Bored Meeting

Cissie Sullivan-Queen liked her pretty new dress but she wished she could show Nana Martha 'cause Nana Martha said she sparkled like a star which was 'specially right 'cause Cissie's new dress had sparkles. But no one could see them 'cause she was sitting down and the tablecloth covered the sparkly part of her dress.

"Daddy, can I go visit Nana Martha?" she whispered.

Her daddy said, "When this is done, pumpkin."

"But how much longer?"

"Just a little more."

Cissie sighed, aggrieved. "You already said that five times!"

Daddy looked at her. "This is really important. We're giving awards to the very hard workers in Daddy's company. Be patient, princess."

"But I want Nana to see my dress!"

"She can see it any time."

"But I want her to see now." Cissie thumped her feet on her chair.

"Hush, princess, they're doing speeches."

She thumped louder.

Daddy's face went all triangle-y. "Suzanne Sullivan-Queen."

She pouted but stopped swinging her legs. This was soooo booooring. Putting her head down on the table, Cissie tried to imagine other things she could be doing right now. Like feeding her hamsters in Mom's house or playing tag with Bart and AC on the beach or going on a flying trip with Uncle Clark or making mudpies with Aunt Lois or--

Daddy stopped her leg-swinging. She hadn't even noticed that she was doing it. "Why don't you get your iPad out and draw?"

"I don't know what to draw!"

"Draw what you'd rather be doing."

Cissie rolled her eyes. "That's, like, everything, Daddy!"

"Then draw everything. Then send it to your mom. She'll like that."

Cissie started to draw Daddy's house on the beach then, wrinkling her nose, she asked, "Will Mommy still like a picture of your house? She won't get mad, will she?"

Daddy got sad. He lifted her on his lap. "Mommy will like anything you draw, pumpkin. Just because we're not living in the same place any more, it doesn't mean you have to worry about us getting mad about that."

"Okay." Cissie wriggled back to her chair. "'Cause I think you need a security upgrade in the poolhouse. Even I could bypass that keypad!"

Daddy almost smiled. "She's your kid all right, Chloe."