But Why Is Mommy Not In the Kitchen? 
- 2040
“DADDY, daddy, daddyyyyyy,” Shay squealed as she ran to her father on the couch who was entertaining her cute little baby brother, Grayson. With a jump, she made her way next to him on the couch before immediately getting on her knees so she could give him her best puppy dog eyes. LOOK maybe Shay hadn’t asked anything yet, but she needed to ease her dad into it okay? OKAY? SHE KNEW HOW TO GET WHAT SHE WANTED. Well… okay not as well as Zoe did because her little sister was reallllyyyyy good at that, but Shay had the beessstest puppy dog eyes okay? Okay.
“Shayyy, Shayyy, Shayyyyyy,” A smile met her lips as her father looked towards her, ticking her for a second which brought a laugh to her lips before quieting down. “Alright what is it this time? Did your mom send you here to convince me to go get ice cream again because I already told her we have to wait until after dinner,” OHHH THEY WERE GETTING ICE CREAM AFTER DINNER? Okay okay off-topic - but fiiiirsssttt: “Noooo daddy, stoooop beeeing sillyyyy. Can we pleaseeee pleaseeeeeee pleweeeseeee pleweeese pretty pweese with 14 cherries on top play hide and seekkkkkk,”
“OOHhhh hide and seek daddyyy,”
Shay watched as Zoe put down the ipad she was playing with to join Shay on the couch to ask the same thing she was asking. SOooo what brought on this want to play with her dad? WELLL 1. Shay was booooreeed and 2. Shay was prettyyyyyy darn good at hide and seek okay? Not like mommy who was alllwayyyyys in the kitchen, Shay actually hid reallllyy well and most times daddy couldn’t find her until the end and she won. What was better than that?
“Pweeeseeee daddy,”
Shay watched as Zoe got into their dad’s lap and even Grayson perked up “Pway” though Shay was 99% sure he only said that because dad stopped playing with him for a second and he wanted to play with dad himselfff but you have to SHARE Gray. They only had one dad 
“Hmm I don’t know,”
So… you know what her and Zoe did right? THEY BEEEGGGEEDDDD. Shay with her puppy dog, Zoe with that thing she did where her eyes started to water even though she wasn’t reallllyyy sad and Juuuuust like that, they got their dad agreeeeeinggg to play with them. EVEN ANDY WAS PLAYING because he came to London to visit and apparently he never says no to a gameeee (psst he also never says no to her, but that’s a story for another timeeee).
“Alright, you boys ready to lose?,”
Shay giggled as he mom walked into the living room where they were allllll gathered so that they could start playing. Appppparennntllyyyy she was feeding Ethan so theyyy allll had to wait a little bit but she was finnnnaly here so they could play. Shay was sitting next to Aidan who was playing with his toy car while he waited, but Shay, on the other hand, couldn’t help but watch the adults talking because it was soooo funny.
“Win? Come on Jess, we both know you’ll be the first person found.”
“Excuse you? I don’t appreciate this blasphemy,”
“I love you Jess, but we all know you’re going to be in the kitchen snacking,”
“So you both are telling me you don’t think I’m a good hider then?”
“Not even close.”
“Kids, tell your bloody dad and cousin I’m great at this game.”
Shay watched as her mom bent down towards where they were sitting and laughed. “Noooo, mommy you’re there,” Zoe yelled pointing towards the kitchen And immmeediatlllyy Shay heard both her godfather/cousin and her dad laughing. Okay look mommy didn’t loookkk supppeer happy with that but it was true. Eveeerryyyy time they hid, mommy always went to the kitchen and was either in the pantry or or hiding behind the sink and she ALLWAAYYS had something to eat in her hand.That’s why when any of them were seekers, she was always the one they found first.
“You know what, fine. I bet you, and you that neither of you will be able to find me this time.”
“Oh do you now?”
“I hope you’re ready to lose a bet Jess,”
“Keep hoping, hotshot. Alright kids, listen up. You all know the rules but I’m going to say them again. Your dad’s going to start us off as the seeker and count to 20, which gives everyone 20 seconds to hide. You can hide anywhere in the house but don’t go outside. If dad finds you, you have to help him look for everyone else but you have to stay in the same room as him to look, so no wandering off. Deal?”
Shay grinned as excitement filled her body. “Dealll mommy,” Shay jumped soon followed by Aidan and Zoe who were just as excited as her. Ethan and Grayson didn’t reallllly know what was going on but they seemed happy too and they just learned how to walk so they could join innn.
“Alright kids, you ready?” Shay watched as their dad walked to the corner of the room, looking away from everyone so he wouldn’t be peeking when everyone started walking. “On your mark, get set. gooooo,” with that, their dad started counting, screaming “ONE” to indicate they only had 19 seconds left to go hide.
Shay loved the way everyone ran in different directions. Mommy (of course) went towards the kitchen, shooting Shay a wink and putting her middle finger up towards Andy but she told Shay and her siblings couldn’t do that until they were older. Zoe and Aidan ran towards the stairs together, both of them immediately struggling up it but Zoe was helping Aidan. Andy was holding Ethan and those two were walking towards the theatre. And and… oh… Grayson was walking towards dad.
NOOOO GRAYSONNNN THAT’S NOT THE GAMEEEE.
