Chapter 6: Concessions

 Harper forgot it was Sunday. First, because it was winter vacation and second, because she didn't have Grace and William talking about how they'd have to be up early for church. Anyway, she didn't expect Lexie and her family to have plans this morning.

They invited her in and asked her to join them for breakfast at IHOP. Her dad paid. It was really good. The first meal she'd enjoyed in a long time.

“We're headed to church, if you'd like to join us,” Lexie's mom said.

“Um...no thanks. If you have time, you could just drop me off in front of your house so I can grab my bike.”

She'd wanted to hang out with Lexie, not Jesus.

Luckily, Lexie's family wasn't offended, and they dropped her off like she wanted. They even offered to open up their house and let her stay while they were gone. She'd only known Lexie since last year, but they loved her like a daughter, and she loved Lexie like a sister.

It was cold today, so Harper knew she'd have to find somewhere to hang out for a few hours until Lexie got back from church. She'd just eaten a huge breakfast, so she wasn't hungry, but she rode to the Starbucks that was inside the local Target store. She knew there was no way Olivia and Emma would take the kids there, especially without her and Noah to help out.

She ordered a gingerbread latte, already missing her favorite fall flavor, pumpkin spice. Then she took the table furthest in the corner, so she could see the whole place. She took out her phone and checked the time. 8:19. Emma and Liv were probably up by now. She should send a text so they didn't a search party or something dumb like that.

Went 2 bkfst w/ Lexie's fam. B home l8r.

She hit send, satisfied that she had told the truth without actually revealing anything. Then, Harper turned her phone off.

They couldn't make her come home if they couldn't find her. Besides, it served Emma right for going back on her word. One of the things Harper hated the very most was adults trying to tell her she couldn't leave.

She was a person. She had rights.

Harper sipped her latte and watched the people shop, making up stories about each one. She checked her pocket for the key to her bedroom. There was only one, and she had it. She always locked her door when she went out so no one went in and snooped around. She bit her lip, wondering if she'd been too obvious chaining her bike out front. Liv would recognize it, and so would the neighbors, if they sent them out to look.

In a hurry, Harper finished her drink and went out to unchain her bike. She knew the Stanchfield's garage code and could hide her bike in there. That way, she'd still be free to walk around, but without the moving target that her bike was proving to be.

She rode it inside the garage and parked it right beside Lexie's. Riding her bike still gave her anxiety, but parking it by her best friend's made her feel a little better. And being able to do whatever she wanted for more than twelve more hours made Harper feel so free.

–

Olivia groaned and rolled over, forgetting she was on the couch altogether and rolling onto the floor. She grimaced, glad she hadn't managed to wake Oliver or Zoey. Let them sleep. They'd all had a late night. They could just bump everything back.

She knocked at the bathroom door and heard Emma's voice from inside. “Trying to figure out how to get in the tub. Sorry, it'll probably be a little bit...”

“No problem. Gonna let everyone sleep a little later anyway,” Liv answered softly, going back to the couch and taking the lid off the box and finding it full of notes. Only Carter's was missing because Emma had already gotten to it.

Liv glanced over them briefly and then headed downstairs to throw in a load of laundry before the day got started. On the way, she stopped and grimaced. Dudley's gluttonous ways had gotten the best of him. On the landing was the most disgusting gift Dudley had ever left (and that included a mole he had once brought to the house after he killed it.)

Doubling back, Liv, knocked briefly on the door of the bathroom Emma occupied, and cracked the door. “Are you still decent?”

“Yeah, why?”

Liv didn't wait for more information, she just let herself in and began searching the sink cabinets for cleaner suitable for such a nasty job. “I'd think you would have warned me about what was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs,” she muttered.

“You were asleep. I thought you wouldn't want me to wake you for something like that.”

“I didn't wanna step in it barefoot either, but that almost happened...” Liv remarked bitterly, taking a whole roll of paper towels and various cleaners.

Emma winced. “Sorry...”

Liv stopped on her way out. “Need a hand?”

“No, I think I've got it figured out.”

“All right. I'm letting the kids sleep and I'll be downstairs...” Liv commented, grimacing.

She found Dudley whining to be let out at the back door. “You are punished,” she warned.

