Later, the doctor cleared Annie for discharge from the hospital. Mother drove her daughters home. Annie sat in the front seat of Mother's red sedan listening to the raindrops patter against the car. Big Sis was in the backseat.
"Annie, are you okay?" Mother asked, "How do you feel?"
"I'm okay," Annie replied, "aside from the fever. Headache's not as painful now."
"Take it easy, okay?"
"Yeah. About the house keys..."
"Don't worry," Mother said, "We'll get the locks changed today."
Annie put on a little smile. "Is Second Sis out? She wouldn't have the new keys."
Mother giggled. "Hey, that's a thought. She's going out later today. We'll get the locks changed then."
Her mother was not a thoughtless person. It would be troubling to have a thoughtless person working in one of the city's power plants. No, Mother gave careful thought to her actions... in order to cause the greatest possible irritation to her loved ones.
"I need to replace my handphone too," Annie mentioned.
"I'll buy you a new one," Mother offered.
Annie grimaced. She remembered that she had been a demanding, spendthrift person. "Maybe not. Doesn't anyone have an old phone I can use?"
"Carrie may have her old phone," Big Sis supplied helpfully from the back.
"I'll ask her when I get the chance." Annie sighed. "I'll have to report the lost of my student ID to the school."
"Don't worry about all that now, honey," Mother interrupted her, "Just concentrate on getting better."
Then Annie felt a little dread when Mother glanced at her with an impish smile. Mother's blue eyes, behind a slim pair of glasses, had also sparkled with the promise of mischief.
"Since you're too sick to wash yourself, Annie, how about a mother-daughter bonding session?" Mother suggested.
Annie groaned.
"What's that?" Big Sis asked curiously.
"It means she wants to bathe me," Annie explained.
"Mum, you can't do that," Marie protested.
"Oh, we've done it before," Mother mentioned lightly, "In fact, you've bathed Annie before too!"
"Mum, we were kids that time!" Marie pointed out.
Mother brushed off her protest. "Regardless of what you think, this is between Annie and me."
"No, Mother, I think I'll wash myself," Annie decided.
"Aww, why not?" Mother asked disappointedly.
"It's not really a 'bonding session' if you remain outside the bathtub," Annie pointed out, "You're keeping your distance. We can't get close like that."
"So you'll agree if I join you in the bathtub?"
"And bathe with me," Annie added.
Mother thought for a while. "Okay, then." Her impish smile appeared again. "Aren't you my favorite daughter?"
"I can't believe you're doing this," Marie remarked from the back.
Later at home, Mother did bathe with Annie in the bathtub. Only that Mother wore her bikini.
"Who the hell bathes in a bathing suit!?"
***
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