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It was a sunny day in April as Ceci Masters strolled home from school. Unexpectedly she saw her palm glowing with a black and white DP. She then took a shortcut to the vacant house that served as her half-brother Danny's residence whenever he visited.
Both siblings had politely requested the Ancients to assist them with their cover stories when visiting the other reality. Consequently, the Ancients utilized their combined abilities to create two lived-in houses. Plus, a synthetic supernatural entity to serve as their mother. "Kathleen Wells" had been a blend of ectoplasmic energy, lost souls, and integrating some of Maddie's actual DNA into her. So the being, while artificially created, Kathleen, was still sentient.
Therefore, Kathleen Wells did live in both houses with a ghost portal connecting them. Therefore, Ceci wasn't surprised to be greeted by Kathleen. She had Maddie's chestnut hair and bright violet eyes. However, she was a head shorter, not as curvaceous, and less well-endowed. Plus, her skin tone was pale ivory, and she didn't dress like either version of Maddie. Today, Kathleen wore a multicolored peasant top with capris and a stylish pair of mules.
"Hello, Kathleen! Is Danny home?" Ceci politely questioned. Again, she knew this woman was her second mother. She never thought of her as any less of a human being. Both she and Danny loved her as much as their shared mother. This, in turn, made Kathleen quite happy that they saw her as a genuine individual and not some supernatural robot or something.
"Yep, he's in the kitchen. I made cookies. He's been expecting you. Come on in," the stunning lady invited her in. Smiling, Ceci walked into the now truly lived-in home. It was pretty lovely. Soft colors, hardwood floors, and plenty of natural light. It looked nice and cozy. She hurried to the kitchen and found Danny eating cookies at the island.
"Ceci!" he exclaimed happily as they threw themselves into each other arms. They hugged each other for ten minutes before they pulled apart. Ceci then tossed her braid over her shoulder before speaking.
"Oh, it's good to see you too, little brother! However, I'm a bit surprised you are here. Are you still having difficulties with your companions? Or is there a family event you wanted me to attend in your world?" his sister questioned, confused. She couldn't figure out why he was visiting this time.
"No, nothing like that, sis. I just wanted to spend some time with you. Plus, I've got a four-day weekend due to a teacher conference back home. So anything you'd like to do? It looks like the weather is great outside!" They both saw the beautiful sunny weather outside.
"Yes, the weather has been great the past week! The upper 70s, and its only April! Did you bring your homework? We could go back to my house and do our homework out in the backyard," his sister suggested.
"Yes, I brought my homework. Are you any good at math? I could have done better in it. I might have dyscalculia," Danny mentioned. He referred to a learning disability in which people struggled with mathematics due to how their brains functioned. He'd looked it up after flunking math for years. However, he did have some of the symptoms.
Unfortunately, given his unorthodox parents, they never bothered to see if he or Jazz might have a learning disability. Therefore, all they did was tell him to study harder. Even Jazz said that without being sympathetic.
"I've read up on various learning disabilities myself. I wrote a paper about different learning disabilities as an extra credit assignment last year. So, I'm particularly familiar with that disability.
I believe you have it, Danny. However, since I'm not a professional, I can't say that for sure. Either way? Let's get to my house. I'll have Danny back in time for dinner, Kathleen!" Ceci assured their second mom.
"Sounds good, darling. I'm going to get some cleaning done before I cook dinner. See you in a few hours!" as she hugged both 'of her' kids.
The two teens only grinned before heading back to Ceci's house. "I sincerely hope the ghosts behave themselves. I've got exams coming up shortly, and I need to pass them. Or I won't be able to do my internship this summer!" Ceci moaned.
Her brother gave her a sympathetic look. He remembered her talking about her internship the day they met. He knew it meant a lot to her. "I may not be worried about a summer job, sis. However, I came to relax and spend time with you. I want a few days off from playing hero," Danny replied softly, trying to comfort her.
His sister nodded before they entered her house. Ceci called out, "Hey, Mom! Sorry, I'm a little late getting home. I got a text that Cousin Danny was in town!"
Maddie Masters stepped out of the kitchen. She smiled warmly at who she believed to be a distant cousin. Not knowing he was her son from another reality. "Hello, Danny! It's nice to see you again. Are you visiting your mother again? I must say my cousin Kathleen is exceptionally likable. She's constantly in a good mood and extraordinarily friendly."
