"Kylah Rose Franklin! What on this earth!" Her Mother immediately started in on her as she walked into the house. Her lips blue and face ashen, her Mother getting a closer look at her, gasped and then started yelling again.
"Where is your coat? Why are you freezing? Didn't you come straight from the garage? And what in heaven is that box. It looks like it should be tossed out with the garbage!"
One would imagine that a daughter coming in from the snow, shivering and obviously quite cold would get more sympathy and less chastisement from their Mother. Walking past her Mother into the den where the fire was crackling and more importantly warm and toasty, she placed the box down in front of the hearth. It was then she heard the golden, thick and loving voice of her Father.
"Evening Kylah, your Mother certainly is worked up about something. Any idea what her problem is?" She was never sure if it was the years he spent as a judge or he had just come about this talent naturally but he had an unfailing knack at dispelling the most tense and unnerving situation at any time. She thought he most likely could step in front of a stampeding pack of bulls barreling down the streets of Spain, say a casual word or two and they would all slow to a halt and go on their merry way. Maybe she thought this simply because he was her Dad.
His talent worked on her and most everyone else she met except for her Mother. "Samuel, your daughter is home late, has lost her coat and is freezing cold. And! Has no explanation for any of it. Oh, and she has some strange box with her. What are you going to do about it Samuel?"
"Abby, isn't it good that our daughter has the good sense to come in to the den to get warm before the fire? Kylah dear, have you lost your coat?" This entire time my Dad had been reading the paper and hadn't seen me. He would always do this. You'd think he wasn't paying attention but he always was. You could never get anything past him. It had been tried time and time again with no success and only led to a whole barrel full of problems.
"No Dad, I have it right here and look!" With that, my Dad lowered the paper he was reading and he peered down as I was opening the lid of the box.
"Oh my, what do we have here?" He placed his paper to the side, stood up and crept carefully so as not to disturb the tiny kittens and mother inside the box.
At the same time my Mother was standing behind my Father's recliner, hands firmly planted on her hips and fully attired with a stern, condemnatory expression instantly gasped and then started squeeling with glee. One second she was about ready to permanently ground me, the next she was acting like a giddy, little school girl. Even though stern and serious, my Mother was a very good lady. She had an amazing heart and just wasn't capable of hiding her feelings.
Gingerly, he inspected the kittens and the mother and carefully lifted them with the coat out from the box. His expression turned serious as he started examining the mother closer. My Father glanced up towards my Mother, "Abigail, bring some milk in a bowl, some warm water and dry towels."
The next words my Father spoke made my heart sink and silenced the cheerful sounds of glee coming from my Mother. "Please be quick about it dear, the mother looks like she might not make it."
"Where is your coat? Why are you freezing? Didn't you come straight from the garage? And what in heaven is that box. It looks like it should be tossed out with the garbage!"
One would imagine that a daughter coming in from the snow, shivering and obviously quite cold would get more sympathy and less chastisement from their Mother. Walking past her Mother into the den where the fire was crackling and more importantly warm and toasty, she placed the box down in front of the hearth. It was then she heard the golden, thick and loving voice of her Father.
"Evening Kylah, your Mother certainly is worked up about something. Any idea what her problem is?" She was never sure if it was the years he spent as a judge or he had just come about this talent naturally but he had an unfailing knack at dispelling the most tense and unnerving situation at any time. She thought he most likely could step in front of a stampeding pack of bulls barreling down the streets of Spain, say a casual word or two and they would all slow to a halt and go on their merry way. Maybe she thought this simply because he was her Dad.
His talent worked on her and most everyone else she met except for her Mother. "Samuel, your daughter is home late, has lost her coat and is freezing cold. And! Has no explanation for any of it. Oh, and she has some strange box with her. What are you going to do about it Samuel?"
"Abby, isn't it good that our daughter has the good sense to come in to the den to get warm before the fire? Kylah dear, have you lost your coat?" This entire time my Dad had been reading the paper and hadn't seen me. He would always do this. You'd think he wasn't paying attention but he always was. You could never get anything past him. It had been tried time and time again with no success and only led to a whole barrel full of problems.
"No Dad, I have it right here and look!" With that, my Dad lowered the paper he was reading and he peered down as I was opening the lid of the box.
"Oh my, what do we have here?" He placed his paper to the side, stood up and crept carefully so as not to disturb the tiny kittens and mother inside the box.
At the same time my Mother was standing behind my Father's recliner, hands firmly planted on her hips and fully attired with a stern, condemnatory expression instantly gasped and then started squeeling with glee. One second she was about ready to permanently ground me, the next she was acting like a giddy, little school girl. Even though stern and serious, my Mother was a very good lady. She had an amazing heart and just wasn't capable of hiding her feelings.
Gingerly, he inspected the kittens and the mother and carefully lifted them with the coat out from the box. His expression turned serious as he started examining the mother closer. My Father glanced up towards my Mother, "Abigail, bring some milk in a bowl, some warm water and dry towels."
The next words my Father spoke made my heart sink and silenced the cheerful sounds of glee coming from my Mother. "Please be quick about it dear, the mother looks like she might not make it."
