Tuesday morning began with Kaelith accusing Jules of breaking a promise.
"You said tomorrow."
Jules looked down at her little brother, who stood in the kitchen doorway wearing dinosaur pajamas and holding two toy cars. His expression was unusually serious for a three-year-old.
"Good morning to you, too," she replied, setting a large mixing bowl on the counter.
"Race," Kaelith insisted, raising the red car. "You said tomorrow."
Jules remembered their conversation from the previous evening. She had promised to play with him, then gone upstairs to finish her work. Apparently, he had been waiting for morning to remind her.
"You're right. I did promise. How about after breakfast?"
Kaelith considered the offer before stepping closer and pushing the blue car against her leg.
"Now?"
"I can't right now, sweetheart. I have to make breakfast."
She retrieved a carton of eggs from the refrigerator and began cracking them into the bowl. She was preparing enough food for everyone to eat that morning, along with several additional portions to place in her timeless storage. Having meals ready to serve would save time later, particularly when she spent extended periods inside the dimension.
Kaelith remained beside her, holding the car against her knee.
"Just one?"
"After breakfast, Kaelith."
He lowered the toy and watched her for another moment before walking toward the dining table.
Serina entered the kitchen just as he climbed onto his chair.
"Good morning," she greeted them. "What's happening?"
"Jules no race," Kaelith announced.
Serina looked toward her daughter, who was already whisking eggs.
"Didn't you promise him yesterday?"
"I did. I told him we'd play after breakfast."
"Okay," Serina replied, although her gaze lingered on Kaelith.
The little boy had begun rolling his car back and forth across the table. He wasn't crying or throwing a tantrum, but his earlier excitement had disappeared.
Jules didn't notice. She was busy preparing the next batch of food, dividing cooked portions into containers before transferring them into storage with a thought.
By the time everyone arrived, breakfast was ready.
Daric and Jorin immediately began arguing over who had taken the last clean travel mug, while Selina and Tavian appeared unusually interested in whether the family's internet connection would remain stable throughout the day.
"Why?" Daric asked.
"No reason," Selina answered.
"That's usually what people say when there's a reason."
"Then stop asking questions you don't want answered," Tavian replied.
Jorin narrowed his eyes. "You two are definitely doing something."
Tavian reached for another piece of toast. "We're eating breakfast. Very suspicious behavior."
Kaelen interrupted before the exchange could become an interrogation.
"Daric, Jorin, Lira wants you at the warehouse by nine. There's a shipment she needs you to inspect before it's accepted."
"We saw the message," Daric replied.
Jorin glanced at his phone. "She used three exclamation marks. I think someone's about to have a bad morning."
Kaelen took a sip of coffee. "Hopefully not us."
Jules listened while cutting Kaelith's eggs into smaller pieces. Her father had taken complete responsibility for the family's purchases, deliveries, and warehouse operations, leaving her free to concentrate on the dimension. Whenever she identified something they needed, she simply passed the information along.
It was an arrangement that suited her. Kaelen understood contracts and suppliers far better than she did, while the twins had become increasingly capable of managing inventory alongside Lira.
After breakfast, Jules helped clear the table. Kaelith waited beside his chair with the red car in his hand, but when she finished cleaning, she headed upstairs to retrieve her gardening notebook.
He watched her disappear around the corner.
Serina noticed.
At the warehouse, Lira was standing beside a pallet of water purification cartridges when Daric and Jorin arrived.
"Tell me you brought your tablets," she said.
Jorin held his up. "Wouldn't leave home without it."
"Good. The supplier substituted part of the order without authorization."
Daric examined the labels while Jorin pulled up the purchase order. Eight cartons contained cartridges with a lower rated capacity and different connection fittings from those specified.
"They aren't equivalent," Daric said after checking the manufacturer's information.
"And they charged us for the more expensive ones," Jorin added.
Lira nodded. "Document the discrepancy. We're accepting the correct cartons and rejecting the rest."
The twins completed the inspection, photographed the incorrect labels, and updated the inventory records. Lira contacted the supplier, who agreed to collect the substituted products and send replacements.
Within an hour, the matter was resolved.
Jorin leaned against the desk while Daric finished uploading the photographs.
"You know, I think we've become professional complainers."
Lira looked up from her paperwork. "Professional inspectors."
"Same thing, but one sounds better on a résumé."
Daric laughed, and Lira shook her head before handing them the next delivery schedule.
Their work continued without further complications.
While the twins were occupied at the warehouse, Kaelen was meeting with Adrian to discuss a different category of purchases.
The table in his office was covered with brochures and vehicle specifications. Some featured commercial buses, while others showed boats ranging from compact utility craft to large recreational yachts.
Adrian opened a document on his laptop.
"I've contacted three companies that specialize in refurbishing retired commercial vehicles. One handles school buses, another works primarily with passenger coaches, and the third can modify both."
Kaelen studied a photograph of a retired school bus.
"What condition are they in?"
