“Looks like there’s enough for two.” Sophie sat on the edge of the bed.
“Will there be anything else, Princess Sophia?” Liv asked.
“No, thank you,” Sophie said. “Enjoy your day.”
Liv curtsied and left the room.
Kat laughed. “You’re not only crafty, but also sneaky.”
“Better than being hungry. And since I have the morning off, I needed to improvise from my usual routine.”
She sipped from her cup. The castle must order prime coffee beans. This was delicious.
Sophie stood. “Let’s eat.”
Kat sat across from her friend at the table, and they ate off the same plate. Something they’d done at camp over a decade ago. “Just like old times.”
“Except we’re more confident and beautiful than we were then, but I’m still shorter than you.”
“I won’t hold it against you.”
Sophie raised a forkful of pancake. Syrup dripped onto the plate. “Are you happy?”
“I’m with you. How could I not be happy?”
“I didn’t word that right. Are you happy at how things have worked out for you?” Sophie clarified.
“As in life so far?”
Sophie nodded.
Kat sipped her coffee. She needed a moment to think. “Yes, I am.”
“You had to think about it.”
“It’s a loaded question with many parts.”
“Break it down.”
She set her cup on the table. “The work part is the easiest to answer. I’ve wanted to be a vet since I was a kid, and now I am one, but the other stuff, particularly my grandparents, is harder to answer.”
“You miss your nana and papa.”
“I think about them every single day.” Kat picked up the spoon since Sophie was using the fork. “All I ever wanted was a family. I used to think how much better everything would be if my parents came back. After my grandparents were gone, I realized I had a family, a really great one.”
“You’ll have another family.”
“Someday.”
Kat sounded more confident than she felt, but she kept her daydreams about having a family to a minimum. No reason to set herself up for disappointment with wanting something she couldn’t have right now.
She scooped up a spoonful of eggs. “I’m thrilled to be here with you.”
“Me, too.” Sophie shimmied her shoulders. “I want you to have the best time.”
“I’m sure it will be.”
“Anything you can think of that will make it better?”
