Stolen Lullaby PT 2

My Sister's Keeper

"Maisie, hurry up we're going to be late for school and I have a meeting. We don't have time for you to play games." Joe was frustrated Maisie had gotten into the habit of taking off her oxygen monitor and hiding it. The bracelet beeped and sent an alert to his phone if it was tampered with so he was usually able to track it down. But on this particular morning he couldn't find the bracelet nor the little body it was supposed to be attached to. A few weeks ago they had switched from a bulky ankle cuff to a lighter model that looked like a snap bracelet and even let Maisie pick the colour and design. At first she was happy to wear it and her friends thought it was cool and asked her they could have one too. But the novelty wore off somehow or another and it was becoming an irritating reoccurrence of Maisie taking it off and making it "disappear." The monitor ended up in the back of the cutlery drawer, under the cat's water bowl and somewhere in Taylor's closet which they had to practically do an archeological dig to unearth it.

"Daddy check Benji's bed I think I saw her messing around there earlier." Sophie called out. Joe groaned and went to the ancient cat's bed where he was lightly snoring, firmly bedded down for his morning nap.

"Sorry Benji, but I gotta reach in here." Joe reached his hand underneath the warm fluffball and was greeted by an annoyed hiss. When he tried to root his hand under the cat again he was met with another hiss and a swatted paw. "C'mon you rotten old thing can you meet me half way?"

"Be patient with him he's just a tired old kitty." Sophie swooped in lifting Benji out of his cat bed. Like magic the old beast began purring the moment she snuggled him to her cheek. Sure enough Maisie's blue daisy printed wrist monitor was lodged in the corner of the cat bed. While quickly examining the monitor to make sure it wasn't damaged they heard the quick pitter patter of feet running passed them and out the front door closing it with a bang. Outside Maisie scrambled to open the car door and buckle herself in. When it came to discipline Taylor and Joe were pretty equal on who had to play bad cop but both girls complained Taylor was scarier when she was mad. He was no pushover in his own right but Maisie in particular seemed to push the limits when her mom wasn't around.

"Maisie!" Joe marched outside with the monitor in his hand and tried to open the car door on her side only to find it was locked. Getting into the driver's seat, he was more than prepared to crawl over the seats to get to his wayward child his patience had far run out.

"I'm already buckled in, if you waste time telling me off we'll all be late!" She shouted crossing her arms. Luckily she was so busy being bratty with Joe she didn't notice Sophie open the passenger door on the other side where she ambushed Maisie, taking the monitor from Joe and snapping it back on her sister's wrist.

"Thanks, a bunch love" Joe sighed handing Sophie his phone so she could reboot the monitor's app while he drove. The fact that she was such a pro at it spoke to how often Maisie messed with it.

"Traitor!" Maisie shouted at Sophie as the monitor beeped assuring it was properly synched to the phone.

"Maisie, when you get home after school you're on punishment, I've had enough of your actions this morning and it's only 8:00!" Joe scolded as he pulled the car out of the driveway. The entire drive to school Sophie and Maisie picked on each other verbally and physically it was enough to drive Joe completely mad. By the time they pulled up to the front gate he was ready to breathe a sigh of relief that he could unleash them on someone else for a few hours.

"Behave yourselves today, I love you"

"We have swimming after school are you picking us up?" Sophie asked.