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The next night Sabastian came upstairs to find Susan cooking with Claudia.

As soon as she noticed him, Susan said, "We're making cookies!"

"Are you.  What kind?" Sabastian asked with a broad smile.

"Chocolate chip.  We went to the store and bought everything we needed.  Claudia is gonna let me put it all together and stir once the stuff is measured out."

"It sounds like you get to have all the fun," Sabastian responded, well aware that Susan was going to do all the hard work.

"Yeah!"

"I hope you get to lick the bowl," Sabastian said.

"She get half bowl, I get other half.  After all, I let her do all fun stuff," Claudia chimed in, also smiling at Susan's innocence.

"Yeah, but I get the first cookie!" Susan shot out.

"That fair, I think," Claudia responded, nodding her head with a suspicious look.

"Yes, I agree, that sounds quite fair," Sabastian added, laying his hand on Susan's head and messing up her hair.  "Are the others up yet?"

"Mary's still sleepin and Sol never came home," Susan answered, playing with a wooden mixing spoon.

Sabastian thought for a second, and realized that he couldn't sense Sol in the house, though Mary's presence was strong.  He was certain she was up, she just hadn't come down.

"Interesting, it is not like him to disappear like that.  He went to the city last night, I hope he is alright," Sabastian said.

"He is," Susan responded, as she poured the premeasured ingredients into the mixing bowl.

"And how do you know that?" Sabastian asked, though he knew the answer.

"I just do."

He watched as the little girl mixed the cookie dough and thought how strange it was that on one level she was a naive little girl, yet on another she was something more.  He didn't know what to call her, but mature wasn't the right word, even though she was very mature at times. 

It was what she seemed to know because "she just did" that confused him so.  She was special, he knew that.  But, at times, he had to remind himself that she was just a little girl.

So much had happened to them, to all of them.  And in such a short period of time.  And still it seemed as if Susan, a little girl, had a better grasp of what was happening than anyone else involved.

By the time the last spoonful of dough had been placed on a cooking sheet, Mary came down.

"You do not look well," Sabastian said to her.

"I'm O.K.," she said, "just need to wake up a little.  Did you think any more about what I said?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"I intend to wait for Sol's return before I do anything."

"He won't be back until late," Susan chimed in.

"How do you know that?" Mary asked.

"I just do.  Besides, I want to meet Mina, too," the little girl answered.

"Did you talk to her about this?" Mary asked Sabastian.

"No, and I believe I have changed my mind.  After the cookies are done, you will take us to meet Mina," he said, trusting a gut feeling that Susan knew what was best.



[Copyright Reuben Gregg Brewer, 2005, 2006. All rights reserved.]
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