I walk into the office with the twins in my arms.

The secretary looks at me and the girls. "Your father is in his office. He wants to see the girls and you before you start for the day."

I walk towards my dad's office.

When he sees me through the window he rises and moves towards the door. He opens it for me and I enter the room.

"Pop," the twins yell. They reach out to him.

Dad take Gracie and Sophie from me. He walks with them over to his desk. "Do you want to stay here with Pop while Mommy goes to work?"

The girls nod.

Mom enters the room and she hugs me. "Hey, sweetheart. Are you busy tonight?" I shake my head. "Good, you're father and I want you to come over with the girls. If it gets too late and you don't want to drive home you can stay at ours."

I hug her. "Thanks, Mom. But, the girls and I are bonding more since Johnny left. I don't want anyone else to get in the way of that."

She smiles. "I understand."

I look out the window and I see my clients sitting in the waiting.

I can't keep them waiting all day.

I turn towards my parents. "I have a meeting to get to. Here's everything you need to keep them entertained." I put the bag next to the lounge. I move toward the door and I open it. I turn towards my parents. "Daddy, I'm taking a course weeks off after Friday. I'm going to cancel all my meeting and move it until I get back. The girls and I need to spend more time together. I have been too busy with work to take care of them. They need to know what it feels like to have someone that doesn't work much. Those girls had one parent in their life until she died. They need better from me and I'm going to give it to them."

Dad rises. "You'll work here for five hours instead of eight Monday to Friday when you return. I'll still pay you the same amount."

I smile. "Thank you, Daddy."

He pulls the girls closer to him. "I wish I could go back in time and spend more time with Johnny and you."

"You'll make up for it now with the girls." I exit the room and walk toward the waiting. "Good morning Garrett and Liana."

"Good morning." Liana says. "Where are the girls?"

I look at Dad's office. "They're with Pop." I open the door to my office and we enter.

***

After the meeting Liane and Garrett leave my office satisfied.

I make my way towards Dad's office and I don't see him in there. I walk to the receptionist and ask her if she's seen my Dad.

She looks at me. "You're parents and the girls went to the conference room."

I make my way to the conference room and I see my parents through the window and they have a curtain set up at the end of the table. I open the door to the room.

Mom peeks around the curtain. "Sit down with the girls."

I move over to the girls who are sitting on the floor. When I sit they climb on me and get comfortable.

Dad's hand peeks out through the curtain with a male puppet on his hand.

The girls start clapping.

"Hello, girls. My names Noah and I'll be entertaining you today." Dad says.

Another hand slips through the curtain with a female puppet. The hair flips back. "I'm Maggie. I'm married to this dummy."

I laugh and the girls point at the puppets.

Mom clears her throat. "I'm going to tell you girls a little."

"No, I'm going to tell them the story." The puppet moves towards the female and they start fighting.

I yell. "Technical difficulties." I hear my parents laugh. "On with show."

Noah moves away from Maggie. "Once upon a time there was a very beautiful girl."

"Are you talking about me, Noah?" She flings her hair back."

"Of course sweetheart. Stop interrupting me. I have two little girls to entertain. What are your names?"

Sophie and Gracie rise.

"Sophie."

"Gracie."

"Well aren't you two beautiful girls." Noah says.

"I agree." Maggie looks at them. "Come say hello girls."

Sophie and Gracie look at me. "Go ahead." They move up to the curtain and they touch the puppets.

My parents are good at keeping them entertained. I wonder what I'm going to do when intake the next three weeks off."

Dad takes the puppet off and gives it Sophie.

Sophie touches its face.

Mom gives the other one to Gracie. The girls walk over to me with puppets.

"Can you keep this here? This will keep them entertained for the rest of the week."

Mom walks over to me. "Sure. I have to go sweetheart. See you at the house at six?"

"Yes, Mom."

She exits the room. Leaving Dad and I alone.

He turns in his seat. "What are you going to do for the next three weeks?"

I move closer to him. "I'm getting someone to install new security soft wear in my house. Also, a new alarm to that guy out."

"Has he been causing problems for you yet?"

I shake my head. "I'm sure he's waiting around the corner. He's going to show up at the right moment. I may think I'm safe now. But that's so far from the truth."

"Have you been training with your brother?"

"No, I've been training with someone else. He's a great teacher, Dad. When Johnny returns I'll be going face to face with my teacher in martial arts and shooting."

Dad grasps my arm. "You know how to fire a gun?"

"Yeah, I needed that to be the last resort if I couldn't defeat him with my martial art techniques."

"I want to be at that competition. I think I'll make up some 'Team Laken' shirts. What colour should we make them?"

"Black singlets and White writing. You can never go wrong with buying something black."

The girls are still playing with the puppets when I look over.

***

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