Before the Fixes

Before the Fixes

Here’s a clock. Over there—a calendar. On the table—a bouquet of fake forget-me-nots. And right next to it—a ripped backpack. Scattered around—a pen and its cap, destined never to part ways, because they’re basically besties forever!

And way over there stood Yuki, clearly not amused, her hands on her hips and one little foot tapping furiously as she glared at the chaos her goofball brother had unleashed. He was gleefully smashing things around the living room and calling that whole disaster a -fun game.

When he started twisting the chandelier like it was a Rubik’s Cube he planned to break, Yuki grabbed his arms and shoved him aside. He barely noticed her interference—his eyes were still roaming, hunting for weak spots in the poor object’s design.

—Where are the candles?—the troublemaker asked.

—Same place as everything else. A sad little pile of wax,—grumbled Yuki. Her brother slapped his forehead.

—Then we gotta put them back in the holder! Dad might notice!

—You think that’s the only thing he’ll notice?!

—Oops… guess I got carried away,—the rascal muttered. He sprinted off to fetch the robot vacuum, hoping it would clean up the mess for him (or rather, give him another excuse to slack off). Yuki sighed and started straightening things herself, stacking fallen objects back in place while silently calculating just how upset Dad would be when he saw the mess.

Probably not too much. Their dad was the type who always seemed to be -floating somewhere, like… in the clouds, or maybe in a block of cheese. Either way, he never had the time or energy to worry about small disasters at home. A lucky break for Lil C.

But Yuki noticed everything. She hated that her twin could never sit still—as if some imaginary frog kept biting him on the nose. Why else would he always be so hyper?

—You look like a mischievous puppy that somebody forgot to feed,—she scolded. —Go wash your hands at least.

—And then you’ll feed me?—Her forever-hungry brother gave her a sly look, his skinny frame practically see-through from lack of calories.

-How does he even do that? He could chew on Dad’s leather shoes and not blink. If we made him ten more pairs, he’d eat those too—like appetizers. Meanwhile I gain a whole pound just by… breathing.

Together, they managed to get the living room into something resembling order—enough that you could, in theory, invite guests. Not that they ever did. Their dad was always holed up in his study, leaving only to eat or crash in the bedroom.

And the kids? They had totally different friends.

Lil C. hung out with Maris, a calm, overly rational boy who could bore you with math problems for hours. He always carried his husky puppy in his arms, teaching him geography facts about continents and rivers. Whether the pup actually remembered anything was debatable, but he always thanked his teacher with a lick on the nose.

Yuki’s best friend was Mari, who was basically a gossip machine. She’d sneak around whispering that their teacher, Mr. Clovis, had his grandmother’s ghost living in the attic.

Everybody knew Mr. Clovis’s grandma was alive and well. In fact, when she overheard the rumor, she bravely marched up to the attic herself to hunt for her own ghost. After that, people respected her way more than Mr. Clovis.

Anyway, since their friends couldn’t stand each other, the twins never invited them over. Most of the time, they just hung out at home, glued to the game console—which was also a constant source of arguments.

Yuki loved logic puzzles, while Lil C. was obsessed with adventure games and brave heroes who always rode horses and swung swords with the same over-the-top flair.

—But you always know how it’s going to end! They rescue the hostages, beat the villains, win every time! Where’s the fun in that?—Yuki asked while pouring milk into her second bowl of raisin cereal.

Her brother, already scarfing down another round, waved his spoon like it was a sword.

—They’re not just heroes—they’re me! I see myself in them. And I never get tired of being the awesome ranger!

—Yeah, but all you do is break stuff, not create anything,—she shot back, secretly praying he wouldn’t beg for a third bowl.

—That’s only here, in this boring place. There’s no chupacabra I can ride, and Maris’s dog doesn’t count. So I entertain myself however I can.

—Ugh…—Yuki stabbed her cereal a couple times, then leaned forward.

—Okay, since you’re craving excitement, tell me honestly—have you ever sneaked into Dad’s study?

Her face sharpened into something like a curious little fox. A dyed blue streak slipped across her eye, making her look even more mysterious. She’d always wanted to go in there herself—but where would she find the courage? Their father, Dr. Chaffy (the kids’ proud nickname for him), had laid down exactly one rule:

-Never enter my study. Unless both of you are in a perfect mood. Only then.

And somehow, one of them was always cranky—usually Yuki—or Lil C. wasn’t in the mood. They could never sync up.

And so it always happened—either Yuki was mad (most of the time), or Lil C. was in a mood, and they could never quite sync up.

—I’ve never been in there,—her brother admitted honestly. —I’ve peeked through the keyhole a hundred times, but all I ever saw was his desk. Not exactly thrilling. Lately I’ve been thinking about just ripping out the keyhole and, you know, -expanding the view. Then I’d see a lot more.

—Don’t you dare! That’s one thing Dr. Chaffy would definitely notice! So… what’s your mood like today?—Yuki pressed.

—Awesome!—Lil C. saluted her with a jar of jam (where did he even get that?). —No school, it’s the weekend. What else do you even need in life?

