Watermelon

Birthday Pancakes

[🌶🍰🤰🏻]

"You have to be quiet, okay?"

"Okay!" The three-year-old excitedly whispered. It was the morning of Shawn's birthday and Camila had made it a point to wake up early so she could surprise him with breakfast. As she was sneaking out of his bedroom, though, she heard the tiny voice of a little girl babbling to herself in Maggie's room.

So Maggie was helping with breakfast. They were making him birthday pancakes — the same sprinkle-filled colorful cakes that Maggie had gotten the morning of her birthday.

"Do you wanna help pour in the sprinkles?"

"Yes!" the little girl squealed before remembering that she was supposed to be quiet. She covered her mouth with her hands and giggled before saying the word again in a whisper. "Yes."

Camila picked her up and gave her the bottle of sprinkles, helping her gently tip the bottle over and pour some of the colorful confettis in.

"Good job!" Camila giggled, setting Maggie back down and putting the cap back onto the sprinkles. She finished mixing the batter and then began spooning it onto the skillet and cooking the pancakes. She prepared a whole stack of them on the plate before drizzling on some maple syrup she had found in the fridge and topping them with a birthday candle stuck in the center. "Ready to surprise him?" Camila asked as she held the plate of pancakes in one hand and a hot cup of coffee in the other.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Maggie marched down the long hallway with Camila following just a few steps behind her. She smacked her hands against the closed wooden door when she got to it. "Open up! It's your birthday!" she chanted. Camila laughed, stepping up from behind her and opening the door. Maggie immediately ran in and jumped up onto the bed, poking Shawn's face until he blinked his eyes open sleepily and smiled.

"What's all this?" he said with a tired grin.

"Happy birthday!" Maggie yelped.

"Aw, you remembered?" Shawn tousled the little girl's messy head of curls. Camila walked up and set the plate of pancakes and the mug of coffee down onto the bedside table.

"Make a wish, birthday boy!"

"Hmm..." He thought for a moment before closing his eyes and leaning over to blow out the candle in the middle of the pancake stack. "Birthday pancakes? Just for me?"

"Only the best for you," Camila told him, leaning over the bed to kiss his cheek. Maggie giggled at the display of affection. "Happy birthday, love."

"Thank you, baby." He grabbed the fork and took a bite of the pancakes, humming in appreciation. "So yummy."

"I helped!" Maggie announced proudly.

"You did? Well no wonder it's so good!" He took another bite and then checked the time on his phone, glancing at Camila who was still in her pajamas. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"I took the day off," she shrugged as if it were a given.

"You didn't have to do that."

"Of course I didn't have to...but I wanted to. Besides, we've got plans."

"I told you I didn't want any kind of big celebration."

"Which is why we're not doing any kind of big celebration," she explained. "You, me, and the kids will be spending the afternoon at the zoo together. Then we're going out to dinner with your family."

"That actually sounds really fun," he smiled.

"I'm hungry!" Maggie proclaimed.

"How about I take these delicious pancakes out to the table and we all eat breakfast together?" Shawn suggested. Maggie nodded enthusiastically. The three of them all made their way back to the kitchen. Shawn and Maggie sat at the dining table while Camila made some more pancakes for them. Jace came downstairs about twenty minutes later, clearly excited at the sight of the freshly-made pancakes.