But Not Today

But Not Today

Ted watched his mother carefully. It was a good thing she wasn’t squinting anymore, and her mouth was relaxed, not gritting her teeth.

She still looked confused, which was good too, because when she was confused she often said, “Explain it to me again.” That worked because he could fix the sloppy, panic parts that didn’t sound as good coming out of his mouth as they had when they popped into his head.

Knowing his mother was staring right at him, but thinking elsewhere, he kept the ‘I have no idea why you’re upset,’ look on his face while ravaging his brain for any other ideas that would fit into this scenario.

The refrigerator was open, the milk carton on its side, still dripping into the puddle on the floor. The cereal he was supposed to be eating for breakfast, was spread across the entire kitchen, the empty box still in his hand.

“So...” Mom said, much more calmly, “You thought you saw a mouse?”

“Yes” he answered, “but it was just a shadow.” No sense in freaking her out about mice. He was young, but not stupid! Of course, even a mouse would be better than telling her he had forgotten he had the cereal in his hand, and was pretending he was on a fishing boat, and that the milk was a flying dinosaur he had to chase out of the belfry with his magic sword...

“Clean it up...” she said, suddenly, and then turned and walked out of the kitchen, quickly.

Well, that was confusing... he thought as he started the clean-up.

Mom made it all the way to her bedroom. One day she would tell him about her own childhood imagination. The reason she became a fantasy writer. But not today... and she burst out laughing.