Excerpt From the Next Masks Story

 

The couple woke slowly and mutually, cuddled in each others' arms. Normally, one or the other had to be up first, often by a good measure, but today - thanks to a combination of the Spring holiday and a low crime rate, but mostly due to the family being on vacation - was a rare day when they could both sleep in. The man of the family kissed his wife on the top of the head.

 

"So, how do you like your life?" said Randy, grinning. 

 

"Okay, I have a house in the suburbs of a city I love and I commute to work using tunnels built by a lost, subterranean culture," said Karen, ticking things off on her fingers, "I have a spouse who knows exactly how to please me..."

 

"Thank you," said Randy, kissing her on the forehead.

 

"I can take a trip to a tropical island any time I want, thanks to said spouse's job..."

 

"Sub-tropical," said Randy, still grinning. 

 

"I have a wonderful wife and a wonderful husband - who happen to be the same person - I have two wonderful children - one of whom I gave birth to myself. What's not to love?"

 

"Maaaaaa!" came a call. "When's breakfast? You said I couldn't make it myself any more. Maaaaaa!"

 

"Well, there's that," said Randy, throwing the covers back. 

 

"You can't fool me. You love that as much as I do," said Karen, doing likewise. 

 

They turned making breakfast into a family affair. As they sat eating their fresh, hot muffins, though, Randy noticed his wife looking both thoughtful and amused. 

 

"What are you thinking about?"

 

"A guy I used to date, in college," said Karen, with exaggerated innocence. "I still talk to him, occasionally."

 

"Why would us eating muffins make you think of him?"

 

"He's a nice guy," said Karen, "but he has this really annoying way of eating a muffin."

 

"How can eating a muffin be annoying?"

 

"Instead of taking bites out of it, he plucks pieces off and pops them in his mouth."

 

Randy leaned in close and gave her an evil grin. 

 

"I'll have to remember that."

 

"No!"

 

He leaned back in his chair, laughing, while Roy looked back and forth between his parents, confused. Little Sarah didn't even notice, focused as she was on the very important matter of eating her hot, heavily buttered muffin. 

 

"I wonder what powers they'll get," said Randy, after a moment.

 

"They may not get any, remember," said Karen. She grinned at her daughter. "Though if Sarah gets _my_ powers she should call herself Giant Tess."

 

"You and your online comics," said Randy, rolling his eyes. 

 

Vacation this year saw Randy and family in a bungalow as guests of the school. Keeping Randy and Template separate from those who weren't in the know was causing some minor problems, but just now there were few students here and there was little need for Template, which made things easier. Unfortunately, they had just one more full day and a partial before they returned home. 

 

With the dishes rinsed and put in the dishwasher, they faced the dilemma of what to do until lunch.

 

"Jungle hike?" said Randy. "Lagoon swim? Ocean swim? Volcano fishing?"

 

"Volcano fishing!" yelled Roy.

 

"I'm pretty sure there's no such thing," said Karen, glaring at her husband. 

 

"Volcano fishing!"

 

"Roy, that was a joke," said Randy, realizing he was now in trouble with two members of his family. 

 

"Vo-canno fish!" yelled Sarah. 

 

Make that three members.

 

"Okay, we can hike up to the lookout point and take a look at the lava lake," said Randy, hoping that would satisfy the kids.

 

"Voooo-caaaaay-nooo!" howled Sarah, almost making it a song.