I gave Ivy a nudge and gestured in Carmen's direction. A look of shock
rippled across her face. "We'll get her attention." Then she called out,
"Dad! We're going to make a phone call!"

"I thought we were gonna chase Carmen," I said.

"We are. Soon as we ditch Mom and Dad."

I groaned.

A few moments later, Ivy and I were walking down the aisles toward Carmen's
seat.

However, she must have had a mirror and known we were there. Cause she rose
and headed out the emergency exit. We followed her, but Carmen was gaining
serious distance. Soon we were outdoors, and Carmen climbed into an escape
helicopter.
She was hanging ten feet in the air when she dropped a note.

"Drat! We were so close and we lost her!" Ivy complained, unfolding the note.
"Dear Zack and Ivy, it was an express pleasure to have the chance to glance
at a slice of life in your family. Until Next Crime." she read aloud.

Huh? Express pleasure? We were probably like some nutty family sitcom to her.

"So that was the great Carmen Sandiego," a voice said from behind us.

We turned. The speaker was Dad. Something about his expression told us he had
witnessed the scene. He didn't say anything aloud.

A few hours later, we went to eat dinner in a restaurant. Call me crazy for
doing this, but-

I started another food fight.

I don't know why. I just remember the diners, waiters, waitresses, and even
the manager throwing food. Ivy buried her face in her arms. That is, until
Dad ladled tomato sauce down her back. She was obviously furious- at me, for
starting the fight. She grinned wickedly, then threw a lemon meringue pie in
my face.

OK, a pie in the face was all I had to show for my impulsiveness, but heck,
it was worth the laughs I'm probably getting.

When we finally got home, we absolutely silence again. That heavy fear of
speaking first came back.

Dad glanced at the grandfather clock. "Well, I'm sorry that we've drifted so
far apart, that we can't have a normal conversation anymore! It's not just
getting rusty! We've split apart!"

Boy, was Dad mad. He never rants like that.

Mom also looked at the clock. "I agree with you. That timepiece seems to
represent us. No time left."

"But we were so happy back then," Ivy added.

What? My three closest relatives were calling it quits? I guessed this my
time to put in my own two cents. "But this is a chance to get reaquainted!"

My family stared back. "And that implies we WERE acquainted at some point?"
Ivy replied. But I thought I could see a bit of a tear in her eye.

We all sighed.

The next few seconds were a blur. I think we were all about to start blaming
each other just as.........

The clock struck eight.

Big deal, right? Then you haven't been listening. The clock was broken. What
the-

Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong! Then it started to play
music. Somehow I could hear these words:
All is not lost.
All is not lost.
Some bonds are never broken.
Blood is thicker than water.
Give it time.
Time eventually heals every wound.
All is not lost.
All is not lost.

Then the old clock began ticking. Then the pendulum swung, back to normal.

I glanced at my family members. All three were staring transfixed at the
clock.

"You know, we had so much fun on that trip to Germany," Mom began.

"It was a bit of a tradition. Go on a vacation every summer." Dad added.

"We had all kinds of traditions," I commented. "Like every Fourth of July, we
had to eat those salads, no matter what we ate them with,"

"I liked that we always played badminton after lunch," Ivy said.

"Even in the rain!" Mom shrieked.

We all burst out laughing, thinking of the time we tried to play badminton in
a torrential downpour.

"That birdie didn't have a chance!" Dad choked out. "It- kept - getting -
beaten -down -by - the - rain!"

This situation is a little strange...... four family members, somewhat
separated all laughing our heads off.

I had a thought. I knew that Ivy was picking up on our sibling wavelength.
The next ACME family party was tomorrow evening. We both knew we were going
to bring Mom and Dad.

I knew we were still quite far from having a healthy relationship, but I
think we all knew that with a little work, we would be all right.

Take my advice. Talk to your relatives. Because no matter what, your family
is the solid pillar in your life. And this comes to show you, not only Ivy,
but Mom and Dad will be there to bail me out.

The End.

Author's Note: Ivy fans rejoice! There will be a sequel to this piece titled
"Stuck on You". Ivy will narrate this tale of when she and Carmen become
reluctant allies because.....they're stuck together! The family moral and
good old-fashion fun save the day as Katie helps the two.

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