taking the phone, Aaron turned to the two younger children who remained. "Billy, take Samantha to the kitchen and find something for you two to snack on."
His instructions were clear and orderly, echoing the kind of stability that only the cornerstone of a household could provide. Billy obediently took his sister to find something to eat.
Aaron maneuvered his wheelchair to close the door, then shot off a quick text message to Noe.
"Find out what's happened to Nora. She’s run into some trouble. We need information fast."
Within five minutes, Noe replied.
"Mr. Gordon, I've checked. Nora injured Mick from Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. Now Mick’s out for blood – he wants Nora behind bars."
Aaron didn't ask why Nora had felt compelled to hurt Mick.
"How's Mick's injury?" he texted back.
"Nothing serious. He just faints at the sight of blood."
It seemed Mick was looking for an excuse to make an example out of Nora.
Aaron typed out his instructions. "Warn him to drop the charges or he’ll find himself unable to do business in Houston again."
"Understood."
After reading the reply, Aaron deleted the entire message thread.
At the police station, Nora paced in her confined space, her heart racing with worry. Never had she envisioned herself behind bars.
Mick was an influential figure in Houston; was he really scheming to have her locked up?
With this unsettling thought, she couldn’t help but rattle the door, shouting, "Officer, you have to let me out! I’ve told you, it was self-defense. Mick was the one who tried to assault me!"
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