“THREE”
Shay wanted to run off and hide too but she didn’t just want to leave her brother behind. Running towards where Grayson was now HUGGING her dad’s legs, Shay bent down on her knees. “Grayson come on we have to go hide,”
Shay put her hand out to grab her brother’s hand but with a loud “NO” Grayson hugged her dad’s leg tighter. “Grayson that’s noooot how you play the gameeeee,” Shay had a noticeable frown on her face but she found her dad looking at her with a smile and kissing her head. “Don’t worry sweetheart, we’ll teach him next time. Go hide.” and with that, her dad turned back around and continued counting but slowerrrr maybe so that Shay had more time to hide.
“SIX AND A HALFF,” Shay heard her dad yelled and rand away, turning only for a second to see her dad now holding Grayson, before she turned back and ran towards her dad’s gym.
Shay had been hiddinggg foreeeeveeer. She had found a spot behind her dad’s um… jumping blocks? Who knew what they were called but it was the peeeerfect hiding place. Well… at least she thought it was until she heard the door opening and she had to hold her breath. “I’m commmingggg for you” Shay herd her dad through the door and heard other voices as well meaning her dad had found some other people toooo. “Zoe be careful,” Shay heard her dad say as she heard her sisters voice yelling “Okayyyy daddy,” . Okay so Zoeee had been found. Whooo else? Shay was quietly listening to the voices in the room, and she heard uncle Andy muttering “So you already looked in the kitchen and couldn’t find Jess? Well you obviously didn’t look right… and anyways, she’s probably not hiding here. I’m pretty sure she’s allergic to this room.,”
Shay wanted to laugh but noooo no laughing. Hiding first and honestly you’d think her hiding place was prettyyyy good but then she found Aidan standing a few feet away from her at the start of the little slit she used to get into her spot, sucking his thumb as he just stood there looking at her. Shay brought her finger to her lips to tell him to SHUSH and he watched her, repeating the movements she did. Shay watched as Aidan stumbled away, once again with his thumb in his mouth and she really thought she was safeeeee again.
AND THEN HER DAD PLUCKED HER UP FROM HER HIDING SPOT. “Found you rascal,” Shay frowned, seeing Aidan standing right next to her dad meaning he totalllyyy spilled the beans. RUDE. Though, looking around she could see that everyone had been found… except her mother. Wait… where was her mother? Her mom was always the firrsttt one found… not the last one.
Okay so recap:
- Zoe was hiding in the pile of stuffed toys in her room and was found first after Grayson who was, obviously, the WORST hider.
- Aiiidann was found next, IN HIS BED, with his feet sticking out. COME ON AIDAND DO BETTEERRRR.
- Theeeeen Andy and Ethan were found because Ethan decided to sing while they were hiding in mommy’s office, so the were found sooooon after
But mommy? Mommy wasn’t in the kitchen and trust Shay, SHE LOOKED HERSELF. They looked everywhere. NO REALLY they looked everywhere. Dad even let them split up for a few minutes and they still couldn’t find her. IT HAD BEEN AN HOUR AND A HALF and all of them were screaming her name. Andy even ordered nuggets and screamed he had them and she still didn’t come out
“Mmooommmy where areeee youuuuu,” Shay muttered, walking towards the kitchen for the hundredth time with her hand in her dad’s. Shay knew her dad was getting worried… because he had already put Gray and Ethan to sleep early and even sent Andy to put Zoe and Aidan down for their naps but Shay didn’t want to sleep until they found mommy. What if she was lost?
“Jess… this isn’t funny anymore”
“Yeah mommy it’s not funny”
“What happened? I thought I was a bad hider?”
AND THERE SHE WAS, standing in the kitchen eating nuggets she found her mom standing. Immeeeediatly, Shay let go of her dad’s hand and ran up to her mom to give her a bigggg hug. “Where were you mommy?”
“I was hiding in the kitchen baby,”
Okay… what?? Shay was reallllly confused because she had looked eveerrryywhere in the kitchen.
“No really, Jess. Where were you?” Shay found her dad wrapping his arms around her mom and her before kissing her cheek.
“So you admit I win the bet and can hide?”
“…fine”
There was a little smile on Jess’ lips as she walked toward the kitchen counter, looking at Shay with a smile. “Don’t tell anyone okay?” she said, looking towards Shay who nodded. AND THEN HER MOM OPENED UP THE COUNTER AND REVEALED STAIRS THAT LED DOWNSTAIRS. WHAT? IT WAS LIKE COUSIN DAN’S HOUSE WITH ALL THE SECRET ROOMS.
“What the…”
Jess walked downstairs holding Shay in her hands to reveal a lounge area with a tv and a couch and a FRIDGE. THERE WAS ANOTHER FRIDGE UNDER THE KITCHEN. THERE WAS ANOTHER ROOOOOOM UNDER THEIR HOUSE.
Shay wiggled out of her mom’s arms and ran to the couch where there was snacks scattered all over. On the TV, now that she was closer, Shay could see they were cameras connected to the house and she could even see her little siblings sleeping on one of the screens.
“So you know how after we bought this house, we went on a honeymoon? Well… Dan decided to upgrade the house a little bit and I kept this place as a little secret for myself especially for occasions like this,” her mom revealed. “There’s also a safe room down here, and a staircase that way that leads to almost every room in this house through a secret door… but I thought It was a little irrelevant until now,” Her mom added, looking towards her dad with a smile.
“You’re SUCH a cheater, you don’t get a favor for this one.”
“Hey don’t you dare start. I stayed in the house didn’t I?”
“Guys… why the hell does your kitchen have staircases…oh… damn,”
Shay smiled seeing Andy join them in their house under the kitchen… let’s just say, hide and seek would be soooooo much more fun in the future now.