The Exam Morning

The smoke alarm went off at six forty.

"It's fine!" shouted Marco from the kitchen, waving a dish towel at the ceiling. "It's fine. It's the toast. The toaster is new. It doesn't understand me yet."

Lina came out of the bedroom in her blue sweater, the one she had decided three days ago she would wear today, because it was comfortable and because it was the sweater she had worn on her first clinical shift. She looked at the toast, which was black, and at Marco, who was standing on a chair with the towel.

"You've been a professional cook for twenty-three years," she said.

"I'm a professional cook of eggs," said Marco. "Toast is a different discipline."

The alarm stopped. In the sudden silence, a door opened, and Theo came out of his room, fourteen years old, with his hair standing straight up on one side and his phone already in his hand.

"Is the house on fire?"

"No," said Lina and Marco at the same time.

"Good," said Theo. "Because I have a plan for today, and it doesn't include a fire."