“I’m not used to eating breakfast.”
He walked over to the cabinets and pulled down pancake mix, butter from the refrigerator, and some blueberries.Then he put on an apron that said:Made With Love and Some Other Shit.
“Are you sure?Guess what I’m making?”
“A mess?”
He chuckled.“Probably, but I always clean up.”
She sat at the island and watched as he whipped up the premix batter, threw in a ton of blueberries, which turned the mix slightly purple.There was something soothing about watching him cook.
“What do you want to do today?”
Kira blinked.“Do?As in, go somewhere?”
“Yeah.Movies.Museum.Botanical Gardens.Anything you wanna do?”
“Um, I don’t really feel like going anywhere.”
He took a few minutes to heat up a skillet, add a little butter, then poured the batter.
“I don’t know about you,” he said, concentrating on the food.“But I like my pancakes barely cooked.Pale like a baby’s bottom.”
“That’s an oddly specific phrase for pancakes.”
He flipped them over and he was right.They were very pale.
“You’re weird,” she stated.
“I can’t argue with that.”
They ate their barely cooked pancakes and she slathered on the butter and syrup, something she rarely did, and couldn’t remember a better meal.
“If you don’t want to go out, what do you want to do?”he asked.All the dishes were in the washer, and the countertop wiped clean.
“I saw a horseshoe pit.Can we play that?”
His eyebrows rose, clearly surprised.“You know how to play?”
“Yeah,” she replied.“My dad liked the game.”
“You’ll have to tell me about him.”
Her heart ached at remembering her father.“Maybe.”
The afternoon was filled with fun, something she hadn’t done in years.After several games of horseshoes, in which he won the best three out of five, she was pleased to note she gave him a run for his money.
Then he held her hand as they went for a walk through the woods.The lush canopy of trees provided a respite from the hot sun.Rabbits scampered in the underbrush.Wildflowers grew in the patches of sunlight that played peek-a-boo.
Finally, they came to a small brook that ran through a clearing.Sinn sat and pulled her down with him.He urged her to lay her head in his lap.Time drifted by as she stared up at the cotton clouds in the clear blue sky.She couldn’t remember a more soothing, serene moment in her life, and wished she could freeze time.Wished she could stay right here for the rest of eternity.
“I’m glad you didn’t kill me when I asked,” she said.“I would’ve missed this.”
“I hate to say I told you so—”
“Then don’t.”
He chuckled.His fingernails gently stroked her scalp as he ran his fingers through her hair, lulling her into a nap.When he shifted, she opened her eyes and stared up at him.As if sensing her gaze upon him, he looked down.
