Gather The Ashes || Stilinski || Book Three

Twenty-Three

"SIERRA, HONEY, IT'S TIME TO WAKE UP."

The soft purr in Sierra's ears just made her snuggle further into her pillow, a content sigh escaping her lips. She felt a hand gently brush their fingers through her ear, a chuckle filling the air. "Come on, sweetheart, it's time for school. You know, Stiles and Scott are going to be there...I heard they're very excited to go to the zoo today too."

The six year-old's bright eyes popped open at the mention of her two best friends, an excited grin spreading across her mouth. "You really think so, Mom?"

Genevieve Page smiled back at her youngest daughter and assured, "Oh, I know so. But you won't know for yourself until you get to school, and that starts with getting up."

"I hope Ms. Reynolds lets us sit together," Sierra started to babble, clutching her favorite blanket in her hand. "Do you remember when we went to the pumpkin patch and I had to sit next to Theo?" Sierra scrunched her nose as her mom helped her out of bed. "I don't like Theo; he tried to get me to trade my pudding for gummy worms. Not even the sour kind! How crazy is that?"

"Very crazy," Genevieve agreed, stifling a laugh while they walked together out of her room to go downstairs. "But even if you don't like somebody, sweetheart, you should still be nice."

"I guess," Sierra shrugged her small shoulders. "But I'd still rather be with Stiles; he shares his pudding with me and I share my fruit roll-up with him."

A new voice entered the conversation, teasing, "Is Stiles trying to woo my daughter already?" Sierra smiled from seeing her dad sitting at the kitchen table, his signature cup of coffee in his hand. "Maybe I need to have that talk with him now."

Genevieve kissed her husband on the cheek before she responded, "Oh, honey, there's no keeping those two apart. I'd bet my life on that."

Michael chuckled, but nodded his head in agreement. Ever since his youngest met their neighbor's son, the pair had been inseparable. He lifted Sierra off the floor, perching her on his knee. "What do you want for breakfast, princess?" he asked.

Sierra pursed her lips in thought, tilting her head. "I don't know."

"You know," he whispered in her ear as if he held a really important secret, his eyes noticing the missing member of their family walk in with her backpack on her shoulders. "I bet if you ask Jem she'll make you her super special smiley face pancakes."

"Jemma!" Sierra shouted her sister's name, her eyes wide.

The fifteen year-old sophomore turned, mocking Sierra's expression with a grin. "Sierra!"

"Can you make me some smiley face pancakes?" Sierra rushed out, begging by folding her hands together. "Pretty please with a cherry on top!"

"I don't know, Si." Jemma pretended to think hard about Sierra's request as she walked towards her. Swiftly, she lifted her baby sister off her father's lap. "I guess I'll make them for you," Jemma dramatically decided, swaying Sierra around to make her giggle. "That's if you'll help me mix it!"

Immediately, Sierra was sold. "I'll do it!" Sierra exclaimed, clapping her hands. "Can I put the chocolate chips in too?"

Jemma scoffed in disbelief, setting her back on the hardwood. "Of course you can, silly. That's the best part."

Genevieve and Michael watched in amusement as Jemma instructed the small girl, the sisters working well together. Soon, Sierra sat at the table happily beside her dad, munching away at her creation.

Glancing at his watch, Michael's eyes widened and he stood up. "Oh, man, I gotta get going." He talked to his wife over his shoulder as he placed his coffee cup in the dishwasher. "Did you tell Jem yet?"