Chapter Three
Fast pitch five years.
"AuntKenna, get up. You promised to make me panacakes."
"Norah Grace, what time is it?"
I tried to grab the little kangaroo jumping on my bed, but she kept squirming away.
“It's six forty-five, which gives you plenty of time to get panacakes done before seven eleven, which is the ideal time to eat breakfast. I looked it up."
"Why did I teach you the voice recognition on your tablet?" I groaned, crawling out of bed.
I bent to pull my San Diego Pappies’ sleep pants down my legs. Norah took this as an invitation to jump on my back, knocking the air out from me.
"Come on, Aunt Kenna, we’re going to miss the ideal breakfast time."
"Let me use the restroom, squishy face. I promise I’ll have a pancake in front of you before seven eleven."
Norah snaked off me as I headed toward the bathroom.
"Go to the kitchen and don't touch anything. I'll be out there in less than five minutes. Be quiet and don't wake up your mom."
Norah stared at me with her big brown eyes, taking in my every word.
Norah tip-toed into the kitchen while I went blurry eyed into the bathroom, making sure I didn't go over my allotted five minutes.
In our tiny kitchen, Norah vibrated with anticipation. She’d watched a cooking show with Grandma Grace and was anxious to try out her new recipe.
"Should I wake up Mommy?"
"No, let her sleep. She's working too hard lately." I rested my forehead against the cabinet as I pressed the on button, waiting for the coffee maker to distribute my life force.
"Yeah, she has been busy. She's a good mommy."
"She's the best. Okay, squishy face, let's make these pancakes and then you can go wake up Mommy."
"Grandpa said her website is going to explode. I think we should put her computer somewhere away from us so we don't get shrapnel."
"The website isn't going to really explode. Grandpa meant people are going to love the clothes your mommy makes so much everyone's going to want them."
“Yep, and then Mommy’s going to be famous.”
Norah chattered away about what she’d do when her mommy was famous while I constructed her pancake.
"Here, squishy, try out our masterpiece." I placed her pink plate on the island in front of her so she could eat and talk to me while I finished cooking.
"These are delicious. I knew that chef knew what she was talking about," Norah said, chewing happily. “I’m glad Mommy’s website isn’t going to really explode.”
Renee worked her butt off and graduated with her AA in less than two years. She began making Norah's clothes on the side as something to do. The moms in Norah's preschool inquired about them, and then began ordering from her. With Norah about to become a kindergartner, Renee was about to have an even bigger market.
My parents convinced her to make a website and now Renee was swamped with orders for her little girl line,Norah Girl.
Me, I was in my last year of college and more than ready for the end. Some girls were falling into fits of depression as their softball career came to a close and others worked to get accepted to play international and stressed out.
I was done.
Not having to ice my shoulder, no more practices, being able to spend more time with Norah, and help out Renee was exactly what I was ready for.
