Layla gathered her purse and coat, practically glowing with anticipation. "Beth should be here any minute to pick me up. He loves chicken nuggets, he can tell you how to make them, it's really simple. And his bedtime is-"
"Eight o'clock, we know," Tobi finished with a grin. "Go have fun. We've got this covered."
A car horn sounded outside, and Layla hurried to kiss Yousuf goodbye. "Be good for Tobi and Tyr, ibni. I love you."
"Love you too, Mama!" Yousuf waved as she hurried out into the snow.
Shutting the door, Tobi led the way to the pack house kitchen. It was large, but not so large as the Residence had.
Tobi clapped his hands together. "Okay, first things first - dinner. Can't do science experiments on an empty stomach."
"Chicken nuggies!" Yousuf bounced on his toes, darting to the freezer. He yanked open the door and pointed to a bag of dinosaur-shaped nuggets. "These ones!"
Tyr peered at them. "Dinosaur shaped?"
"Yeah, they're the best!" Yousuf enthused, grabbing a plate from a lower cabinet.
"You have to put them in the microwave for two minutes," Yousuf instructed seriously. "And spread them out in a circle."
Tyr leaned against the counter, watching as his brother arranged the frozen nuggets with exaggerated care. Tobi punched in the time - five minutes instead of two.
"Uh, Tobi..." Tyr started, but his brother had already hit start.
The microwave hummed. At the three-minute mark, a burning smell filled the kitchen. When Tobi finally pulled out the plate, the nuggets had transformed into small, hardened rocks.
"I don't think they're supposed to look like that," Yousuf said diplomatically.
Tyr couldn't contain his snicker. "Nice work. I'm sure prehistoric creatures were exactly that fossilized."
"Oh, shut up." Tobi set them aside, and pulled out the box of frozen nuggets, shaking out another bunch. "Let me try again."
This time, Yousuf supervised more closely. "Two minutes," he repeated firmly. "And you have to stop halfway to flip them over."
Under the boy's careful direction, the second batch came out perfectly golden and dinosaur-shaped. Yousuf beamed with pride as he showed Tobi how to squirt ketchup in the shape of a smiley face next to them.
"See? Not so hard when you listen to the expert," Tyr teased, ruffling Yousuf's hair.
Tyr watched Yousuf polish off the last dinosaur nugget with obvious enjoyment. The boy's table manners were impeccable- no doubt Layla's influence. He used his napkin without prompting and carefully gathered his dishes.
"Here, let me help with that." Tyr opened the dishwasher while Yousuf handed him the plate and utensils.
"Ready for the surprise?" Tobi asked, scooping Yousuf up and settling him on one of the tall stools at the kitchen island. The boy's feet dangled, swinging with excitement.
"Yes! What is it? Can I see now?"
"I'll go get it." Tyr headed to the living room where they'd left the supplies.
"Okay, close your eyes!" Tobi instructed, as Tyr returned, the box tucked under one arm.
Yousuf squeezed his eyes shut tight, bouncing a little. "What is it?"
"Keep them closed," Tobi sang out as he arranged items on the counter. "No peeking!"
Tyr leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, fighting back a smile as his brother lined up the supplies with military precision. Food coloring, baking soda, vinegar - each item placed just so. The plastic sheeting came out last, ready to protect the counter from whatever mess they were about to create.
"Alright," Tobi announced grandly. "Open your eyes!"
Yousuf's eyes flew open, darting between the assembled items with growing curiosity. "What is all this stuff?"
