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“T.J. has so many tattoos,” she said while I poured the first pancake onto the griddle.
“He does. Do you like them?”
She scrunched her nose up. “I don’t know.”
“No is the correct answer,” Beverly called from the other room.
I stifled a smile. “Do you know how people get tattoos onto their skin?”
Khloe shook her head.
“They carve it on with a needle,” Tanner said, joining us in the kitchen.
Khloe’s eyes widened. “Doesn’t that hurt?”
“Yup.” He leaned on the counter next to us. “I think I’m going to get one later.”
I raised both eyebrows at him. “Of what?”
“I haven’t figured it out yet.”
“Oh, God. Tanner!” Beverly yelled. “Please don’t get something spur of the moment. It’s going to be on your body for the rest of your life.”
“Can I come with you?” I whispered.
Tanner’s eyebrows shot up. “You want one, too?”
“I want to see what it’s like first.”
“Sure, thing, sis. I’ll be your guinea pig.”
“I want a guinea pig!” Khloe exclaimed.
“Those things are rats, you know,” he replied.
“But they’re so cute!”
“We are not getting any pets right now,” Beverly answered.
I giggled. “Okay, flipper. It’s time.”
I guided the spatula while Khloe did her best to flip the pancake. They never actually flipped successfully, but it made her so proud to do it that I didn’t mind the mess.
Tanner made a face when he watched the batter go everywhere.
I raised my finger to my lips. “Make yourself useful and set the table, would ya?”
He stuck his tongue out at me, and began pulling plates out from the cabinet.
When the pancakes were ready, we sat down to eat. Beverly pushed her pile of papers to the empty space where Tim once sat.
“What’s all that?” I asked, motioning with my fork.
“I’m trying to figure out if we can afford to hire another person at the shop.” She took a sip of coffee from her World’s Best Mom mug. “We need help, but I don’t want it to stretch us too thin.”
“I keep telling you,” Tanner groaned. “We’re fine. We don’t need to hire anyone new.”
“I don’t want my kids being worked to the bone. You’re already there way past closing, and I’m drowning in paperwork.” She gestured to the papers next to her. “Your father used to help me with everything.”