"Varies. Some were recently removed from service because their fleets were upgraded. Others need substantial mechanical work. I'd recommend buying the best-maintained vehicles we can find rather than trying to restore something that's been neglected for years."
"Agreed. I want the engines, brakes, electrical systems, and cooling systems inspected before we consider interior modifications."
Adrian nodded. "The refurbishment company can also install additional storage compartments, improve insulation, and modify the seating arrangements."
Kaelen considered the possibilities. A bus could transport a large group of people, but it could also become a temporary shelter if circumstances demanded it. With the right modifications, the vehicles might provide sleeping space, storage, and basic facilities.
"How many are available?"
"Two retired school buses from one fleet and three passenger coaches from another. I haven't made any offers."
"Arrange inspections. If they're in good condition, we'll purchase them and send them to the refurbishment shop."
Adrian made a note.
"What about the recreational vehicles?"
"Keep those orders unchanged. I want different transportation options rather than relying on one type of vehicle."
They moved on to the marine equipment.
The smaller boats were still under consideration, but Kaelen had begun looking into something substantially larger.
A yacht.
Not merely a luxury vessel with comfortable bedrooms and an impressive deck, but something capable of carrying several people and substantial supplies for an extended period.
He studied the specifications of a motor yacht with multiple cabins, a galley, water storage, generators, and enough interior space to accommodate his family.
"Could we find something like this with a stronger emphasis on practical use?" he asked.
Adrian examined the listing. "Possibly. There are expedition-style yachts designed for longer voyages, although the prices and maintenance requirements are considerably higher."
"I'm more interested in reliability than appearance."
"Then I'd recommend speaking with a marine surveyor. We'd need to evaluate the hull, engines, fuel capacity, electrical systems, water treatment, and overall condition. A yacht might offer comfortable accommodations, but it would still have limitations."
Kaelen nodded. Large vessels required deep enough water, proper maintenance, and reliable fuel supplies. They would be difficult to maneuver through flooded streets, making smaller boats essential for reaching places the yacht couldn't.
He wanted both options.
"Find a few suitable vessels and arrange viewings," he instructed. "Include larger expedition yachts and commercial vessels that could be adapted for passenger use. We'll compare them before making a decision."
Adrian entered the request into his notes.
Kaelen leaned back in his chair, considering the expanding list of vehicles.
RVs, buses, utility trucks, boats, and potentially a yacht.
It was an extraordinary amount of equipment, but he wasn't purchasing it for a conventional business venture. He was preparing for circumstances in which ordinary transportation might no longer exist.
And if the roads became impassable, he wanted alternatives already available.
Jules entered the dimension shortly after ten.
Her first destination was the vegetable garden, where the lettuce seedlings had grown considerably since her previous inspection.
At first glance, the planting bed looked healthy. The leaves were green, the soil remained moist, and the plants appeared vigorous. But when she crouched to examine them more closely, she noticed how tightly the seedlings were growing together.
Several leaves overlapped, and the smaller plants were struggling for space.
Jules opened her gardening notebook and checked the recommended spacing.
She had planted too many seeds in too small an area.
It was a beginner's mistake, but the accelerated passage of time inside the dimension had made the problem apparent much sooner than it would have been outside.
She reviewed a gardening tutorial she'd saved earlier, watching the instructor demonstrate how to thin lettuce seedlings without disturbing the remaining plants.
Then she returned to the bed and began working.
Removing healthy seedlings felt wasteful, but leaving everything overcrowded would weaken the plants and potentially reduce the harvest. She selected the strongest seedlings to keep, carefully removing the others and transplanting several into a separate section.
When she finished, the bed looked noticeably better.
Jules recorded the changes before checking the bean plants and tomato trays. The beans were developing stronger stems, while the tomatoes would soon need larger containers.
The results were encouraging, but she still had questions about the dimension itself.
The soil was unusually fertile, the plants appeared to grow vigorously, and the stream water seemed to support their development. Yet she didn't know whether those effects were consistent throughout the land or concentrated in certain areas.
She decided to establish a small experiment.
Using identical containers, she planted several groups of the same seeds. One group received soil from near the cottage, another received soil collected farther from the stream, and a third received ordinary potting soil she'd purchased outside.
She labeled each container and arranged them in the same location, intending to water them equally and compare their development.
It wasn't a perfect scientific experiment, but it would give her a starting point.
If different parts of the dimension produced different results, she wanted to know before expanding the farm.
Afterward, she walked toward the open ground where she planned to install the chicken enclosure.
The prefabricated coop and fencing hadn't arrived yet, but she'd already measured the area. She checked the ground for uneven sections and considered how best to position the enclosure for cleaning and access to water.
She also wanted to determine whether the dimension contained any insects or other small creatures that might affect livestock.
So far, she had seen very little animal activity.
That observation raised another question.
Would ordinary chickens thrive here? Would they reproduce normally? Would the dimension's unusual environment affect their growth?
Jules added the questions to her notebook.
There was still much she didn't understand about the land, and she intended to investigate it systematically rather than assume it would behave exactly like the outside world.