A Trickster's Daughter

Chapter 8: EAT IT KAREN!

December 18 1996, Harrisburg, Illinois, United States

Gabriel didn't remember the part of parenthood that had him being conscripted by the PTA Dictator. He was pretty sure that was nowhere in the parenting books. Not that he read them. Nope. He was naturally an awesome Dad. Dad-ing was a breeze...shut up.

Apparently Karen had volunteered him at the last teacher's conference to bake, or buy (insert Karen's disgust) a decorated gingerbread house for a fundraising raffle, and didn't tell him till late yesterday that he needed it done for tomorrow, and to have 20 decorated gingerbread men cookies for Maya's class's Christmas party. She then stated smirking how she had all her Christmas cookies for the class already, and she baked them herself. The bitch. That passive-aggressive bitch.

Oh Gabriel could just conjure up everything, but it wouldn't beat the homemade stuff. Store bought? Sure. But whatever Karen baked homemade? Not likely. Gabriel was not about to let that vile woman win! So while Maya was at school today Gabriel looked up gingerbread recipes for cookies and houses, and a template for a very special cookie. Hehe.

It was easy enough to snap up the ingredients, cookie cutters, templates, and all the fixings for the decorations. By the afternoon however the kitchen was a mess of flour and gingerbread cookie dough from putting the mixer on the high setting too soon. He managed to get the gingerbread men into the oven, and was cutting out the pieces for the gingerbread house. It was going to be epic. He couldn't wait to see Karen's face when she sees it! Cue cackling.

Loki paused in his cackling when the door to the apartment opened and revealed Harriet, Brian's wife.

"Hello Loki. Is that maniacal cackling I hear?" she greeted with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. Loki smiles a little too broadly to be perceived as innocent at the elderly lady.

"Me? Cackling evilly while I make gingerbread confections?" feigning innocence and failing.

"I never said evilly Loki." She pointed out. "What are you up to?" she inquired curiously with an eyebrow raised.

"My dear lady you wound me with such accusations!" Loki responds with a hand over his chest feigning mock hurt. "I would never be up to dastardly deeds while baking confections for my darling daughter's classmates!"

Harriet gave him a knowing, but amused look. "Yes you would."

"Yeah I would." Loki shrugged smirking before returning to his careful cutting of the gingerbread house pieces. "The PTA Dictator that is Karen just told me yesterday evening  that I was volunteered  to make a gingerbread house for a raffle, and  have 20 decorated gingerbread men for Maya's class's Christmas party. Which is tomorrow."

"That bitch." Harriet cursed, scrunching her face in disgust. Loki had to put down the knife as he laughed. A sweet little old lady calling someone a bitch was just so funny. You'd never expect it.

"Would you like me to pick-up Maya for you?" Harriet asked after Gabriel calmed his ass down. Gabriel blinked at Harriet then looked at the clock cursing. "I'll take that as a 'yes please oh most wonderful lady'." Harriet chuckled at the relieved look on Gabriel's face. She turned to leave the apartment, but before she does she yells back grinning "Don't let the gingerbread men burn Loki!" Gabriel cursed loudly as he quickly checked on the baking cookies, while Harriet gives her own brand of cackling as she walked out the door. Gabriel mentally applauded Brian for marrying that woman, and staying married for all these years. Harriet was a jokester after his own heart. It was no wonder they got along like a house on fire.

It didn't take long for an excited Maya to come rumbling up the stairs and burst into the apartment with an exuberant "Daddy!"

Gabriel had just put the gingerbread house pieces in the oven and finished cutting out the pieces from the special template, putting those up on the fridge away from Maya's young eyes. Seeing his daughter he crouched down with arms wide and a big smile on his face, "Hey ginger loaf!" Maya ignores the mess that was his clothes and launches into his arms all smiles and giggles. "How was school candy cane?" he asked as he picked her up and propped her on his hip.