Tom gazed up at the clock on his desk in his home office. Seeing the time, he rose and went to check on Moira and Sybil in the living room. The sight that welcomed him made his heart melt. Both of his girls were still sleeping, with Moira curled into her mummy and her thumb in her mouth. Sybil's left arm was wrapped around their daughter while her right one rested on her stomach. He smiled at his wife and daughter, then quietly left the room.
Knowing that they both would be up soon, Tom decided to make them a little treat. He went into the pantry and grabbed the sugar container and a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Bringing the items into the kitchen, he placed them on the counter. Next, he opened the cabinet where they kept the spices and removed the cinnamon sticks and vanilla pods. Lastly, he opened the refrigerator and removed an unopened liter of milk.
Tom had just placed the milk on the counter with the other ingredients when he heard a noise from the living room. He hurried out fo the kitchen and into the living room, where he saw Moira noisily waking from her nap. He quietly strolled over to his little girl and knelt beside her. She opened her eyes then and began to cry, a common habit when she woke from her naps. Tom opened his arms to her and she quickly threw herself into his embrace. He gently rubbed her back to comfort her.
Once she calmed a bit, he rose with her still in his arms and quietly left the room to allow Sybil some more time to nap. Outside of the room, he asked in a low voice, "Do you want to help me make a sweet treat for mummy?"
The little girl, with his coloring but Sybil's dark hair and rosebud mouth, nodded her head vigorously. Tom beamed at Moira's enthusiasm and kissed her on the cheek. "Okay. Let's go."
Returning to the kitchen, Tom put Moira down and grabbed a chair, moving it towards the counter. He then grabbed the rest of the equipment they needed. Opening the bag of chips, Tom let Moira measure out them out and pour them into a bowl, which he then set aside. He poured the milk into the saucepan and split the vanilla pod, adding the pod and beans into the milk.
"Can I add the cinnmon, daddy?"
"Of course you can."
He opened the jar and held it out to his daughter. Moira smiled and grabbed a stick, plopping it into the pan. Tom moved to the stove, on the left side of Moira, turned on the heat, and placed the pan on the burner. He grabbed a whisk and gently whisked the milk as it heated, not wanting a skin to form. Next to him, Moira watched the milk keenly, her attention so rapt she didn't speak. However, after a few minutes, she got restless.
"Is it done yet?"
Tom chuckled. "No, my little elf, it is not done. I'll tell you a story while we wait." He cleared his throat and began. "Once upon a time, there lived a brave and fiery little girl named Moira."
She giggled at the use of her name, but happily continued to listen to her father for the next ten or so minutes. Tom ended his impromptu story just as the milk finished cooking. He turned to burner off and removed the pan from it, placing it gently on the counter.
He turned towards his daughter and asked, "Do you want to add the chips?"
Moira's blue eyes widened and lit up, excited to help. She poured the chips in and watched as they melted while her dad whisked them in. After a few minutes, she tugged on his shirtsleeve. "Can I do that?"
Tom eyed her for a moment before nodding his head. "I'll hold the pan while you whisk. Okay?"
"'kay."
She started to whisk the mixture, mimicking her dad. When her little arm got tired, Tom took over. Once it was all melted, Moira added the sugar. Tom grabbed three mugs from the cabinet and poured the hot chocolate into each mug, giving generous portions to Sybil and Moira. At his daughter's insistence, each mug was topped off with whipped cream. Tom placed the mugs on a tray and with Moira leading the way, the duo walked to the living room.
Sybil was just waking from her nap, being roused by the smell of cinnamon and chocolate. Opening her eyes, she was greeted by the toothy grin of her daughter and the sight of her husband carrying a tray with three mugs.
"What's this?"
"A sweet surprise for you, mummy!" exclaimed Moira.
"Thank you, my loves. What did I do to deserve such a treat?"
"Just cause," answered her daughter.
Sybil beamed at Moira and Tom. "Well, thank you again." Opening her arms towards her daughter, she asked, "Will you sit with me?"
"Yes!"
The little girl embraced her mother and then hopped onto the couch. Sybil and Moira turned to Tom expectantly, both wanting their hot chocolates. He laughed at the identical looks they gave him and handed them their mugs.
"Remember Moira, blow on the chocolate before you drink it."
She nodded at her dad and did as he instructed. Sybil took a sip of her drink and smiled as the sweet and spicy warmth enveloped her. After several sips, the baby began to kick in earnest, enjoying their mother's drink. She sighed happily, enjying this special treat with her three loves.
