“Play with me,” said Garrett.

Kade rolled his eyes at his little brother.  Garrett still wore his superhero jammies, but now had his red blanket tied around his neck like a cape.  Garrett’s blanket was just the shade of his bright red hair.  The added red really made his freckles stand out.

Kade felt lazy.  “I’m too tired to play with you.”

“You never play with me anymore,” said Garrett.  “Please Kade, let’s play superheroes.  I’ll be Super-Duper Ultra Man and I’ll fly around the house and save anyone who needs help.”

"Jason, are you ready? Come on, we have ten minutes!"

Cassie placed clean plates in the cupboard as sunlight brightened the front door landing of their split-level home. Four weeks earlier, her husband had begun a thirty-day assignment in London, to return Tuesday.

Two more days. I deserve a break. She fantasized flying to Hawaii, though she knew the library or café were more likely destinations.

Her son Jason's downstairs bedroom was near enough to hear the grunting reply she'd expected. Is he deaf? Oh, to have that ten-year-old again, tousling that brown hair, enjoying big hugs and hollers of "Love ya!" But he was "mature" now, "ready to be a man."

“Wait up, Kara Lynne.”
 
I turned to see who had called my name. Meredith ran down the front steps of Grant School, her ponytail bobbing as she caught up with me.
 
“Huh?” I wondered what she wanted.
 
“That English project. Want to stop at the library to check out some Anne of Green Gables books?”
 
Miss Pidge had assigned Meredith and me to work together on an interesting project. We are to study and write a paper on the time period of Anne’s life. I’d already read the books, but I didn’t know how we could work together. Nobody at school knew about my problem at home, and I didn’t want them to know.
 

    She was coming. Dark thunderclouds hid the sun as he crouched lower behind the bushes. He knew she wouldn’t see or hear him.  Wind whistled through tall pine trees covering any sounds he might have made.  She was almost there.  He held his breath, getting ready.

    Her scream split the air like a knife when his hand shot out and grabbed her ankle.  She fell back on her rear, scrambling backwards frantically trying to escape.

    His hysterical laughter turned his sister’s fear to instant rage.  “You should have seen your face!” the boy gasped between peels of laughter.  Andy was a ten-year-old pain in his sister’s butt.