—Learning isn’t so bad…—she mumbled, but decided not to push it. Instead, she thought, What about me? Do I even want to smile, laugh? No, I don’t feel that spark inside.

—Brother, tell me something funny.

—You look like a bowling pin,—Lil C. fired back instantly, and Yuki’s lips curled into a smile.

—You mean, like, a cool shape?—she asked hopefully.

—Nope. I mean useless.

That was it—she charged at him, and for five whole minutes the house echoed with chaos. Lil C. hopped from couch to couch, dodging her furious chase. But there’s no escaping Yuki’s righteous wrath, not when she’s determined to make you color four brand-new activity books.

Usually Lil C. would shout, -Can’t catch me! but this time, seeing her super-speed, he was the one yelling:

—You’ll catch me! You’ll catch me! Please, nooo!

With every escape route blocked, he bolted toward his one safe haven—the forbidden study. Sprinting down the hall, he shoved the door open and rushed inside. Yuki was right on his heels.

—Wait… why’s it unlocked? Dad went to the supermarket. He locks this thing even when he’s home—especially when he’s not,—Lil C. muttered, looking around. His sister was already standing in awe inside what turned out not to be a study at all—but a laboratory.

—Nope, doesn’t look like one,—he argued. —If this were the real deal, we’d see metal tables, glass beakers bubbling and hissing, steaming with who-knows-what. I learned that from a quest in one of my games!

—And scientists need instruments, right? Like musicians have pianos and violins. Scientists should have strange but awesome gadgets instead.

—And it’s supposed to be quiet, like a library! Could you hush for once? Don’t you get it? Dr. Chaffy can only work in a lab. That’s how it goes. Even if it doesn’t look… super atmospheric,—Yuki added less confidently, eyeing the plain wooden panels and a bookshelf without a single book.

Lil C. wandered over to the coat rack and rubbed the sleeve of their dad’s white lab coat.

—See? If this is here, then it’s definitely a research center. The coat rack itself must be one of his inventions.

Yuki, already annoyed (again, not for the first time today), wanted to prove him wrong. She scanned the desk—nothing but a soldering iron. In the corner, on a small stand, lay a pair of glasses.

Ordinary, round, cracked, with one arm snapped. Nothing special… except they looked exactly like—

—Mom’s glasses!—the twins gasped, passing them back and forth, inspecting them from every angle.

They were hers. Not a copy, not a replica. The very same glasses the kids had found on the doorstep the day their mom disappeared. She never made it inside that night—never even crossed the threshold. The glasses lay there. She didn’t.

-Did someone take her? the children had asked, terrified.

—Of course she was kidnapped!—they insisted back then. —Some crook stole the most precious thing we have and will demand ransom any minute!

Yuki remembered their father’s pale, trembling whisper:

—If she didn’t leave on her own…

But a year had passed, and the supposed kidnapper never called. Not even a message—no shady Facebook friend request, nothing. Hope had faded, and even the police couldn’t keep it alive.

—He broke them!—Lil C. gasped, stroking the object that meant more to them than anything. —Look, he split them in two!

—You’re right,—Yuki whispered. —Let me see. Don’t hog it… come on… give it here! You little—

They wrestled, Lil C. lifting the glasses high above his head, forcing his shorter sister to jump in vain.

—Mine!—he yelled right in her face, bolting out of the study. Of course Yuki had no choice but to chase him down.

The hunt was back on. She tore through the house faster than a thousand winds plus one tiny tornado. Stools, cabinets, and every piece of furniture seemed to leap under her feet, trying to trip her. She dodged and leapt like a pro, refusing to slow down.

Her brother wasn’t so lucky. He crashed near the front door, colliding with a side table. Flat on his back, he offered:

—Let’s share. One half for me, one half for you. Look, the cord makes it just like those old-school headphones!

—And what’s stopping me from just taking them all?—Yuki’s eyes flashed predator-bright. She wouldn’t really do it, of course—she wasn’t a vandal like him, just a decent girl.

—Uh… I could clean your room. Someday. Not today, not tomorrow, and…

—So never,—she nodded wisely. —Fine. Hand me my half.

They split the glasses evenly and slipped them on. The elastic cord stretched nearly four feet, keeping them connected.

—Whoa, cool! Just regular glasses, not some kind of super-weapon,—Lil C. joked. —Too bad Dad only fixed the cord. Still, at least he kept them safe. That means they’ll always be with us.

Yuki stayed quiet—he’d said exactly what she was thinking.

—C’mon, let’s go outside. We’ve been cooped up too long.—Lil C. led the way, and together they stepped into sunshine, chirping birds, and everything else worth leaving a cozy house for.

Their garden, once cared for by their mom, now looked a little wilted despite their efforts. Beyond it stood the low fence and the street beyond.

Down the sidewalk trudged a tired-looking man in a business suit. His haircut was neat, his shoes soft, but his briefcase dragged heavy in his hand. Dark circles sagged under his eyes, and a patch of stubble showed he hadn’t had time for his daily shave.

—Why can I see the zit on his neck?—Yuki gasped.

—And my half zooms in so much I can count every hair on his head! These glasses aren’t normal. They’re for looking inside people!—her brother exclaimed.