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Irene’s blue eyes shone at once.
“I love it,” she announced, running over to me. “It will match the red diamonds on my tiara.”
“Let’s have breakfast and then we’ll come up here to get you dressed,” I said, laying the dress on her bed.
“I’m so excited, I’m not even hungry!” she squealed, looking thoroughly delighted.
She jumped at me and I picked her up in my arms.
“Will there be pancakes?” she asked as I carried her out of the room.
“I’m not sure,” I said. “But, there’d be oatmeal.”
“Eww!”
I laughed.
“Oatmeal is for old people like Brian,” she said in a sagely voice. “Princesses only eat pancakes.”
I quirked my eyebrow at her. “What about bacon?” I asked.
“It’s too salty.”
I chuckled. Irene was all pancakes and syrup for breakfast.
I’m going make her eat fruits and eggs too, I decided quietly, carrying her into the family dining room.
“Morning, kiddos,” Brian greeted as we entered the room.
He was seated at the head of the table and was reading the morning paper. Corey and Caleb were scrolling through their phones, probably reading the same news as Brian.
“Come, come,” Brian called, propping the folded paper against a juice jug. “Hurry up and have breakfast. I don’t want to waste a minute of visiting hours today.”
“Visiting hours aren’t until ten, Dad,” Caleb muttered.
“It’s an hour’s drive to the hospital,” said Brian. “Come on, boys. Keep eating. Your eggs are getting cold already.”
Corey chuckled and winked at me.
My heart lifted at once and I smiled back.
“There’s no pancakes,” Irene’s disappointed voice sounded next to me.
Corey and Caleb looked around the table, lifting lids to make sure there were absolutely no pancakes anywhere.
“Let’s try something else,” I said. “Pass me that bowl.”
She passed me a cereal bowl, looking glum.
“We can tell the cook to make some,” said Caleb.
I shook my head. “She’ll get sick of pancakes if she eats them every day.”
“I won’t!” Irene objected at once.
I filled the bowl with bits of cut-up fruit, topped them with yogurt, and sprinkled the top with muesli.
“Try this,” I said, drizzling honey on top. “I swear it’ll be sweet.”
