“Let’s set the table, Dove,” Dalton suggested.
“Okay,” she said, releasing her grandfather and skipping over to the cupboard for silverware.
“My goodness, what’s all this?” Mrs. Bennett, who had insisted on just Mary, asked as she finished coming down the stairs. Her voice was melodious, and her expression was so pleased that it made Dalton feel like he was ten feet tall.
“We madebreakfast, Grandma,” Dove yelled as she balanced on her foot stool to reach some plates.
“Hang on,” Dalton said, rushing over to steady her. “Want me to get ‘em for you?”
“Nah,” Dove said. But she let him stand there and make sure she didn’t fall. “Wait ’til my mom sees this.”
“Wait until I see what?” Ella’s voice carried down the stairs, and a few seconds later she appeared.
“Mama, we made breakfast,” Dove told her. “And now we’re setting the table.”
Dalton wasn’t sure what he expected from Ella in that moment, but it wasn’t for her to check in with her dad like she expected something to be wrong.
“Isn’t that great, hon?” Michael asked her.
“It’s such a nice surprise,” Ella said, smiling and turning back to Dove without sparing a glance for Dalton. “What did you make?”
“Dalton made pancakes,” Dove said, pointing.
“Mr. Tyler,” Ella corrected Dove.
“Just Dalton is fine with me,” he assured her.
Dove looked to her mother, who shrugged and nodded.
“Daltonmade pancakes,” Dove said. “And I putfaceson them.”
“I can’t wait to see,” Michael said from his seat at the table.
“I’ll just grab the juice,” Mary said.
“The coffee is fresh,” Dalton said, indicating the pot on the counter. “Or I could start some water for tea?”
“Coffee is fine, son,” Michael said.
There was a bit of hustle-bustle as they gathered everything up and set it on the table. Then Dalton was seated with Dove and Ella opposite him. Michael sat to Dalton’s left, at the head of the table, and Mary was on his other side at the foot.
“Absolutely lovely,” Mary said warmly, looking around the table.
Dove sat up a little straighter, a proud smile on her face as she glanced over at Dalton like they had really pulled off something big.
He nodded to her, wishing he could smile back. For some reason, it wasn’t so easy with everyone here.
Michael bowed his head and the others followed suit. Dalton ducked his own head.
Please let me be a help to this family,he prayed silently.
When he opened his eyes, the others started passing the bowls and platter around the table.
“It’s smiling at me,” Mary said, looking down at her pancake.
“Mine’s smiling too,” Ella said.
Dove giggled with glee.
