June 13, 2030

Dear Diary,

Claire thinks of things I probably should have...

Irisa and Claudia spent the night with Claire, the Donovan sisters reconnecting while the Irathient child slept.

That night Claire slept on the couch, letting her sister and her new niece sleep in her bed. In the morning, Irisa woke rested and Claudia woke happy. Claire woke up a bit sore from the couch, but thrilled to have family again.

"Claudia, Irisa! Who wants pancakes?" Claire called for the mother and daughter who were just waking up. Irisa looked at Claudia with a bit of confusion.

"Momma what are pancakes?" Irisa whispered to Claudia.

"Yes we want them!" Claudia yelled to Claire, then turned to her daughter. "They're really yummy kiddo! C'mon."

Claudia and Irisa walked into the kitchen where Claire was mixing batter and had two bowls in front of her, one of berries and the other of chocolate chips. "Good morning! Claud, I know you want chocolate chip, but what kind do you want Irisa?" Claire asked, making Irisa frown.

"I've never had choc...o...late... or what's in the other bowl." Irisa told her aunt.

"Well, why don't you try some berries and some chocolate? See what you like!" Claire offered the girl a few berries and a couple of chocolate chips. Irisa grabbed at the chocolate, and sniffed it. She blinked at it, then lightly placed one of the chocolates in her mouth. She immediately spat it out and coughed.

"Mommy why would you eat this?!" Irisa wailed, a look of horror on her face.

Claudia burst out laughing at Irisa's look of utter despair. "I'm sorry baby, I didn't know you wouldn't like it. I'm sorry." Claudia choked out between fits of laughter.

"You know, I think I heard somewhere that Irathients aren't fond of chocolate generally. I shouldn't have offered you that Irisa, I'm sorry." Claire said to the still horrified little girl. "Here, try the berries, I think you'll like them better." The older human woman held the fruits out to the Votan child. Irisa, incredibly warily, reached out and took some berries.

"I'm trusting you, Auntie..." Irisa said cautiously as she put the berries into her mouth. Her eyes went wide. "More!" Tiny hands shot out for the bowl of assorted berries. Claudia, fully on top of her mom duties, grabbed her daughter before she could get close.

"Ris, let Claire bake em into the pancakes! You can eat in a minute." The younger human explained to the squirming child in her arms. Irisa sat back down and looked up at her mother.

"Promise?" Her eyes were challenging her mom to keep her from the food for long.

Claudia chuckled again. "I promise kiddo."

About an hour later, completely stuffed on pancakes, the trio of redheads were seated in Claire's living room. "So Irisa, can you read?" Claire asked the child. Claudia blinked her eyes. She had been with Irisa for two months and had never thought to check if her daughter could read.

"Well, father and mother never taught me... Momma can you teach me?" The Irathient asked her mom.

Claudia nodded. "Of course Risi! I'll read you a story a dear friend wrote and teach you the words and letters from it." Claudia had a dozen or so of HG's books, and even a copy of "Alice In Wonderland" as it was a Warehouse fabrication and she found it incredible.

"Thanks mom!" Irisa said happily, then groaned. "I ate too many pancakes mommy, make my tummy stop hurting!" The child curled into a ball.

Claudia sighed. "Sorry sweetie. I can't fix that." She patted Irisa's hair as Claire looked on sympathetically.

"Poor dear." Claire said apologetically. "I probably should have stopped you at four pancakes, nine is too many for a little one like you!" Irisa moaned in agreement.

I can't believe I never thought if my kid can read! She's so clever though, I'm sure she'll pick it up quickly.

~Claudia Donovan