Chapter Thirteen: Caught In The Middle.

Ainsley was doing really well in school.  Some creative types lack discipline, but Ainsley loved books and had a very retentive memory; so she was able to ace whatever tests the teachers threw at her without too much effort.  Eliza's career was taking off.  She was becoming fairly well known locally and even received special treatment at restaurants and food joints where she was recognised -just in case she decided to feature them in that weeks column.  Eliza was writing for a more prestigious publication these days too.

The general ups of life in the Pancake household meant that things heated up between Bob and Eliza again.  Those days it wasn't unusual for him to come downstairs around nine am, still in his pyjamas and give Eliza a passionate kiss in way of a morning greeting.

Bob and Eliza were 'celebrating' Bob's promotion to sous chef one afternoon during that overlap between their shifts; Bob was still on nights to Eliza's days.

That was when they heard the door to the ensuite and a small head with pigtails preceded the rest of Ainsley's body.  The Pancakes quickly pulled up their pants while the sounds of Ainsley hurried retreat to her bedroom echoed in the hallway, followed by the slam of her door.

The Pancakes were mortified.  They hadn't realised that Ainsley was home from school, let alone there in the ensuite.  She had in fact asked permission to go to a friends house that afternoon.  Obviously those plans had fallen through.  What exactly had she seen?  What were they going to do?  Bob and Eliza quickly agreed that they needed to address this right now and that they would do it together.

Bob coaxed a rather stiff and resistant Ainsley back to the bedroom.  There he sat down next to Eliza on the bed and prepared to have one of those talks.

To make a bad situation worse, Ainsley wrote about exactly what had happened during school.  Bob was furious.  After being confronted by the teacher, he bought Ainsley straight home and sent her to her room.  He made himself go for a run to try cool himself off, but still came back with a pointed finger and an attitude of "Now listen here young lady."

Ainsley pouted and tried to ignore him.  Bob continued his tirade.

Ainsley hung her head and began to silently sob.  She wrote I hate you on the page in front of her.  Bob was brought up short.  Perspective somewhat restored, he apologised.  He said sometimes when people's feelings were hurt, they lash out and that was what he had done.  Bob attempted to explain that Ainsley hadn't really done anything wrong; but that certain things were private and so you didn't write about them or talk about them at school.  

They made up, but it was one of those moments that can't help but mature you and Ainsley was never completely the same again.