Chapter One: Damage Control
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Realizing she hadn't seen her young son and he was being way too quiet, Brianne charged upstairs to the loft. "Taro! Stop that, please. How did you get into my paints?" she asked, surveying the mess with dismay.
Taro stared up at her, lower lip trembling.
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Deciding to deal with the mess later, Brianne knelt at his level, deciding to teach him to talk. It would be nice to be able to have a real conversation with him.
Taro was getting tired though, and the lesson didn't last long.
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Downstairs, Viviana settled at the kitchen table with her homework though she would much rather have been reading a book. Still, there was always Sunday, if she just got this homework out of the way.
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Harry returned home from work to find that stray dogs had managed to get inside through the door someone had left unlocked, and from the sound of it, the toilet was broken. "First things first," he said to himself, shooing away the dogs as he passed. He didn't take the time to change out of his uniform, but just got right to work ont he repair.
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Leaving Taro to his own devices for a few minutes, Brianne started the dishwasher. She saw Viviana at the sink washing dishes. "Good job. Thanks for washing those for me," she said, smiling.
Viviana beamed at the phrase. "I like helping you, Mommy."
Brianne hoped that would never change, though she supposed that was too much to ask for. "Good. Daddy and I are counting on you to help out around here." k
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Brianne went outside to refill the bowls they kept for the local strays, then went back inside, yawning. She had to be up early in the morning for her shift as an assistant nurse and just wanted to get to bed. First she stepped into the downstairs bathroom, then peeked in on Viviana to make sure she was sleeping soundly.
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Taro woke with a nightmare while Brianne was still downstairs and hurried to wake up Harry.
Harry comforted him with a loving hug and soothing words. Then he carried Taro back to his own bed for a bedtime story.
Passing the bathroom between the two rooms, he heard a distinctive sound and groaned. Something else broken.
He passed Brianne in the hallway. "I'll just call the repair service. You get Taro settled."
"Great idea," he agreed.
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After finishing the story, Harry tucked Taro in, then went downstairs to do the same for Viviana. "Sleep tight, don't let the monsters in," he whispered to them. He thought he heard Viviana giggle in her sleep. Then again, it might have been a reaction to whatever she was dreaming about.
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Brianne was awake again before five, with only an hour to have breakfast before she had to rush out the door . She found something halfway decent on the TV while she ate, sitting on the portion of the couch not occupied by a sleeping German Shepherd.
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When Selma woke, Brianne spent a few minutes reminding her to the stay out of trouble - which meant no jumping on counters or drinking form the toilet
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Time to go! Brianne changed in record time, thinking she would never get used to leaving while it was still dark out. She cherished those evenings she got to spend a little time with her family, because she always missed mornings on workdays. Even when he was off, she sometimes slept in too late to see much of Viviana before school.
