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Ava squeals with glee, wrapping her tiny arms around Melanie's neck. As they walk out of the door, I mouth a silent 'thank you' to my sister. She winks back at me, her knowing smile never leaving her face.
Once they're gone, I turn back to Lily. The morning light filters through the sheer curtains, casting a soft glow on her face. I lean down, pressing a gentle kiss on her lips. "Morning, princess."
Lily gives me a dreamy smile. "Good morning."
A chuckle escapes me as I toy with the tulle fabric of her dress. "I'm surprised to see you still wearing this," I say, a teasing glint in my eyes. "As pretty as it is, it doesn't look terribly comfortable."
Her cheeks flush a light pink. "I planned on changing," she admits, avoiding my gaze as she looks down at the extravagant dress. "But I was so tired I just fell asleep."
I give her a sympathetic smile. "It's okay," I reassure her, squeezing her hand gently. "Why don't we get changed and head down to breakfast."
Lily chuckles lightly, her eyes still twinkling with amusement. "I'd love that," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "But only if you promise me one thing, Dean." Her tone is playful now, her gaze fixed on mine.
I raise an eyebrow questioningly, a smile tugging at my lips. "And what might that be?" I ask, playing along. "You have to let me have first dibs on the pancakes."
I head downstairs, trading my worn-out clothes for a fresh pair of sweats and a new shirt. As I step into the kitchen, I find Ava with her little arms crossed over her chest, a frown wrinkling her forehead.
"This isn't how Lily makes the pancakes," she complains.
Melanie, meanwhile, is standing by the stove, looking rather sheepish. She turns to me, a guilty grin playing on her lips. "I think I might have... burned the pancakes."
I can't help but chuckle. "Burned? That's a polite way to put it. We could probably use these as hockey pucks," I tease, pointing at the charred discs on the plate.
Just then, Lily walks in. She's traded her dress from last night for a soft red tank top and fuzzy reindeer pajama bottoms. On her feet, she wears snowman slippers that make a soft shuffling sound as she moves.
I can't help but smile at the sight of her - there's something so endearing about her love for Christmas, even in her choice of sleepwear.
When Ava spots Lily, she immediately announces, "Aunt Melanie is making the breakfast wrong!"
Lily just smiles warmly at Ava, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "It's not wrong, sweetie," she says gently, moving towards the stove. "But let's see what we can do, okay?"
Within ten minutes, Lily has turned the kitchen around. She's cleaned up Melanie's mess, and now a fresh stack of pancakes and sausage sizzle on the stove. We all gather around the table, plates piled high with breakfast.
As we start eating, I notice something that warms my heart - Lily's actually eating pancakes like the rest of us instead of her usual granola bar. It's a small thing, but it brings a smile to my face.
Melanie kicks off the conversation, turning to Lily and me. "So, Lily, any big plans for the holidays?"
Lily takes another bite of her pancake. "Not really. My mom is in town, so I will see her later on today. But that's pretty much it."
"Oh, your mom is coming to town?" Melanie asks, her eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Yes, she's coming in from Boseman," Lily confirms. "But she's staying at Rachel's house since she has her own place."
"That must be nice, having your mom come to town," Melanie replies, her tone filled with cheer.
Lily looks back at her with a polite smile. "Yeah, it is nice..."
I glance at Lily, noting the forced smile on her face. Something about her reaction seems less than genuine, but I decide to keep quiet about it for now.
As breakfast wraps up, Ava's eyes light up with a new idea. "I want to make snowmen!" she proclaims excitedly. "Aunt Melanie, will you come with me."
Melanie laughs at Ava's enthusiasm, pushing back her chair and standing up from the table. "You know, that sounds like a great idea, Ava!" she exclaims. "But you need your snow pants first, little miss!"
Without needing any further prompting, Ava squeals with delight, pushing away from the table and darting out of the room, with Melanie following close behind her.
As the sound of their footsteps fade, I lean back in my chair, a sense of gratitude washing over me. I can tell that Melanie is doing her best to keep Ava occupied so I can have more alone time with Lily.
Lily stands from the table, collecting the empty plates and leftover scraps. She moves to the sink, setting the dishes aside before her gaze falls on the clock above the oven. The time startles her.