The siblings, again, silently thanked the Ancients for forming Kathleen. So yes, Maddie had met her 'cousin.' Which only made their cover story more realistic. "Yes, I'm visiting for a four-day weekend. I genuinely desire to see my cousins again. They're like younger siblings to me. Just like Ceci feels like an older sister to me!" he chuckled.
Maddie looked proudly at her daughter. So she loved her daughter had made their distant cousin feel so happy. "Well, she's a terrific sister to her younger siblings. Are you hungry?" the ghost hunter asked curiously.
Danny shook his head, "No, I just had some cookies. Ceci invited me over to do our homework together. She said she would help me study for a math test. I'm awful at math," Danny confessed. He wondered if this version of his mom would've gotten him tested to see if he had a learning disability.
"We all struggle with something," Maddie replied. Then, she returned to the kitchen, saying, "I'll make a fresh pitcher of lemonade."
"Sure, Mom. We'll be outside doing our homework." Ceci replied as the two siblings headed out the back door. It was a relatively large backyard. It had a lovely picnic table and a large tree in one corner. It looked perfect except for a tiny detail.
Danny couldn't help but make a face seeing the fence had been painted with the Packer logo. "Seriously, why does the Fruit Loop have to be such a Packer fanatic?" he muttered. Vlad was a great mentor in his world, but his obsession with the Packers occasionally got on Danny's nerves.
Ceci shrugged helplessly, "Don't ask me why Dad is obsessed. Other then he's a guy, and they love their sports. I feel its an eyesore myself. Still, let's get to our homework," as they both pulled their schoolbooks out of their backpacks. They sat down at the picnic table and quickly started on their homework.
A short time later, Maddie brought the pair some fresh pink lemonade, and they thanked her. Then, they worked for an hour in silence doing their homework. Ceci looked pained as she tried to help her little brother with his math homework. Then, unexpectedly the back door opened, and out came Charlie Masters. Danny found it ironic that Ceci's brother acted like an adult, just like his sister Jazz.
"Hello, cousin Charlie. How are you?" Danny questioned kindly to his little brother. The teen looked momentarily shocked to see his 'cousin.' But the shock quickly wore off, and he politely answered his cousin's question.
"I'm doing exceptionally well today, cousin Daniel. Thank you for asking. I passed the examination required to qualify for the state spelling bee. In addition, I got some extra dictionaries from the local library.
I must study as many words as possible. Since you never know which language or meaning that will be utilized. So I presume you're in town for the weekend?" he asked while he cleaned his thick glasses.
"Yes, for the next four days. I hope to see you at the finals. I'd like to see if my cousin triumphs," Danny replied with a huge grin. He would enjoy seeing his little brother win the state spelling bee. He had faith he would.
"Well, I'd considerably appreciate all the support I could get. So, I do hope you make it, Daniel. Now if you excuse me, I better get studying," as the thirteen-year-old headed over to a tree in the corner of the yard. He calmly sat down and took out a Latin dictionary to study first.
Ceci sighed, "Charlie has always been a bit nerdy. But, again, I find it a bit peculiar that he acts so grown up. I mean, he's thirteen! Of course, I know some individuals mature faster then others. Regardless, you should enjoy being a kid while you are one," she voiced softly so her brother didn't hear them.
"I know, Jazz is exactly like that. I can't recall one time she honestly acted her age. She's always been such a know-it-all. And again, can't accept the fact she is a kid and doesn't need to be an adult yet."
Both siblings let out an exasperated sigh before returning to their homework. Eventually, it was time for dinner. Maddie asked if Danny would like to stay for dinner. He sent a quick text to his 'mom,' and she said okay. He did enjoy his mom's cooking. It was perfect as long as nothing from the lab ended up in the food. Danny enjoyed learning more about his other siblings' lives.
His little sister Felicity was happily chatting about a new book her class was reading. They're reading the Newbery honor book "Ella Enchanted," by Gail Carson Levine. It was a retelling of "Cinderella." The significant difference was Ella was under a curse by a foolish fairy who 'blessed' her with the gift of obedience. Meaning she had to follow any order she was given.
Danny knew the movie wasn't anywhere close to the book. He hadn't read the book himself. Yet he'd read up on films based on books to see how much discrepancy there was between them. The film based on this book was so dissimilar they were declared entirely separate universes.
After dinner, Danny felt obligated to help clean up before Ceci walked him home. She told him she couldn't wait to spend the rest of the long weekend with him. He said he was looking forward to it. With one final hug, they said goodnight, greatly anticipating what the rest would bring them!