Close Your Eyes: Book Four

Chapter Seven

I flip the pancake in the pan, one hand placed on my hip. The boys are playing in the living room and Eloise is in her walker making her way around the kitchen. Liam is still upstairs asleep. When Eloise woke up I got up silently to let him sleep. Emotion stuff can make you exhausted. I know from experience.

I feel a tug on my pajama pants and I look down.

Bennett stares up at me with blue-grey eyes.

"Um..." he smiles sweetly at me. "Can I have a mickey mouse pancake please?"

I smile.

"Of course you can. Thank you for asking so nicely, kiddo."

He smiles and wraps his little arms around my legs. I reach down to rub his back.

"Come on Benny, green goblin is coming! Spiderman needs help!" Theo calls from the living room.

"Uh oh, gotta go Momma!"

Bennett turns around and runs to the living room.

I smile after him as I pour some batter in the pan and put a circle of batter on the top left and top right.

Usually I'll make plain pancakes or add some blueberries, but on special days, I put chocolate chips in them.

The kids have been so good, so today they're getting chocolate chip pancakes.

I wait until the mickey mouse pancake is ready to flip and I turn it over.

When it's done, I put it on a plate and make one more.

With two mickey mouse pancakes and a stack of regular chocolate chip pancakes, I shut off the oven.

"Daddy!" Bennett exclaims.

I glance over my shoulder and see Liam hugging the boys in some sweats and no shirt.

I wrap the hot pancakes in aluminum foil while I whip up some eggs for Eloise.

When they're done, I set up her tray, quickly set the table, and call all of them for breakfast.

Liam comes in with Eloise in his arms. Theo and Bennett trail behind him with wide eyes.

"Good morning love," Liam kisses my cheek.

"Morning Buddy," I smile.

He puts Eloise in her high chair and I put butter and peanut butter on the boys' pancakes, followed by syrup.

Liam cuts their food for them while I get them each a glass of milk. I give Eloise some eggs and pour Liam and I a cup of coffee. I add creamer for him and hand it to him.

"Thank you," he says.

"You're welcome," I reply.

I take mine just black and sit down at the table.

I set up my pancakes and start eating, giving Eloise more eggs when she runs out of hers.

"What are we doing today?" Theo wonders. "It's Saturday! There's no school!"

"Today, we are getting Momma a brand new car." Liam says.

I look at Liam. "We are?"

"Yeah, your car is a nightmare. What if you get off at two in the morning again and the car won't start? It needs more work than it's worth, so I thought we should just give it to the dealership and get a new car."

I have been begging Liam for months to get a new car. Mine is a nightmare.

"A new car?" Theo asks. "Cool!"