Page 43 of Words Unspoken

Michael already knew that. He expected in a couple of days the swelling would go down. Someday, when Max was injured, he planned on poking him back. Hard.

“The swelling will probably go down in a couple of days,” Max placed the ice back on it.

“Hmmn,” Michael agreed with only a little sarcasm.

“Max, why don’t you leave your brother alone?” asked Piaget.

Michael silently agreed and closed his eyes.

“I have six years of brotherly love to make up for,” complained Max. “I have to bother him. It is in the rules.”

“It is true,” Noah deadpanned. “It is in the rules.”

“Come here and carve this turkey,” said Elle. Michael could hear the laughter in her voice. He was glad. It meant that she had gotten over the scare that Ethan had given them all.

They gathered at the table and Michael stayed in his chair. It was comfortable. It was his favorite chair. His dog was here. Maybe Max was right, and he was becoming an old man, he thought drowsily.

“What about Michael?” asked Elle.

“I will bring him a plate,” replied Piaget. They gathered round, putting the boys in highchairs and doling out the food. By the time Piaget came to the recliner, plate in hand, Michael was asleep. FedEx lifted an eyelid to look at her and then snuggled back to sleep with her master. Soon the dog was snoring softly.

∞

FenLei stepped into the kitchen. Immediately, she knew that someone had been busy. She put away the groceries and saw leftovers from a Thanksgiving dinner in the fridge. This was why she had been given the weekend off. Hmmmn. Good thing she had come back early.

She spied two highchairs. There was a toy on the couch and Michael was sleeping with the dog in his usual chair, a throw blanket tossed over them both. FedEx watched her but didn’t leave her master is side. FenLei opened a cupboard. Her pans had been rearranged. They were all there and looked clean and okay, but FenLei knew someone had been cooking. She padded softly to the guest rooms and had a peek. Four adults and two sweet little babies. No Ann. Stifling a disappointed sigh, she went to the deck and pulled out her cell phone. A stream of Vietnamese later and her nephew would bring the extra groceries she needed.

She started in the kitchen, banging a pan firmly onto the stove. Michael jerked, startled by the sudden noise. Perfect. She proceeded to start the coffee pot and get breakfast for two going, all the while keeping an eye on her boss without appearing to. He yawned, stretched then got up to let the dog out. He waited for FedEx to come back and let her in. Within moments he joined her in the kitchen, going straight for the fresh coffee.

“You in big trouble, Mr. Michael.”

He looked at her in surprise. Taking his coffee, he sat on a stool and raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to explain further.

“You pay me cook, clean, run errand. Now, you got four cook and two freeloaders in house,” she pointed to the guest rooms. “What you do that for? You fire me?”

Michael smiled and shook his head no.

“I need job. I pay bills. I support family. Three in college. No more cook without me,” FenLei said firmly.

Michael pointed to the pan on the stove.

“Yes, pans okay this time. Next time maybe not so lucky,” she popped some bread into the toaster. “You have bad habit, burn pan.”

“He burns pans?” Max yawned and headed directly for the coffee.

Michael made a sound of protest and put up a finger indicating that it had happened once.

“Ha! Twice. Once you, once Missy Ann burn eggs,” FenLei accused.

“I sense a story behind this,” Max said.

Michael flushed a little at Max is enquiring look. He sipped his coffee, refusing to be drawn into this.

“No more cook. You ban from kitchen,” FenLei looked up at Max. “Which brother you?”

Max grinned. “Max. And you are?”

“FenLei. God make you too tall. Get crick in neck just looking at you!” She pulled out the toast and proceeded to make up a plate which she placed in front of Michael.