☆The Peregrin Family☆

Chocolate Soda Problems

Later that afternoon, as the house settled into a quiet lull, Raine's eyes darted to the icebox. She remembered the chocolate soda—her mind fixating on it like a persistent itch. Ma had said not to drink it before dinner, but Raine’s curiosity and temptation got the better of her. She tiptoed toward the icebox, her small hand trembling with excitement as she reached for the latch.

Sarrah, sitting quietly on the couch with her doll, noticed Raine’s sneaky movements. Her brow furrowed as she watched her sister carefully c***k open the icebox and slip her hand inside. Raine’s fingers grasped the cool bottle, but just as she was about to pull it out, Sarrah couldn't help herself. She sat up straighter and in her loudest whisper called out, "Ma!"

Raine froze. The sound of Ma bustling in the kitchen stopped for a moment, and Raine’s heart pounded in her chest. She quickly shoved the bottle back into the icebox and straightened up, hoping no one would notice. Sarrah, still eyeing her sister suspiciously, waited for the scolding to come. But Ma didn’t appear.

Instead, Ma’s voice floated out of the kitchen, “Sarrah, I’m just finishing up here! What is it?”

Sarrah hesitated, her eyes locking with Raine’s. For a moment, she considered telling Ma everything, it would feel so satisfactory. But Raine shot her a warning look, and Sarrah decided against it. "Nothing!~" Sarrah whistled back, sitting back on the couch with a satisfied smirk.

Raine scowled at her, closing the icebox carefully. She tiptoed back to the couch, glaring at Sarrah as she settled in beside her. No one got caught, but Raine could feel her cheeks burning with anger.

Later that evening, as the golden light from the sun filtered through the cottage windows, Ma prepared a hearty supper while Pa was busy reading the newspaper in the armchair. The scent of roasted chicken and freshly baked bread filled the air. Sarrah, Karrie, and Raine sat at the kitchen table, waiting impatiently for the meal, their eyes often flicking toward the icebox where their coveted bottles of chocolate soda lay chilling.

“Mama, when can we have the sodas?” Karrie asked, her little hands fiddling with the hem of her dress. She could hardly sit still.

Ma smiled without turning from the stove, stirring the soup gently. "After dinner, Karrie. You don’t want to ruin your appetite, do you?"

Karrie pouted but didn’t argue further. She knew better than to press Ma when she had already made up her mind. Instead, she and her sisters busied themselves setting the table, each girl carefully placing plates, forks, and napkins in front of every chair. Laura was still in her room, reading quietly as she often did when she could escape her younger siblings.

Soon, the whole family was seated around the table, the feast laid out before them. Pa looked at the spread approvingly. "Well, Ma, you’ve outdone yourself again."

Ma, with a modest smile, began serving the chicken, passing the plate down the line. As they ate, conversation floated lazily between them, mostly centered on their plans for the week in the mountains.

“So,” Pa began, setting his fork down and dabbing his mouth with his napkin, “I’m thinking of taking a walk by the lake. Maybe do some fishing if the weather’s right.”

Sarrah’s eyes lit up. “Can I come with you, Pa? I want to see the fish and maybe catch one too!”

Raine leaned in, “I want to come too! And Sarrah can help with the worms. She’s good at finding them.” She snickered.

Sarrah scrunched her nose in distaste. "I don’t want to touch worms!" She protested, making the family laugh.

After the plates were cleared and the table was wiped down, the moment the children had been waiting for arrived. Ma went to the icebox, carefully pulling out the four bottles of chocolate soda, each still frosty and dripping with condensation.

“Now,” Ma said, handing them out one by one, “enjoy these, but no more running around after this, you hear me?”

“Yes, Ma,” the children chorused, too eager to argue.