“It’s okay—Mummy lets me,” she says as she opens the cupboard, then points to something.
I lean over her and have a look—pancake mix. “Pancakes it is.” She giggles and claps her hands excitedly. “You want to help?”
Her eyes go wide. “Mummy says I can’t touch oven, it’s hot.”
I nod. “She’s right, but you can help me mix the pancakes, can’t you?” Her smile nearly kills me. You would think I just gave her a pony or something.
We get busy making the batter—she drops half an eggshell in the bowl; I dig it out. She tells me exactly what to do, and if I do something different than her mummy, she’s not shy to tell me so.
“Ready?” I ask her. She watches as I flip the pancake in the air and catch it in the pan.
“Again, again,” she screams.
I cringe, wanting to ask her to be quiet, but it’s too late. Rachel clears her throat from the doorway. “Sorry,” I say, sliding the pancake onto a plate.
Arms wrap around me, and the side of her face rests against my back. “I’m sorry, did she wake you?” I turn so she’s in my arms.
“No, I was already awake.”
“I want my pancake, please,” says Molly, sitting patiently on her chair. I kiss Rachel on the top of her head before taking the plate to Molly. “What do you want on it, kid?”
A toothy grin appears on Molly’s face. “Chocolate spread,” she says.
“Chocolate spread?” I ask.
“Yes, that’s what I say.”
“Molly,” Rachel says, trying to sound firm. “Don’t be rude.”
“Sorry, Olly.”
I ruffle her hair, take the jar from Rachel, then get to work spreading it on the pancake.
She takes a huge bite and smiles, chocolate covering her teeth. Rachel and I turn away to hide our laughter. “You didn’t have to get up with her—you should have woken me,” she says, reaching for two mugs.
I trap her in front of the counter—her back against my chest—and whisper into her ear, “I didn’t mind, and you looked so peaceful, except for your snoring.”
She jabs me gently with her elbow. “I do not.”
I nod my head and nip her ear. “You do, and it’s like a tiny baby pig snore—cute as fuck.”
Colour spreads over her cheeks, causing me to strain in my jeans. I pull my lower body away from her to let it calm down.
She giggles, throwing me a knowing look. Turning her head, she beckons me forward, then gifts me a swift kiss before shifting back to making tea. “I was thinking… If my mum can keep Buster until tonight, do you fancy taking Molly to the zoo?”
Rachel pauses pouring water into mugs, and I know she’s mentally calculating the cost. “My treat—please say yes,” I whisper, nipping her neck.
She bites her lower lip. “I can’t let you do that, Olly.”
“I want to, and why can’t you let me?”
She shrugs. “Because—“
I cut her off. “Because nothing.Please, I want to, you’ll offend me if you say no.”
“Molly, do you want to go to the zoo with Olly and me?” she asks, smirking.
An excited squeal emanates from behind us, and I can’t hide my smile. “It’s settled then. Get ready, and then we’ll stop at mine on the way so I can get changed.”
