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Kathleen Wells stepped outside her beautiful home one Saturday morning, pausing for a moment to enjoy the sight of a few hummingbirds hovering near the feeders. "Charming," she whispered to herself, smoothing out the turquoise v-neck shirt she wore and taking a leisurely stroll toward town.
A few men passed by, throwing glances her way, but she merely offered a polite smile. She didn’t mind the attention—until one man made an unsolicited comment about how nice her rear looked in her trousers. That kind of attention, she couldn’t understand. Was it too much to ask for people to see her as more than just her appearance?
Still, she shook it off and continued on her way to Brooke’s Brew, Amity Park’s local coffee shop. She was meeting her cousin, Maddie Fenton, and had arrived earlier than planned, but that was fine. It wasn’t the first time she'd had a quiet moment to herself before their meet-up.
As she entered the coffee shop, she spotted Maddie sitting at their usual booth. The taller woman was unmistakable in her blue hazmat suit, a look that Maddie Fenton never strayed from, regardless of whether she was working or not. It was part of who she was—just like her scientific mind and dedication to protecting Amity Park from all things ghostly.
"Good morning, Maddie! How are you today?" Kathleen greeted, slinging her royal purple handbag over the back of the chair and inhaling deeply as she settled in. The smell of fresh coffee was invigorating.
Maddie looked up from her coffee, her eyes soft with a touch of concern. "I’m doing fine, thanks. But, honestly, I wish the air quality would improve already. I’m surprised you’re not wearing a mask—have you seen the haze outside? The news says we should stay indoors."
Kathleen grinned as she removed the mask from her face. "I did wear it, Maddie. Just took it off once I got inside. It’s frustrating, though. The haze from those Canadian wildfires is getting out of hand. I was hoping the storm yesterday would have cleared it up."
Maddie nodded sympathetically, glancing out the window at the thick gray haze that hung in the air. "I’m just glad it’s a little better now. Want to eat first? It’s going to be a while before we can catch up, I think."
Kathleen chuckled as she picked up her bagel sandwich. "Yes, please. I’ve been up late working on my latest blog entry. It’s taken me forever to get it just right. I’m definitely in need of caffeine."
"I know the feeling. Jack and I used to pull all-nighters when we were first building the ghost portal," Maddie replied with a wry smile. "Sometimes we’d go three days straight, no sleep."
Kathleen laughed lightly. "That’s what happens when you’re obsessed with a project. But I think we all learn the hard way that sleep is just as important as finishing things. It can wait 'til tomorrow."
Maddie snorted into her coffee. "Tell me about it! I don’t know how Jack sleeps through his own snoring. It’s impossible to get any rest unless I use earplugs."
"Poor you!" Kathleen sympathized, raising an eyebrow. "The worst Alexei ever did was ignore me whenever the Packers were on TV. It’s like the whole world disappeared when they were playing!"
The two women burst into laughter, shaking their heads at the absurdity of their respective husbands. It was moments like these that reminded them just how lucky they were to have each other.
As they both finished their sandwiches, the conversation turned more serious. Maddie leaned back in her chair, her voice soft. "I’ve been thinking a lot about Alicia lately. You know, my sister. We never really saw eye to eye, and it’s tough sometimes. She’s never really liked Jack, or the kids... or me, for that matter."
Kathleen gave her cousin a sympathetic look, nodding. "I get it. I’ve had my own issues with family. That’s why I wrote that article last month about how to recognize when a relationship has become unhealthy. It’s harder than ever to talk about these things, especially when toxic behavior gets normalized."
Maddie exhaled sharply. "It’s difficult when you’re trying to keep things civil for the kids. But then you see them trying to navigate relationships with people who don’t treat them right. I don’t know how to protect them from it without becoming overbearing."
Kathleen raised an eyebrow. "Isn’t that the dilemma every parent faces? Trying to shield your kids from the bad, while still letting them learn on their own? I think Ceci did a good job with Danny. She stepped in when Sam was being difficult, helped him understand what was really going on."
"She did, didn’t she?" Maddie smiled. "It’s amazing how much wisdom kids can have when they’re given the chance to help each other."
"Yes, but it’s still hard to keep those boundaries, especially when they don’t want to listen." Kathleen paused, eyes thoughtful. "It’s funny how much perspective changes as you get older. When we were kids, we saw the world differently. Now, we see how much more complicated it really is."
Maddie nodded. "And that’s why I try to remind Danny and Jazz to just be kids for as long as they can. There’s no rush to grow up. I think that’s what worries me the most—that they won’t get that time to just enjoy life before the real world comes crashing in."
Kathleen set down her cup with a soft clink, then added, "Maybe that’s why I write so much about identifying unhealthy relationships. It’s not about protecting them from everything, but teaching them to recognize when they’re in something that will hurt them. The world has a way of distorting what’s healthy and what’s toxic."
Maddie sighed. "I can see that. It’s all so mixed up these days, and people can’t seem to tell reality from fiction anymore. Sometimes it feels like everything's just one big performance."
"Exactly," Kathleen agreed. "And that’s why I’m so against the way social media has taken over. It distorts people’s sense of self, and it just feeds negativity."
Maddie grimaced. "I’ve had Danny and Jazz take down their social media pages. After what happened on January 6th, I didn’t want them exposed to that kind of madness."
Kathleen nodded in agreement. "That was a wake-up call for a lot of people, wasn’t it? A reminder of how dangerous it can be to let certain things fester."
"Yes," Maddie said quietly. "It’s a shame how much we’ve let it get out of hand."
There was a brief silence before Kathleen broke it with a bright smile. "So, how about we do something a little lighter now? The Goodwill has their monthly sale today. Want to go bargain hunting with me?"
Maddie looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. "You know, maybe having a few different outfits would help stop people from calling us oddballs or nutters."
Kathleen grinned. "Exactly! Plus, you could probably use an outfit that isn’t a hazmat suit once in a while!"
Maddie laughed, shaking her head. "I suppose. Let’s go! I’ll drive."
Kathleen cringed a little. "Please tell me it’s not the RV?"
Maddie waved off her cousin’s concern. "No, no. I have a regular car now. So, let’s hit the road!"
With that, the two women stood up, grabbing their things and heading out for a day of shopping.