Dont Disturb Stepmom -

She sat down heavily in her craft chair. “Because I don’t know how I look to you. Am I the stepmom who’s too strict? The one who makes weird rules? Or the one who makes pancakes? I close this door for two hours so I can figure out who I’m supposed to be in this family without anyone watching.”

The whiteboard still said . But Carl grabbed a marker, crossed out the “NOT,” and added a tiny felt star next to the time. dont disturb stepmom

The door swung open, and Carl braced himself for fury. Instead, he saw… chaos. But a beautiful, organized chaos. She sat down heavily in her craft chair

He could see one tiny, painted-shell leg twitching pathetically in the gap. If Clarissa opened that door in two minutes when her “zone” ended, Hercules would be history. Flat, crackly history. The one who makes weird rules

“Carl,” she whispered. “It’s not two yet.”