brothers.

6~ Maid

Diana

August 21st, 2023

I finished mopping the floors and wiped sweat off my forehead. I was a bit tired from so many chores, but not too exhausted. I could handle it.

I went to the sliding door leading out to the backyard, where the boys were playing catch with a football. It was a large yard with a pool and a tool shed. Susan said they used to have a playground, but once the boys got older, they took it out and replaced it with a pool— which I didn't dare approach.

I went outside and looked at the group wearily. "I'm done!"

"Done what?" Kyle said.

"Mopping, vacuuming, and wiping the windows."

"What about the bathrooms?"

"Yup. I dusted, too. Is there anything else you want me to do?"

They didn't look at me, continuing their football. "Did you take out the garbage?" Kyle asked me.

"Yup," I said.

"Did you wash the dishes?" Jack asked.

"Yup."

Tommy glanced at me. "Make the beds?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Do the laundry?" Harry quirked a brow.

"Yes. And I put it away, too."

The football stopped at Tommy. They all looked at me.

"You're fast," Jack finally said.

"Okay. I guess you're free," said Kyle.

"Wait! She needs to cook!" said Jack. "We took our turns. Now it's hers."

"What do you want to eat?" I asked.

"I dunno." Kyle resumed the game of catch. "I guess spaghetti or something."

"Okay. I'll have it done soon." I turned and went back to the kitchen.

I boiled two, large pots of water. We were seven people, so a lot of spaghetti was required, especially if we wanted leftovers for tomorrow. I took some boxes of linguini pasta out of a drawer and set them beside the stove. I then grabbed a saucepan to get started on the sweet tomato sauce.

I glanced at the clock. 3:23. They'd be here in about forty minutes. Plenty of time.

The boys came in at one point while I was cooking the sauce and meat. They all paused and watched what I was doing, seemingly curious. "How do you cook so fast?" Kyle asked.

"I've lived with big families before. And I had to get the food on the table on time." I tasted the sauce with a separate spoon and nodded to myself, immediately going to wash it. "What about you guys? What can you cook?"

"Basically the same stuff." Tommy lifted the pot cover a bit and peered into the boiling spaghetti. I'd left it open a bit, so he didn't get a gust of steam in his face. "Spaghetti and whatever."

"Cool." I patted his arm so he could get out of the way and fished a string of spaghetti out with my fork. After trying a piece, I gave them an 'OK' sign with my fingers and turned it off. It was ready now.

I took some plates out of the cupboards and looked at them. "Could you...?" I jerked my head for them to leave.

They hesitantly left the kitchen, continuously looking back at me. What was so strange about me cooking? They'd seen me do it before.

As I finished serving, I heard the Fields' car arrive. I looked up at the clock and dusted off my hands. 3:55. Perfect timing.

Susan and Davis came in talking, their voices echoing through the foyer. They stopped at the dining room and smiled at the table's appearance.