Crazy = Genius

Chapter 41: Sick and Tired

'I've been losin' my mind trying to figure it out, but I'm stuck in this house, I am my only friend, over and over again, it's like I never win'

"Aunt Lili?"

"Yes, Hannah?"

"Can we have mac and cheese for dinner?"

Lilianna looked over the edge of her copy of The Girl Who Played with Fire and smiled at the four-year-old.

"Of course. Would you like the blue box kind or my kind?" She joked.

"Your kind, duh." The child giggled, running into the library and jumping into Lilianna's lap.

"Will you help me make it?"

"Yep!"

"Splendid!"

"What does splendid mean?"

"It's a sophisticated way of saying awesome."

"Awesome." Lilianna laughed at the child and wrapped her arms around her, pulling both of them into a more comfortable position in the lounge chair.

"What are you reading?" Hannah asked, sticking her nose in the pages and blocking Lilianna's view.

"Well I was reading a book about a girl who plays with fire in the metaphorical sense but now I am reading the back of your head." She teased.

"But daddy says not to play with fire or you will get burned," Hannah said, tilting her head back and looking at her mother figure from an upside-down angle.

"That's why I said metaphorically," Lilianna answered.

"What does metamephoricanally mean?" Hannah asked, her tongue jumbling the word up and making Lilianna laugh.

"Metaphorically. It means to represent something without being literal."

"What does literal mean?"

"Something exact."

"Okay." Lilianna chuckled, she knew Hannah didn't understand anything that had been said but she was proud that the youngster had tried. "Can we make mac and cheese now?"

"Yes, but I can't move until you get off me." Lilianna agreed, scooting the child off her lap and onto the floor.

"Let's go!" Hannah yelled as she ran from the room and took the stairs as fast as her small legs could carry her.

"No running on the stairs! You'll fall and crack your head open!" The adult yelled after her as she followed her to the kitchen.

"Let the kid run free while she's still young." Commodore snickered as he joined Lilianna on the second-floor stairs.

"I just don't want to have to rush her to medical attention."

"Which is fair but also curbing her freedom."

"Oh yes because you are the type to care about a girl's freedom," She teased.

"Hey now, that is a little uncalled for seeing as you are smooching my boss on the regular now," Commodore smirked. Her hand shot out and punched him in the arm.

"We are not smooching on the regular!" She snapped.

"What would you call it then, baby girl?" He asked, rubbing his arm slightly.

"Something more along the lines of 'on friendly terms'."

"Ah yes, because friends makeout at 3 am in the kitchen when no one else is awake?"