Conveniently Inspired

Chapter Twenty Three

"Don't call me dumbo!"

"You are a dumbo! Dumbo, dumbo, dumbo!" Ben chased Len in circles around them while she screamed, covering her ears as if the words itself were contagious.

Kaden turned to Skylar, his lips quivering in a false attempt to contain his laughter. Skylar rolled her eyes in return, giving him a look that said, See what I have to deal with everyday?

And just to add to the chaos, Ms. Lin waddled in now. Her stomach seemed to double in size in just the last few weeks. Jabbing a thumb over her shoulder, she said "Oy- who just use the bathroom last? Somebody clog the toilet. Skylar, please fix for me. I go lie down."

Skylar huffed and went to go stand up, until Kaden put a hand on her shoulder. "Where do you keep the plunger? I'll do it."

"Kaden, you don't have to do that, it's my house-"

"Skylar, don't argue with me. Where is it?"

Skylar looked to her po-po for help, since her grandmother was normally adamant about their house guests not doing any work. But to her dismay, po-po simply pointed down the hall and said "under bathroom sink."

Kaden then stood up. With the two kids still running in circles, he reached out an arm to catch Lena around the waist, picking her up with ease. With his other arm, he halted Ben. Alas, the two had shut up. "Alright, listen up you two" Kaden barked out. "I am going to buy you some new cards" he said to Ben, "And I'm going to get you a replica squish mellow" he said to Lena.

"The penguin one?" Lena asked, perking up immediately. Miraculously, her tears had dried too.

"Whichever one you want, kid. But, only, and only, if you two apologize to each other first. Go."

"Sorry" both Ben and Lena muttered simultaneously.

"Good. And from now on, you're going to try and be more respectful to each other. Kapesh?"

"Kapesh" they muttered again.

"Now we're talking. Alright, come help me with the toilet."

And then they both trailed after Kaden like puppies, leaving Skylar gaping at them with her jaw dropped. She'd never been able to get her siblings to listen like that. But she wasn't surprised. There was definitely something about Kaden that got people bowing down on their knees when he entered a room.

"I'm going to miss him when he's gone" po-po said in Cantonese.

"Me too" Skylar said, suddenly not in the mood to finish their round of mahjong anymore.

Po-po leaned across the table and patted Skylar's palm. "You have a good one on your hands, honey. Be gentle with his heart."

* * *

All throughout supper, po-po's words burned in Skylar's mind. Be gentle with his heart. Her grandmother had made it sound as if Kaden and her were actually dating. They weren't... not really. But it didn't explain all the things Kaden did and said when they were in their home, away from the public eye. Summer sure as hell wasn't there, so there was no longer a need for them to continue this charade.

After dinner, when their shop was already closed and everybody else went to bed early, Skylar decided to confront Kaden about them once and for all. Kaden naturally volunteered to do the dishes and Skylar went to go help him, figuring now was the perfect time to ask. It was just the two of them washing dishes side by side, the kitchen window blinds still open, displaying the bright full moon on display. She was trying to figure out how to phrase it, when Kaden bumped her hip with his own. "I can't believe you guys own a dishwasher but never use it."