Page 10 of Semantics

“Hi. That was my cereal,” Sarai stated. “And what are you doing stealing it? You don’t even like it.”

“I’m out of mine,” Enya replied.

She then stuck her hand into the box, took a handful, and handed the box to Arlowe, who did the same.

“And this is how the next pandemic will start… I just know it,” Violet suggested.

“We all showered this morning. We’re fine,” Sarai said.

“I know we all showered because Enya hogged the hot water,” Arlowe noted.

“I did not. I was only in there for, like, ten minutes.”

“The hot water here sucks,” Sarai proclaimed.

“So does the water pressure,” Enya added.

“And yet, we persist,” Violet said, trying to divert them from the path they were on.

“All right, all right, RBG,” Arlowe replied and held up her hands in mock supplication. “Want to start the meeting?”

“We’re still eating breakfast,” Sarai protested before she stole the box back and took another handful of cereal. “Have you even had your six Red Bulls, four Monsters, and two cups of coffee yet, Arlowe?”

“Yes, which is how I’m able to do this.”

Arlowe quickly stole the cereal box back from Sarai.

“Well, this has been a fun morning,” Violet said. “I’m good to start the meeting now if you three can stop making me dizzy by passing that damn box around.”

“It’s one of those mornings, huh?” Sarai asked.

“What do you mean?” Violet asked back.

“Mom’s mad about something…” Arlowe suggested.

“How am I your mother, exactly? You’re two months older than me.”

“It’s not decided by age. You take care of all of us. For example, you’re the one who did the grocery shopping last week and bought Sarai and I this cereal that we argue about for fun.”

“Anyway,” she began. “Back to the meeting.”

“Yes, Mom,” Enya said.

“Not you, too…”

Violet shook her head and noticed that a new email had come in. It was spam, so she went to delete it, but then, she noticed another email that she hadn’t yet gotten to because Sarai had interrupted her.

“Oh, no,” she said. “It can’t be…”

“Can’t be what?” Arlowe asked.

Violet didn’t answer. She clicked on the email from Cerebral, and her eyes went to the sender’s email address before they moved down her screen to the sender’s email signature.

“Stella Ross, SVP of Sales, Cerebral.”

“Huh?” Enya asked.

“Did you just say Stella Ross?” Sarai asked.