The dog bolted the second the opened the door and ran fast circles around the yard. Liv wished she could be that happy about something, but unfortunately she was stuck cleaning up after everyone else.

The morning passed unpleasantly, with the cleaning of Dudley's mess and breakfast was on the table when Emma joined Liv in the kitchen an hour later at 9:15. They were behind, but amazingly, none of the kids had gotten up. Last night's antics must've exhausted them.

“Make sure Carter's got toast with that,” Emma advised.

Liv raised her eyebrows, remembering the unpleasant task of cleaning peanut butter and jelly out of the little boys' carpeting. “If I make him toast, he's eating it at the table.”

The door beside Liv opened and Carter appeared looking tired and pale. “Did I miss it?” he asked and Liv knew he was looking at the clock, well aware of William's firm schedule for meals.

“No, no one else is awake yet. Close the door so Josh can sleep.” Liv urged.

“Uh, we might have a problem,” Emma said at the same time that Ari came upstairs and announced, “Harper's gone.”

“How do you know?” Liv asked.

“Her bike's gone, so she's gone,” Ari said.

“She texted me an hour ago, to say she went to breakfast with Lexie's family and that she'd be home later.”

“And you didn't get it until now?” Liv asked, incredulous.

“I turn my texts down at night and I just got my phone now.”

“Noah's not here either,” Oliver added, sitting down at the table and pouring himself some cereal.

Liv took a calming breath. “Anybody hear from Noah?” she asked, looking at Emma, Oliver, Ari and Carter. Everybody shook their heads. The last thing she wanted to do was call Grace early on a Sunday and tell her they had managed to lose two of the kids, but that was looking like the most likely scenario.

“When I ran away, Grace and William called the neighbors to find me,” Ari offered, eating Corn Flakes out of the box.

“Of course!” Liv exclaimed, and she called, hoping it wasn't too much of an imposition. Zee offered to drive down to Henry Mills' house and search for Noah, while Liz and their 10 year old Nathan, drove to Lexie Stanchfield's to track down Harper.

A half hour later, both women returned empty handed.

“I wouldn't worry. If Harper got in touch, you can expect her to turn up, and Noah's used to doing his own thing. They'll be back,” Liz reassured. And in the meantime, if we see them we'll send them your way.”

The rest of the morning passed in a blur of activity. Olivia used their cookie-baking activity to try and follow up with Oliver and Ari, whose notes about what worried them had been both concerning and insightful.

[Image is Oliver's blue Post-It note reading simply "everything."]

[Image reads: "ARI: 1. RIDING IN CARS. 2. CHAOS 3. LOSING CONTROL TO HELP:  1. DON'T MAKE ME 2. A QUIET SPOT? 3. ???]

Unfortunately, neither one seemed inclined to talk, but were fine just knowing she knew.

–

Carter was trying to sneak bites of cookie dough without Liv or Emma seeing, while listening in to what Emma was saying to Charlie. It sounded like Charlie was in big trouble. She pushed Emma last night.

“Charlie, I need to know you're listening, okay? It's not okay to push me. So I want you to say you're sorry,” Emma said. She was getting a really good serious voice but Charlie just shrugged like she didn't care.

“Want yummy!” Josh whined, reaching his hand toward the bowl of dough.

“No, you can't,” Carter waved Josh's hand away, licking his fingers off. “You'll get germs and be sick.”

“Carter, what did I say about eating the dough!” Liv asked and Ari laughed.

“When you're sick this time it's gonna be the funniest thing ever. You're just doing this to yourself,” Ari said and Carter made a face. Eating a little bit wouldn't make him sick. Only eating a lot would.

“Oh, Olive,” Carter teased, sending her a sweet smile.

Through Josh's crying, Carter finally heard Charlie say sorry and even gave Emma a hug. Only Charlie didn't know how to hug that good, so it looked like it might hurt. Emma was still happy to get it though and everything was okay with them now.

Olive made Carter wash his hands and he said he would if he could sit by the oven and watch them bake. She watched him wash, telling him to sing happy birthday two times while he did it so he could be sure they were really clean.

