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“Those are good for Saturday breakfast.” Sarah Beth hugs her stuffed animal closer to her chest, pursing her lips before she adds, “But pancakes? Well, some people say those are even better…”
A real smile curving my lips, I ask, “Would you be ‘some people’?”
She grins. “Yes.”
“Okay, I can do pancakes, too. What kind do you like best? Chocolate chip? Banana? Chocolate chip and banana?”
Her eyes lighting up, Sarah Beth says, “My friend at roller skating club said she had pancakes with Oreo cookies inside them last weekend. Is that real? Can you put Oreos in a pancake?”
I arch a brow. “I don’t know, but how about we find out? I saw some Oreos in the pantry. You grab the Oreos, and I’ll get the pancake mix from the cupboard.”
Sarah Beth pumps her fist in the air. “Yes! Oreo pancakes!” She bounces toward the pantry, pausing to hug my leg as she passes. “You’re the best Uncle B. Love you.”
Tears springing into my eyes, I murmur, “I love you, too, Sarah Beth,” then instantly turn back to the stove, willing myself to get the emotional outburst under control before anyone sees what a ridiculous mess I am this morning.
But it’s too late.
When I turn, Tatum is already standing in the archway leading into the kitchen. As our eyes meet, her forehead furrows in empathy. She mouths, “Talk later?” and I nod—figuring I don’t really have the option of saying “no,” considering I crashed her Saturday morning—and she adds aloud, “And I’ll make the coffee. Decaf for me and caffeinated for everyone else.”
“The baby can’t have coffee, Uncle Barrett,” Sarah Beth informs me as she places the bag of Oreos on the counter beside my elbow. “So, Mama has to make two pots of coffee every morning.”
Mama. She’s calling Tatum “Mama” now.
I glance Tatum’s way. She nods and beams with happiness, seeming to read my mind, “I do. But it’s not a big deal. It’s just until Christmas, which will be here before we know it.”
“What?” Sarah Beth laughs as she comes to lean against Tatum’s side, getting some morning hugs from her soon-to-be stepmom, who bends down to kiss her head. “That’s crazy. Christmas isn’t for forever and ever.”
“Well, time behaves a little differently when you’re a grown-up,” Tatum says.
“I don’t want to be a grown-up yet,” Sarah Beth says. “I want time to go slow because it’s almost summer and we haven’t even gotten to go swimming yet. And I want to go swimming and to the waterslide on the lake because I’m old enough to go down by myself now.”
“Valid,” Tatum says, brushing Sarah Beth’s red curls from her face. “Will you go wake Daddy up for me? Tell him coffee’s almost ready and Barrett’s making a delicious smelling breakfast.”
“Roger that,” Sarah Beth says, dashing toward the stairs, shouting over her shoulder, “But no one gets to try the Oreo pancakes before me. I get to be first. Because it was my idea!”
“You’re first,” I assure her. “No one gets to dig into Oreos before you.”
Sarah Beth cheers and her little feet pound up the stairs, making a surprising amount of noise.
“She’s part rhinoceros,” Tatum says, reading my mind again. She lowers her voice as she adds, “So, what happened last night? Drew told me something went wrong at the wedding and Wren was moving out when he came back to bed, but he didn’t say what. I thought you and Wren were doing so well.”
“I can’t be what she needs,” I say bluntly, intending to get through this conversation as quickly as possible. “I want to be, but I can’t. It’s better to end it now than to let things drag on and ruin more of her life.”
Tatum frowns. “Ruin? What’s been ruined? Wren has a wonderful life, though it has seemed quite a bit happier since you agreed to be a more intimate part of it.”
I shake my head. “It’s a long story. I’m sure she’ll explain it better than I can.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Tatum says. “Wren doesn’t kiss and tell.”
“Well, there wasn’t any kissing going on last night, so…” I flip the first two Oreo pancakes and give the hash browns a quick stir, hoping that will be the end of it.
“All right,” Tatum says, surprising me as she moves to pull mugs down from the cabinet beside the stove. She isn’t usually the kind to let things go so easily, especially not when it comes to Wren, her best friend in town. “But in case you need a gentle reminder, perfect isn’t a thing. Not in love or relationships or anything else. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to love her and do your best to show her how much you love her, even when it’s scary or hard. Especially when it’s scary or hard.”
