Page 23 of Tiffanie

“Of course.” He walked toward her with a smile. “Did you have a good nap?”

“I didn’t really fall asleep, Daddy. I was pretending,” she explained as Phineas triggered something under the bed that lowered the railing.

“You were? Wow! Biff must snore. I thought that sound was coming from you,” he said, reaching in to lift her off the sheet.

“Shh! He’s really self-conscious about it.”

“Oh. Thank you for warning me.”

“I’ve got your back, Daddy.”

“Thank goodness someone does. Let’s go rock while you shake off that sleepiness and you can have a wake-up drink.”

“Coffee?” she asked excitedly.

“No coffee for Little girls.” Phineas patted her bottom reassuringly as he carried her to the family room. He sat down in an oversized rocking chair and helped her settle comfortably on his lap.

“Try this, Princess.” Phineas handed her a blue sippy cup decorated with brown teddy bears.

“This looks like Biff. But I don’t need a cup like this.”

“Humor me.”

She wrinkled her nose at him but lifted the spout to her lips. A delicious, fruity flavor filled her mouth. “Mm!” She hummed, drinking more.

“Yummy, huh? I’m glad you like it. Daddy’s special formula.”

Tiffanie pulled the cup away. “What makes this mixture special?”

“That concoction not only tastes yummy, but it also has electrolytes, protein, and vitamins.”

Wrinkling her nose, Tiffanie considered the cup. Should she like the healthy beverage? Another sip convinced her that the delicious mix won. She quickly drained the rest. “More, Daddy.”

“Of course. I think you need some snacks too. You didn’t eat a lot of lunch.”

Food hadn’t sounded good to her for a long time, but she ate because she needed fuel for her body. She’d lost some weight lately. Her doctor wasn’t happy. “I’m not really hungry.”

“I can understand that. Would you try to eat for me?”

Tiffanie hesitated. She really didn’t want to eat. Her gaze landed on the cute cup in her hand. She hadn’t been thirsty either, but that had tasted amazing. Maybe she should sample whatever he had made—just in case.

“One bite.” She negotiated.

“Three.”

“Two.”

“Two bites at least.” Phineas stood easily with her in his arms, making her feel protected by his strength. He set her at the table and fixed her more to drink before sticking something in the microwave to heat.

She’d almost drained her cup when Tiffanie sniffed in appreciation. “That smells fantastic.”

“I hope the soup will taste yummy as well,” Phineas said. “This is a new recipe. I appreciate you helping me sample it.”

He scooped out a large bowl and brought the double-sized option over to the table. After sitting next to her, Phineas dipped a spoon into the fragrant broth and lifted it to her lips. Taking a risk, Tiffanie accepted the bite.

Flavor burst over her tastebuds. She loved the delicious flavor. Who knew a simple chicken and rice soup could taste so amazing? “Wow!”

“Tasty, huh? Let me try.”