“I’m flexible. I like peanut butter. It’s super yummy on apples.” She stopped and sniffed. “Is that lasagna?”
“It is. Do you like Italian food?”
“I am a mozzarella fanatic. Lasagna rocks!”
“What else do you like?”
“Oh, I’ll eat anything.”
“Except carrots?” he reminded her.
“Oh, I’m not big on vegetables. Or fish. It’s too… fishy.”
Caden chuckled. “I’ll take you to my favorite fishing hole. There’s nothing like fresh fried catfish.”
Brooklyn wrinkled her nose, obviously not convinced. The beeping of the microwave interrupted their conversation. Caden poked at the lasagna and set it for ten more minutes.
“I’ll set the table,” Brooklyn volunteered.
“Thank you, little girl. The silverware is in that drawer, and the napkins are on the table.”
He poured milk into a glass for him and a sippy cup for Brooklyn as she completed her task in silence. Her expression was focused as she folded the napkins and arranged the forks on the correct side. He mentally noted the importance of including her in activities. She wanted to contribute.
When the microwave beeped for a second time, he dished up healthy sized portions for them both and carried them over to the table. Normally, he’d eat a salad with such a heavy meal, but this lasagna was his own creation. He’d tweaked the recipe to include zucchini noodles and the traditional ones and layered in veggies as well. He hadn’t anticipated serving it to his little girl, but it would provide a lot of nutrients he suspected she rarely got.
“You drink a lot of milk,” she commented, taking a big drink from her cup.
“It’s good for me and you.”
“It would be better with chocolate added to it,” she suggested.
“That would be fun for a change,” he agreed, thanking Jerico’s suggestion that he include it in his order. Koa, Jerico, and Zale had collaborated on what he should add. Hank had come up with an idea that had made everyone stop and stare athim before each daddy pulled out their phone to make a note. Caden had added those to his list as well.
Brooklyn took a small bite and chewed happily. “This is so good.” Her next bite was larger.
“I’m glad you like it,” Caden said, eating a forkful as she poked at the stacked dish. He kept his amusement from showing on his face as she discovered his additions to the traditional dish.
“What’s green in lasagna?” she asked.
“That recipe has zucchini and green peppers. It goes so well with the tomato sauce and cheese.” Caden wouldn’t try to fool her. That would only make her more hesitant to try things.
“I haven’t ever had those in this dish before.”
“What do you think?” he asked casually.
She took another bite and chewed. “Mmm. It’s good. I usually only like zucchini raw with ranch dressing as a dip, but smothered in cheese is tasty.”
“Awesome. I’m glad you like it.” Caden changed the subject to avoid a discussion of anything else she hadn’t discovered yet. “I don’t suppose you made me another picture for the refrigerator?”
“I thought about it,” she confessed.
“But the coloring books were in here,” he finished for her.
“Yes.” Brooklyn focused on her plate with a guarded look as if she were waiting for him to yell at her.
“Well, they’ll be there tomorrow while I’m at work. Would you color one for me if you have time in your play schedule?”
Her eyes flew up to meet his. The corners of her mouth curled upward as she figured out he wasn’t angry at her. “I’d love to.”
