Unit I

"Ara help me set up the table" Ava screamed from down the stairs.

She moves back to the kitchen and pushes towards her boiling pot of soup. She stirs vigorously hoping it doesn't cuddle to the sides of the pot. She sighed when she noticed her daughter had not paid attention to her at all.

She puts off the stove in front of her and wipes her hand on her apron. She can't believe that she was left to do all the work by herself. Her husband would soon be back from work and it was their turn to host dinner with their neighbors.

Once a week they had dinner together and rotated who hosted it. This week was her turn. She glanced at the wall clock on the kitchen wall. Her husband should be back in ten minutes and in thirty minutes her neighbors should be coming in for dinner.

Her elder daughter was nowhere to be found. She was probably surging through the mall with full passion unable to buy anything. Her daughter needed to return before the Sterlings came over. She heard the front door squeak open. She pushed her head through the kitchen door to see her daughter enter with a huge pout on her face.

"Seraphina help me set the table," Ava said.

Seraphina was expecting to be scolded for being home late but her mom was overwhelmed and just needed to get the job done before they sat down to dinner. Seraphina knew that she was going to get an earful from her mom later that night.

Seraphina moves and begins to set that table. She knew that the Sterlings were coming for dinner which made her mom go into a crazy frenzy to impress the neighbors. Once every two weeks Ava outdid herself in her cooking competition.

"Mom, where is Arabella?" Seraphina asked her mom.

"Her nose is probably stuck in a book somewhere upstairs. I have been calling her but it seems she did not hear me" Ava responded handing her daughter a bowl to place at the table center.

Seraphina moved swiftly back and forth from the kitchen to the dining table. She was exhausted from touring the mall all afternoon with her friends but she dared not complain or else she would be grounded.

"Ara" Ava screamed once again.

She needed someone to run to the nearby store for some cheese and since Sera was already helping her out there was no way she could send her to the store. Arabella needed to get her nose out of the book and help her mother win the championship in the neighborhood.

"Sera see what Ara is doing. Take give her this to run to the store for a block of parmesan cheese now" Ava said pulling out some money from the pocket of her apron.

Seraphina collected the money from her mom and ran upstairs to her sister's room. She pushed the door open and saw her sister sitting there a huge book in hand and her glasses slipping over her face.

Arabella was not aware of her sister's presence in her room. Seraphina put down the money on her sister's book. Arabella looked up the smile turning into a frown.