Nico sat on the cupboard with his feet dangling, watching the new woman as she poured three bowls of dry cereal. Piper, her name was, though he didn't know the last name. From what he got so far, she was married to that blond man and the two kids were theirs.
But it didn't seem as simple as that.
"Okay, eat up." Piper kissed each of her daughters on the forehead before giving them their bowls. "We'll have better food later, I promise."
The oldest daughter was around seven, with hair as blonde as her father's. It was up in pigtails despite the morning hour. When she ate, she looked around the room as if to catch a glimpse of something. "Momma, where's dad?"
"Getting ready for work." Piper sat beside the youngest girl, who looked to be around three or four. "He'll be down here soon enough."
"When does he get back from work?" Katie questioned.
Piper couldn't help but smile. "I don't know. Why don't you ask him?"
"I will." Katie decided, picking at her cereal. "It's stale."
"It's all we have," Piper replied.
Katie climbed off her seat. "I'll ask dad for something else."
"He has nothing else to give you." Piper reached over to help Maddie eat. "You've got to eat this, Katie. Or no playing today."
"That's not fair!"
"It doesn't have to be fair." Piper sat back in her chair. "Come sit back down. No leaving until you eat."
Katie folded her small arms. "If I tell dad-"
"He'll agree with me." Piper finished. "I already talked to him about it."
"Momma!" Maddie broke up the conversation as she reached for her mother. "Ilk?"
"We don't have any milk, baby." Piper got up. "Do you want water to drink?"
Maddie nodded her brunette head. "Ah,"
"I'll get you some." Piper looked to Katie, pointing at the seat the girl had previously been sitting in. "Sit and eat."
She walked to the kitchen to get Maddie her drink as Katie reluctantly sat down again. With eyes like her mother's, she looked around the room in hopes that her father would soon show up. The term "daddy's girl" described her perfectly.
And it was for a reason. They never told her the truth, but something in that little girl knew that Piper wasn't her real mother.
"She's spoiled as fuck," Nico commented as Will appeared next to him. "Wonder why."
"Don't curse." Will chided. "And be nice."
"I'm being nice." Nico defended. "I'm saying the truth."
"The truth isn't always nice," Will muttered.
