Cookie Confession
(2029; Wilbur is 5, Cornelius is 34, Franny is 33, Art is 36, Stanley is 34)
"Dad?"
He ignored the kid, trying to focus on the robot-board before him, the 1000-times magnified goggles making his work just a bit easier, and his eyes look really big behind them.
"Daaaad?"
He once more ignored the kid, the whine not yet grating on his nerves. The kid had just wandered into here, like always. And like always, was asking for something. Maybe if he tried again, just a bit harder.
"Daaaad-eee?" The kid tried for a third time, raising his already high-pitched voice to an ungodly level. Impossible to ignore him this time, the scientist spun in his chair, lifting the magnifying goggles and looking at the short, dark-haired boy that was bouncing back and forth in his socks. "Yes, Wilbur?"
"CanIhavecookie?"
Taking a few seconds to translate the single word into what he should have heard, the man smiled, running a hand through vertical blonde hair. "Have you had lunch yet, and did Grandma say it was OK?"
"Yes. We had meatloaf, and… I have not asked Grandma." The little head bobbed with each word, taking his best care to pronounce each one as clearly as possible, trying to win the man over to get a cookie. Brown eyes were dancing with anticipation of 'dad's' reply.
That was all he needed to hear before rising from his chair, looking down at the 5-year-old with brilliant blue eyes. "Good. Grandma won't mind anyway." He scooped the boy up, throwing him over his shoulder before trotting down the steps from the lab.
Wilbur giggled, grinning broadly at the attention as they headed down the halls to the kitchen. Cousin Laszlo, 11, rolled by, leaving a streak of pink across the wall, and Tallulah, 10, ran passed them, chasing after her older sibling with a bolt of fabric that had been ruined by neon-green paint.
They entered the kitchen, where Uncle Art was talking pizza with Emperor Stanley (ruler of the best Volcano Pizza on the Planet, and delivering globally too!) and about joining forces to combat hunger galaxy-wide. Wilbur waved to them, his dad stopping next to a counter.
"Unc'l Fart!!" Wilbur announced, waving franticly at the super-hero. "Wanna cookie?"
The red-and-white clad man blinked, and then laughed. "Do zumzats burst apart when hit with electricity?"
"I 'unno, do they?" Wilbur was perplexed by the question, wondering what zumzats were, and what they had against cookies.
"Of course." Uncle Art replied, catching a cookie as Cornelius tossed it to him. Stanley was snickering, also catching a cookie as it came at him.
Wilbur was set down on the counter, looking up at his dad as he was handed the biggest cookie he had ever seen, and taking a great big bite from it. He looked up at the blonde man, trying to grin around the chunks of chocolate. "fank-u."
Cornelius ruffled the cow-licked hair, smiling. "No problem, Kiddo." He took a bite from his cookie, leaning back on the counter, looking towards the door. "Now, just don't tell mommy about this, 'kay?"
Nodding frantically, the boy wolfed down the cookie in probably record time for any kid his age.
"Don't tell me what?"
All four turned to the doorway, where a petite, dark-haired woman was standing there, her brown eyes narrowed first on the boy, then on the blonde-haired man. The Pizza-gurus moved away, leaving the path clear for the woman to move in for the kill. Cookie dust was evident on the blue shirt the boy wore, and the man still had a half-eaten cookie in his hand. "That, um… we have a surprise gift for you waiting in the lab?" He tried, but Wilbur giggled again, watching his mommy stalk forward, taking the cookie from his daddy, and then taking a bite from it.
"Liar… you gave Wilbur a cookie, didn't you?" She accused, and his dad blushed, his cheeks going bright red. "Mmhmm, thought so." She finished the cookie, and then turned to him. "Tell me, did Daddy give you a cookie, sweetie?"
Brown eyes darted to daddy, then back to mommy, and then back again. Slowly, knowing his daddy would be in trouble later, he nodded, hanging his head, and then brushing at the guilty crumbs on his shirt.
"When I told you no, didn't I?" She put a gentle finger to his chin, making him look up at her.
"But daddy asked if I had asked grandma first and then he said it was ok that I didn't ask her. He didn't say nothing about having asked you." He watched as she turned back to daddy, a smiled playing across her lips.
"Did he now? He must have wanted a cookie too."
"And I got it… well, half of one." Daddy replied with a nervous chuckle.
"Mommy… you're making daddy's face on fire." The kid commented, making both of them laugh.
With cheeks burning, Daddy grabbed another cookie, holding it carefully and breaking it in half, and then again. He gave the biggest half to Mommy, and then one of the smaller halves to him, keeping the last for himself. "Franny, what's one cookie?"
"The fact that I told him no and… These cookies are pretty good." Brown eyes dropped back to him, and then back to Daddy. "Ok, fine, but do not make a habit of this, both of you." She ate her cookie and stalked out of the kitchen, leaving them both to sigh in relief.
"Daddy… can I have another?"