Just Kidding

Octopus at the Aquarium

“Just kidding!”

Amelia sighed as she followed her children running down a (thankfully) empty hallway.

“I was kidding! An octopus would never eat you, sis!”

Amelia sat down and let herself be cooled by the breeze coming off from the water. Nowhere else for them to run to, the end of the pier. She knew it would happen sooner or later. Would have expected it to be spiders or snakes, the same way her brother taunted her. No, it had to be a squid.

“Mom, I wanna go, now!” Her youngest stood before her, arms crossed, keeping her back to her brother. “I want to go eat sushi!”

Amelia sucked in her lower lip. There were only three rolls her youngest ordered, and she was not going to explain the third one. She leveled her oldest with a look. Thankfully he had the sense enough to know when to keep silent.

Granted, Amelia had a culinary ace up her sleeve regarding one of his favorite foods. She told him the truth once and he stared. ‘Just kidding,’ she told him, certain she’d have to try again in a couple of years. Maybe today would be a good day to…