Hugs and KISS by Christina Kamnikar, Merc Mommy General Tuesday, August 6, just before dinner time Merc Central Jamie was feeding the Merc Cats George and Ramona, because they were complaining loudly that no one, *no one*, not anyone in the entire War had fed them---something she suspected of being a complete lie---when Christina came back in from the hot tub, toweling her hair and laughing at what someone still in the tub had said. "Oh, here you are. I was looking for you earlier," the Merc Mommy General said, looking very, very guilty. The Web Goddess gave George some more tuna and sat back on her heels. "You were? Well, I've been here most of the day. You couldn't have been looking very hard." "Oh, really." Chris seemed even more apprehensive now, and she went over to one of the cupboards and began rummaging around. "Hmmm. Guess I was looking in the wrong places." She fell silent, then turned around with both hands behind her back. "Jamie? Remember how I promised you KISS tickets to make up for your missing the concert last week?" "Ye-es." She studied Chris's expression, and then felt her face fall. "You couldn't do it, could you? You couldn't get me front-row seats at any of the concerts here in Toronto?" "I couldn't get you tickets at all," her Merc Mommy whispered, staring at the floor. "I'm so sorry, Jamie. I tried. I called everywhere. I couldn't believe they were sold out... At first I just wanted to wrangle tickets through some Merc deal, but they all fell through, and then I actually tried to buy them, but..." She sighed and looked up at her Merc Child, whose face was an explanation of the term "disappointment." "I let you down, and I'm truly, honestly, totally sorry. I mean it." She brought a large 20 oz. Hershey's Kiss out from behind her back. "Forgive me?" "You promised!" Jamie wailed, her eyes tearing up before she could stop herself. Then she gulped, wiped at her face and tried to smile. "It's not your fault. I know you tried." Dianne came in just then, and Jamie scowled at her momentarily. "It's more Dianne's fault, anyway. But... I'll get over it. Somehow. I know you both meant to make it up to me." Christina nodded in resignation, putting her hands in the pockets of her terrycloth robe. "I understand. I'll get you tickets some day, Jamie." She started to leave the room as Jamie peeled the silver foil from her kiss, Dianne glaring at her second-in-command's back. "You're so cruel, Chris---" Dianne was saying, but she was interrupted by a shriek from their protege. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god oh my god ohmygod aaaaAAAHHHH!!" Jamie was screaming, waving around something wrapped in foil as she scrambled up from the floor. "Back stage passes! You got me backstage passes!!! How did you do this, you horrible awful person?!! And how could you LIE to me like that!" "I never lie. I just exaggerated and left some stuff out," Christina responded placidly, hugging the jubilant Jamie. "When I couldn't get tickets, I had a friend of a friend who's in PR get in touch with the band. It seems they remember you quite fondly, and when I explained how I made you miss last week's concert, they felt it only fair that you get to go." She grinned at Dianne. "And Dianne got the limo that will be picking you up." "You WHAT? You wonderful people! I love you, you know that?" Jamie was dancing now, scaring the cats under the table with her enthusiasm. "You are such a tease, Chris. How could you mess with my head like that?" "Children never appreciate things unless they know how much trouble their parents went to," Christina said with a sniff, then grinned. "Besides. I really *did* damn near give both me and Dianne a heart attack trying to get those things. I just wanted you to be grateful. Do you hate me?" "NO. And look, there's two tickets!" Jamie hugged Dianne, then Chris again. "You can come with me." Christina's face went stony. "I can what?" "Oh, come on, you know you'll have a good time," her Merc Child said, taking a bite out of the Hershey's Kiss. "You want to come with me, don't you?" "Uhhhhh, well---" "Oh, *please*," Jamie begged, and Dianne smothered a grin as Christina glared at the GHP. "It'll be so much fun. Really, you'll love it." "When you put it like that," the MMG said, smiling painfully, "how can I refuse?" * with love to my Merc Child and fellow Merc Mommy, (...sometimes parents sacrifice their own likes so they can make their children happy)