Four-year-old Leona Nicole was feeling a little sad even though it was a holiday, she didn't have to go to school and she was home with Daddy and Papa. She had looked out her window to see that it was pouring rain. Daddy said if it rained, we couldn't have a Morial Day cookout. I better go tell him!
She went into Daddy's room and stood at the foot of his bed and watched him sleep. She didn't know how he did it, but if she stood there long enough, no matter how quiet she was, he would awaken. She heard him take a deep breath and saw him stretch his arms and legs under the covers.
Finally, his head popped up from under the covers. "Good morning, Pumpkin! Is everything all right?"
"No, Daddy," she said as she climbed onto his bed, "It's raining, so we can't have a Morial Day cookout."
"Memorial Day, Sweetie. Excuse me; I have to use the bathroom," Napoleon said as he slid out of bed and went into his bathroom. When he returned he looked at the time. "It's eight – thirty, I guess I need to make breakfast. How does waffles, bacon and eggs sound?"
"Good!"
The unlikely parent and child headed to the kitchen where Napoleon quickly made coffee and a hot chocolate for the little girl. Soon the smell of bacon frying began to waft through the apartment. "Leona, please tell Papa that breakfast is almost ready."
"Yes, Daddy." Minutes later, Leona and Illya sat down at the kitchen table.
Illya grabbed the coffee pot and helped himself. "I see it is raining outside and Leona has informed me there will be no cookout. What is Plan B?"
Napoleon placed plates containing waffles, scrambled eggs and crisp bacon in front of his partner and child before sitting with his own plate. "I was thinking that Leona and I could bake cupcakes. Would you like that, Sweetheart?"
Illya ate half a waffle in one bite and slurped coffee to wash it down. "Remember what happened the last time the two of you baked something." *
Leona said, "That was a long time ago, Papa! I'm a good helper to Daddy now! Right, Daddy?"
"Leona's right, Papa. A month is a very long time. As I recall, the cookies turned out really well; so well in fact, that you ate almost all of them."
The Russian shrugged. "They were excellent cookies."
Napoleon took his plate to the sink. "You two finish breakfast so Leona and I can get started."
Later, Napoleon and his daughter were sitting at the kitchen counter while he read aloud the directions on the box of yellow cake mix. "Okay, Leona, do we have everything we need?"
Leona began to point at each thing. "We have eggs and cake mix and oil. And butter and flour for the muffin pan. I think we're ready, Daddy!"
"Then let's get started!" Napoleon had learned his lesson he didn't give Leona the spoon to stir until all the ingredients were in the bowl and he held the spoon with her to show her how he wanted her to do it. When he was sure she knew how to do it, he buttered and floured the muffin pans. When he was ready, he helped Leona place a spoonful of the mixture in each well of the pan.
He placed the pan into the oven and they whiled away the time playing a rousing game of Candyland. Napoleon looked up just as Illya re – entered the kitchen.
"I can smell the cupcakes from all the way in my room. When will they be ready?"
The timer chose that moment to chime. "They've finished baking," Napoleon announced as he removed them from the oven, "Now they have to cool and Leona and I have to make frosting and then frost them."
Illya groaned aloud. "This is taking forever!"
Leona got up from the table and opened the fridge to remove a plastic – wrapped plate. "Papa, you can eat some more bacon until the cupcakes are ready. I don't want you to be hungry."
The blond hunkered down so he was eye – level with his child. Taking the plate from her, he kissed her forehead and said, "Thank you so much, Daughter, but I will wait until we eat lunch so I can have cupcakes for dessert."
"But, Papa, I don't want you to be hungry!" she repeated.
He hugged her to him. "I was exaggerating my hunger just a bit," he said.
"What's…exaggerating, Papa?"
"It means that I was making my hunger sound bigger than it is. Do not worry, Leona Nicole, I am not so hungry that I cannot wait. Thank you for offering me food. You really are a good and thoughtful child."
"Now that we've established that," Napoleon interjected, "I would like to have my sous chef back so we can finish our project. Papa, put the bacon back in the fridge if you're not going to eat it and we will see you later."
Leona enjoyed making chocolate frosting with her Daddy. He mixed the cocoa and confectioner's sugar together and then gave it to her to add a bit at a time while he mixed it into the butter and evaporated milk. After he added some vanilla to the mixture, he allowed Leona to stir it until it was blended together. He showed her how to put frosting on a butter knife and slowly spread it over the top of the cupcake. She was so proud of the results that Daddy let her frost all the cupcakes herself.
"Daddy, I think this is the best part!" Leona declared as she licked the spoon after scraping the bowl. "Can I take the bowl to Papa and let him lick the spoon, too? I think he's hungry."
Napoleon was touched by her request, so much so that he didn't correct her English. "Leona, every time I think I can't be any prouder of you, you do something else to make me prouder. Yes, take Papa the bowl and keep him company. I'm going to clean up in here and make sandwiches for lunch. Tell Papa lunch will be in an hour."
"Yes, Daddy!"
As he watched the little girl walk carefully to her Papa's room with bowl and spoon in hand, he shook his head in wonder and thanked the heavens for the unexpected blessing that was Leona Nicole.
*ref. my tale "A Rainy Sunday"