Pancakes
After Buffy's death, Tara had to do something to make life seem normal. Cooking. She could do cooking. She'd had to cook back home, but at least now, she was cooking for people she loved. Willow, and Dawn; sometimes Mr. Giles, or even Xander and Anya. She cooked, and made good food, and everyone appreciated it. Even if things were bad, she could at least control a kitchen, and make sure food was on the table at appropriate hours. Good food. Hot food. Food that was more than just a sandwich slapped with peanut butter and jelly, but offered a bit of comfort.
Breakfast was generally a quiet time, with a pot of tea brewing, and sometimes bacon (for Dawn, as Willow eschewed pork regardless of considering herself a Pagan now, rather than Jewish, and Tara wouldn't kiss her girlfriend with lips that had eaten pork) on the stove. Today, she cooked vegetarian sausage, and, once those were carefully on a plate keeping warm inside the microwave, Tara started to pour batter into the skillet.
"What are you making?" Dawn's sleepy voice didn't quite startle her, but Tara tipped the large measuring cup upright before any batter dripped.
"Mm, pancakes."
Her face lit up. "Rounds, or funny shapes?"
Tara glanced at the batter, then back at Dawn. "I know how to make a Mickey Mouse, and a few other easy things?"
Her smile grew. "Funny shapes, please!"
Tara smiled back, and started to pour.