Page 113 of Fake it With Me

We were a family.

“Can we have pancakes for breakfast?” Daisie asked. “With chocolate chips? Since it’s a special day?”

“It’s not a holiday,” I pointed out.

“But Liza came home! That’s special enough!”

“She’s got a point,” Liza said. “Liza coming home definitely deserves chocolate chip pancakes.”

“Fine. Chocolate chip pancakes it is.”

Daisie cheered and scrambled off the bed. “I’ll go get the chocolate chips!”

“Just the chocolate chips,” I called after her. “I’ll get the rest!”

She ran out, leaving Liza and me alone again.

“Chocolate chip pancakes, huh?” Liza said.

“Welcome to being part of this family. Daisie has strong opinions about breakfast.”

“I can handle that.” She sat up, stretching. “I’ll help you with breakfast.”

“Or,” I said, pulling her back down. “We could stay here for five more minutes. Daisie’s getting the chocolate chips, which will take her at least that long given that she can’t reach the pantry shelf without climbing.”

Liza laughed and settled back against me. “Five more minutes.”

I snuggled against her.

“I missed this,” Liza said quietly. “This chaos. This family. You.”

“I missed you too. More than I thought possible.” I kissed the top of her head. “From now on, we talk things through. Even when it’s hard. Even when I’m scared.”

“Deal.”

We went downstairs together in our pajamas. Daisie was half on the counter surrounded by scattered chocolate chips, looking guilty and hopeful at the same time.

“I was trying to help,” she said.

“I can see that,” I said, surveying the chocolate chip explosion. “How about you help by cleaning these up while Liza and I make the pancakes?”

“Okay! But can I put extra chocolate chips in mine? Since I already got them out?”

“Nice try. Normal amount of chocolate chips.”

We worked together making a breakfast that was definitely too sugary to start the day.

This was what I’d wanted when I married Sasha. This was what I thought I had lost forever.

But I hadn’t lost it. I never had it until now.

“Daddy?” Daisie asked as we sat down to eat our chocolate chip pancake breakfast. “Is Liza staying forever now?”

I looked at Liza, saw her smile, and felt my heart skip a beat.

“If she wants to,” I said.

“I want to,” Liza confirmed.