the eye of the storm
Mar. 31st, 2022 12:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
extremelyfrustratingRichard Strand was not a coward. Not by any stretch of the imagination. He prided himself on being level headed, fearless...in control.
That said? When the soft knock came at his front door, he could have collapsed with relief as he tore it open.
"You're an absolute lifesaver." he breathed, ushering his new hero inside.
Snickering, Ruby Carver slipped inside, carefully balancing a stack of alarmingly small pizza boxes in one hand, a heavy looking shopping bag dangling from her elbow.
"You're a wuss, Dr. Strand." Ruby declared without remorse, shaking her hair over one shoulder. "Here, can you take these? Thanks..."
"Alex won't be back from Arlington for another two hours, and there are just...some parts of handling kids not even Charlie could prepare me for." he insisted. "That said...I did tell you this was a slumber party, right? Third graders?"
"Hence, eight one topping personal pan pizzas, with extra fixings in the bag to customize." Ruby soothed. "Trust me, five bucks says they fall in love with taco pizza, at least try meatball pizza, and the rest will feed the two of us at work for a couple days."
"...are those Barbies in the bag?..."
"Dollar store dolls and outfits, some yarn, glue, craft stuff...shut up, I went down a doll customization rabbit hole on YouTube last week. They're gonna go bananas creating characters from the Hogwarts edition of the Hunger Games and you can finish your lecture without worrying they're gonna do something dangerous like play Monopoly."
Silence ensued. Ruby's eyes went wide.
"Dr. Strand..."
Clearing his throat, Richard turned away from her hastily, calling out to the girls in the living room.
"Brooklyn! Loui--er, Wheezy! Look who just brought dinner over? Put the game away for now, time to eat!"
That said? When the soft knock came at his front door, he could have collapsed with relief as he tore it open.
"You're an absolute lifesaver." he breathed, ushering his new hero inside.
Snickering, Ruby Carver slipped inside, carefully balancing a stack of alarmingly small pizza boxes in one hand, a heavy looking shopping bag dangling from her elbow.
"You're a wuss, Dr. Strand." Ruby declared without remorse, shaking her hair over one shoulder. "Here, can you take these? Thanks..."
"Alex won't be back from Arlington for another two hours, and there are just...some parts of handling kids not even Charlie could prepare me for." he insisted. "That said...I did tell you this was a slumber party, right? Third graders?"
"Hence, eight one topping personal pan pizzas, with extra fixings in the bag to customize." Ruby soothed. "Trust me, five bucks says they fall in love with taco pizza, at least try meatball pizza, and the rest will feed the two of us at work for a couple days."
"...are those Barbies in the bag?..."
"Dollar store dolls and outfits, some yarn, glue, craft stuff...shut up, I went down a doll customization rabbit hole on YouTube last week. They're gonna go bananas creating characters from the Hogwarts edition of the Hunger Games and you can finish your lecture without worrying they're gonna do something dangerous like play Monopoly."
Silence ensued. Ruby's eyes went wide.
"Dr. Strand..."
Clearing his throat, Richard turned away from her hastily, calling out to the girls in the living room.
"Brooklyn! Loui--er, Wheezy! Look who just brought dinner over? Put the game away for now, time to eat!"