Then, Olivia set a stool a little way back from the oven. “Just look with your eyes. Don't touch. It's hot. You understand?”

He wasn't stupid, but he really wanted to do this, so he nodded seriously and she let him sit down. Zoey and Charlie were playing games with the oven mitts but Carter wasn't.

He stayed right by the oven and watched the cookies bake.

–

This morning was a little bit easier for Zoey to wake up. Because it happened one time already. Ollie was next to her snoring. She'd changed into clothes right away, and tried the knob to Harper's room. She had the best fort on the bottom bunk in her room. No one sleeped there, it was only for decoration. But for reading Harry Potter day, Harper let her and Charlie and Ari all sit inside of it. She wanted to do that again, but the door wouldn't open.

The best thing that happened that day was cookies. She got to help bake them from 'gredients, not from the balls that come inside packages like she always did before. She even got to crack an egg. It was the best day.

It took a million hours for the cookies to be done baking. Zoey's stomach sounded like it had a monster in it it was so hungry for cookies. Now, they were all watching Frozen together, 'cause it was movie time, but she and Charlie weren't really watching, they were coloring. Not for that silly box. Just because they wanted to.

Zoey was coloring Anna and Charlie was coloring Elsa.

Emma came and sat by them at the table. Charlie put her arm around her picture. “Excuse you,” she said bossily. “What do you think you're doing?”

Zoey's mouth dropped open at the rudeness, but Emma just made a face and pretended Charlie hadn't talked.

“I wanted to know if you guys wanted to talk about your other pictures from the box. Zoey, what about you?” Emma asked.

“Okay!” she answered. She liked talking about her artwork.

[Image is Zoey's drawing, which includes red, black and brown scribbles.  A pink object is in the upper right corner with legs and eyes.]

“That's me in all those scribbles, right there. And that's Pinkie Pie, she's coming to save the day.”

“I wanna do mine,” Charlie interrupted. “Mine isn't a baby drawing. It has words.”

[Image says: "Seing mom nothing Charlie"]

Zoey glared at Charlie but didn't kick or punch. She didn't want to have to do a nice thing for her. She didn't deserve any nice things for being so mean.

“Mine says seeing Mom worries me but there's nothing you guys can do to help.”

“Okay, why do you think that?” Emma asked.

“Because it's true. Besides, I get to see her tomorrow anyway,” Charlie went back to coloring.

“Is that what helps you?” Emma asked in a whisper. “Thinking about Pinkie Pie coming to save the day?”

Zoey grinned and nodded. “Pinkie Pie's magic.”

It was much better to talk about Pinkie Pie than it was to talk about the rest of the picture, but Emma didn't ask. She just smiled a nice smile and let Zoey keep coloring the Anna picture.

--

After nap, Josh was still sleepy. Emma came. Surprise!

Josh smiled.

She sat in rockabye chair. Josh came over and climbed up. Emma helped. Then they were together in rockabye chair.

“Josh, do you know what important means?” Emma asked very quiet.

He shook his head. He didn't know.

“It means, what you love the most in the whole world. What do you love most?”

Josh buried his face in Daniel's fur, ugga mugga. “Daniel,” he said.

“Nice. Daniel's a good friend, isn't he?” Emma smiled.

Josh nodded yes.

“Can you tell me what makes you scared?” she asked.

Josh buried his face in Emma's shirt this time. There was noise outside in the kitchen. Josh didn't like noise.

“Fall,” Josh said, staring into Emma's eyes.

“Fall,” she said slowly. “Falling down? Like you fell yesterday?” she guessed.

Josh nodded.

“That would be scary, you're right. I'm sorry you were scared yesterday.”

She rocked. Josh's favorite.

“What makes you feel better when you're scared?” Emma asked.

Josh tapped the chair. “Rockabye.”

“Ahh. That's good to know. Thanks, buddy. What do you think? Should we go see what the kids are doing?”

“Cookie?”

“And maybe we can have a cookie for a snack.”

Emma set Josh down.

 He waited for Emma. When she moved one crutch, Josh touched it very soft. Daniel Tiger's friend, Chrissie had crutches, too, because in some ways we are different but in so many ways we are the same. 

He walked the same fast with her.

They went to the kitchen together.