Page 51 of Grateful Hearts
The kids jumped up and down and bounded off toward the kitchen.
Chantel followed Max and Amira into the kitchen, laughing softly at their eagerness.
“All right, team,” Chantel said with a playful tone. “Two trays of cookies and one tray of cupcakes. Think we can handle it?”
Max puffed up his chest. “We’ve got this!”
Amira nodded enthusiastically, her braids bouncing. “Totally!”
But before anyone could approach the counter, a strange noise interrupted them—a muffled grunt coming from the pantry area.
Chantel paused, her brow furrowing.
“What was that? Max whispered, eyes wide. “It sounded like an animal growling.”
Amira gasped, clutching Chantel’s arm. “Do you think a raccoon got in?”
Chantel tilted her head, listening again. “I don’t think raccoons grunt like that.”
Max started toward the pantry door. “Let’s check it out,” he said, but then something registered with Chantel.
“Wait, Max!” Chantel hissed, following close behind.
Amira clung to Chantel’s side as they followed Max, and before she could stop Max, he pulled open the door.
The sight that greeted them left her frozen in place. There, amidst the shelf of canned goods and spices, were Zach’s mom and dad locked in a compromising andveryintimate position.
“Oh my gosh!” Chantel blurted, immediately covering Max and Amira’s eyes with her hands.
“What’s happening?!” Amira squealed, trying to peek around Chantel’s fingers.
“I think they’re wrestling!” Max shouted, his voice high-pitched with confusion.
“Wrestling?!” Amira’s face scrunched up. “Why are they doing it in the pantry?”
Zach’s mom let out a panicked scream and scrambled to pull on an apron while Zach’s dad muttered something unintelligible as he fumbled with his pants.
“Out! Out!” Zach’s mom shrieked, her voice muffled by her frantic attempts to straighten her clothes.
Chantel quickly ushered the kids back into the kitchen, her cheeks burning with secondhand embarrassment.
“What were they doing in there?” Max asked, still baffled.
Chantel swallowed hard, her voice slightly strained. “Uh… um… you know what? Let’s—let’s just focus on the cookies!”
Before they could press her further, the commotion had already drawn the rest of the family into the kitchen. Zach burst through the doorway first, followed closely by Clover, Bear, Ethan, and Justin.
“What’s going on?” Zach asked, looking between Chantel and the pantry.
Chantel raised a hand, trying to wave him off. “No, no! Don’t go in there—”
But it was too late. Zach pulled the pantry door open, and the room collectively gasped.
“Are youseriousright now?!” Zach exclaimed, his face contorted in a mix of shock and disgust.
Clover smacked a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. “Oh my God. In thepantry?”
Bear groaned, shaking his head. “Why?Why?!”