My contribution to this year's Fluffapalooza and the Rumbelle Anniversary Celebration. Happy Second Anniversary to "Skin Deep"!
Warning: cotton candy-fluffy-diabetes-inducing-sweetness ahead!
Papa said that he would wake her up early, but Lucy was already awake as the sun came into her room. She couldn't wait to surprise Mama, and she bounced excitedly on the edge of her bed as she finally heard Papa coming down the hall towards her room.
"Good morning, my love. I see you're up already."
Lucy, arms wrapped around her stuffed Cookie Monster, clapped her hands and smiled at her Papa. "Time to make breakfast!" Lucy tried to use the same voice she used when she helped Mama at the library. She didn't want to wake up Mama just yet.
"That it is." Papa offered her his hand to help her down from her bed. "Shall we?" Lucy giggled, taking his hand and jumping down, bringing Cookie with her. The pair of them—Papa in his blue striped pajamas and Lucy in her purple footie jammies—made their way downstairs to the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, Papa moved a stool in front of the table and opened the refrigerator.
"Papa, can Cookie help, too?"
"Of course he can. Although I think that Cookie likes eating breakfast more than making it. Why don't you put him on the other side of the table and he can supervise?"
Lucy climbed up the stool and reached across the table, propping Cookie against the teapot. "What's 'supervise'?"
"It means that he'll watch what we do and make sure we do it right." Satisfied with his answer and Cookie's important role in the surprise, Lucy patted Cookie on the head, leaving him to supervise, and jumped down from the stool.
"Careful, Lulu. Use the steps. Here—you can help me take out the things we need. Can you get the milk and eggs and put them on the table?" He walked to the pantry, stopped, and turned back to Lucy. "One at a time, though."
The milk was just a little bit heavy, but Lucy was strong and brought it to the table. She did the same with the eggs, being extra careful so they wouldn't break. Lucy leaned against the table as Papa brought other things from the pantry. She watched as he set a big bowl on the table, then put the waffle iron nearby and plugged it in.
As Papa put the flour, sugar, milk, and other "'gredients'" in the bowl, he and Lucy talked about school. She told him about the book that Miss Rapunzel read them, about Elephant and Piggie being in a book. Then she told him about the numbers she was learning, and Papa asked her to count five eggs from the carton: two for the waffles and three for the scrambled eggs.
Papa stirred the things in the bowl a little, and then handed the funny wire spoon thing to Lucy. "Here, dearest. Can you stir the batter while I make the eggs?" Lucy nodded and excitedly took over. She had watched him before and knew not to stir too hard, or the batter might spill over the bowl.
After the eggs were done, Papa covered the pan and returned to the table and looked at the batter. "Perfectly done. Alright, time to make the waffles." He opened the waffle iron. "Would you like to help me ladle the batter on to the iron?" Lucy bit her lip nervously. "I'll understand if you don't want to."
When she was littler, Lucy hadn't believed Papa when he told her one morning that the waffle iron was hot and not to touch it when the red light was on. The bumpy squares looked so cool, though, and she just wanted to feel them for a second. The next thing she remembered was lying on the couch with a cold towel wrapped around her hand, sniffling as Papa looked worried and held her against him.
After that, Lucy knew that she should believe Papa when he said that something was hot. She was a little scared of the waffle iron, but wanted to be brave and make Mama's surprise. She took the big spoon from the bowl and, with Papa's help, poured some of the batter onto the iron. He closed the iron and they waited.
Finally, the red light went off and Papa opened the iron. Where there had been batter just a few minutes ago there was now a beautiful, yummy-looking waffle. Lucy smiled and bounced from her perch on the stool. "It's like magic, Papa!"
Papa looked down at her and smiled back—the special smile he only used for her and Mama. "It certainly is."
Lucy made sure that Papa had the tray balanced against his side, so that he could go up the stairs with it in one hand and his cane in the other. They decided that she would carry the things that might spill if he left them on the tray, so Lucy held a glass of orange juice in one hand and a small vase with a bright red rose in the other. Papa let her go first and they made their way upstairs together.
When they both made it to the door of Mama and Papa's room, Lucy pushed the door open and looked to Papa for approval. He nodded and Lucy walked to Mama's side of the bed, where she was still asleep. Lucy leaned towards Mama carefully, so she wouldn't spill the juice or rose.
"Mama! Happy Valentine's Day!"
Mama slowly blinked her eyes open and smiled when she saw Lucy. "Good morning, Lulu. Happy Valentine's Day to you, too."
"We maked you breakfast!"
Mama turned a little bit, which was hard for her right now, and saw Papa and the tray. She looked back and forth between the two of them and smiled even bigger.
"What a lovely surprise!" She slowly sat up, pushing the covers away and resting one hand on her big belly as she moved the pillows so that she could sit against them.
"Happy Valentine's Day, sweetheart." Papa said to Mama. He set the tray on the nightstand and kissed Mama, helping her rest against the pillows.
After Mama and Papa figured out the best way to set the tray in front of her, Lucy added the juice and vase, then scrambled up the other side of the bed to sit next to Mama.
Mama had tears in her eyes as she looked down at her breakfast and the three envelopes on the tray. "I can't believe you did all of this for me."
"Look, Mama! Me, papa, and Cookie made everything!"
"It looks delicious. Come give me a kiss." Lucy threw her arms around her and kissed her cheek. Mama had the nicest, softest cheek in the world.
"Those were the best waffles I've ever had."
"Better than Granny's, even?" Lucy asked.
"That wouldn't take too much effort," Papa said from Mama's other side, with a funny little smile on his face.
Mama gave him a scolding look, but said, "Much better."
"Open your cards!"
Mama did just that, wiping tears from her eyes as she read the cards from Papa and Lucy. There was one more envelope on the tray. "Who's this one from?"
"Well, Baby couldn't make a card, 'cause she's still inside you." Mama and Papa told her that they wouldn't know if the baby was a girl or boy until it was born, but Lucy just knew that she was having a sister. "So I made a card for her."
Mama opened the card, which was a big pink heart. On it, Lucy had written, "Happy Valentines Day to Mama. Love, Baby". Under the letters, she had drawn a little picture of their family: Mama, Papa, Lucy, and the baby in Mama's arms. She wasn't as good an artist as Miss Rapunzel, but Lucy was proud of the card she'd made for Mama in class.
"Don't you like it, Mama?" Mama hadn't said anything yet and was crying even more than before. She looked up at Mama with worried brown eyes.
Mama laughed a hiccupy laugh and kissed Lucy on the top of her messy curls. "I love it and I love you so much. Thank you for the best Valentine's Day I could wish for." Then she turned and kissed Papa on the mouth, holding his face in her hands. "I love you. I'm so lucky."
"I'm the lucky one, love."
Lucy's tummy chose that moment to grumble. Mama looked over at her. "Didn't you eat yet?"
"I was too excited! I wanted you to eat first."
"Let's get you some breakfast, then."
"I'll take care of that, Belle. Why don't you rest a bit more and we'll eat while you get ready?"
After giving one more kiss to Mama and one to Baby, Lucy jumped off the bed. "What are we going to do today, Mama?"
"Whatever you wish, Lucy."
Lucy smiled as Papa took her hand. "Alright, young lady. Let's get you something to eat."
As she and Papa went back downstairs, Lucy thought of all the things they could do today. She couldn't wait.
But first, she was going to have breakfast with her Papa.