(Nikki P. O. V)
They loosened up when they realized I was just there to help and not yell at them for making a mistake with breakfast. We searched the pantry for something else for breakfast and came up with pancakes. I dumped everything in a mixing bowl and handed it over to Maybel with instructions to stir until all the clumps were gone.
She happily sat on the island on a bar stool and did as I told her with a proud little smile on her face. Then I had Rin set three more places at the table. She left with confusion written on her face but did as I said. “Oh, and let them know that breakfast will probably be delayed another fifteen minutes or so,” I told her as she headed that way.
I grabbed a glass and filled it with orange juice. I shoved the glass into Sandy’s hands and pushed her to the island beside her daughter.
“Sit and relax for a minute. Calm down; you still have a little crazy in your eyes.” She chuckled and did as I told her.
“Thank you, Emma,” she told me, looking up at me with bright eyes.
“No one has ever helped us like you have the past couple of days.”
“You can get used to it,” I told her with a big smile on my face. “I help out whenever I can.”
Rin came back into the room right as Maybel handed me the pancake batter, looking nervous. I would ask her what was wrong when I saw Cole following right behind her.
“What’s holding up breakfast?” he asked, coming right to my side.
“Minor mishap with some eggs,” I told him.
“Don’t worry about anything; we’re substituting pancakes.” He rumbled, dropping a quick peck to my lips.
“I love pancakes,” he murmured in my ear, making me giggle.
“Then get out of the kitchen and let us make them,” I told him, pushing him back into the dining room. I waved to all the smiling faces in the room before heading back into the kitchen again.
I took the bowl from Maybel’s hand and stirred the pancake batter, and Sandy and I started making pancakes. Emma and Maybel gather whipped cream, strawberry, maple syrup, and chocolate sauce and arrange them on the table. I take some fruits from the fridge and tell Sandy to wash them and cut them into tiny pieces. I grabbed a bowl of yogurt and sugar mixed all of them in a big bowl, and made fruit custard for them.
“Mom, I am hungry,” Maybel said, walking inside the kitchen. I tell Rin to take the pancakes and fruit custard to the dining room and take Maybel in my arms.
“Rin, have you ever made pancakes?” I asked her.
She shook her head quickly. “We don’t make them very often, and mom does most of the cooking.”
“Well, we’re going to let your mom rest for a bit. Come here; I’ll teach you. They can be really fun.”
“Are you not going to have breakfast with us, Nikki?” Stella asks while walking inside the kitchen to grab a jug of water.
“No, there are not enough pancakes for all of us. I will make some more pancakes with them and have breakfast with them,” I said to her.
“You did not need to do that; we will have some cereal with fruit custard for breakfast,” Stella said to me.
“No, do you forget that milk and yogurt don’t go hand in hand together?” I ask her with a smile on my face.
“Okay, then we will wait for you until you are done preparing breakfast,” Mom said while walking inside the kitchen.
“Is it okay with you guys? Aren’t you hungry?” I ask them.
“It’s okay, we can wait for some time,” Mom said, kissing my forehead and walking out of the kitchen.
“Sandy, while we make some pancakes, why don’t you make some garlic bread? I will guide you,” I told her and told her to gather all the required materials to make garlic bread.
MaybeI wanted to watch, so I picked her up and sat her on my hip as I taught Rin all the different shapes you can make with pancake batter. Maybel had the great idea to get out the metal cookie cutters, and we started using them to make shapes. The girls spent the entire time laughing and playing in the batter.
By the time we finished with all the batter, we had pancakes of all different shapes, sizes, and colors. Sandy shook her head at the craziness of the platter but couldn’t help but laugh at the grins on our faces. I think I’d had just as much fun as the girls making the pancakes; garlic bread was also ready to serve.
“You girls ready to get this stuff out there?” I asked them. They nodded eagerly.
“I wish I could eat those pancakes,” Maybel said, staring at them with a small, sad smile.
I crouched down in front of her and took her hands. “You’re going to. You three are joining us for meals from now on. If you can cook the food, then you’re more welcome to eat it than anyone else.”
They stared at me in shock, hardly able to believe what I’d just told them. Sandy tried to protest, but I cut her off.
“We all are like a huge family. Alpha and Luna are like the mother and father, the head of the family. And our pack is like a family who lives together, eats together, and sleeps together. So don’t worry, no one is going to scold you for eating breakfast together with us.”
Maybel bounced eagerly with a big grin on her face, and I quickly rescued the platter she was holding. “Maybel, darling, be careful when you’re holding the food.” She nodded, accepting the platter again and carrying it as if it might spontaneously break in her hands.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Let’s get this all out there,” I said, grabbing the platter of sausage while Sandy grabbed the garlic bread and Rin grabbed the butter, peanut butter, and jam.
“You guys won’t mind if these three join us for breakfast, right?” I ask, walking inside the dining room.
“Of course not,” Mom and Dad said, smiling at me while others just nodded their head in agreement with a smile on their face.
“Are these pancakes eligible?” Cole asks when we put the plates of pancakes I made with Rin and Maybel.
“Yes, they are; we have tasted it before bringing it here. Besides, if you do not want to eat it, you won’t have to there are also plates of normal pancakes and other things for you. I, Sandy, and the kids will finish it all,” I said to him and took a seat beside him. The girls grab the chair from the living room and sit beside me.
“I will give it a try,” Mom and Stella said while putting the pancakes of different sizes on their plate.
“Huh, not bad,” Stella said after taking a bite, and Mom nodded in agreement. Maybel and Rin smile triumphantly.
“Then I think I will try to,” Cole said and took a two-color pancake on his plate.
“Huh, it is delicious,” he said, smiling at me. I smiled back and kissed him on his cheek after whispering thanks to him.
“Maybel, sweetie, what kind of pancake do you want?” I asked her.
“Swirly!” she said excitedly. I tossed her a red and green swirled pancake, and it landed perfectly on her plate down the table. She grinned, and I turned to Rin.
“Rin?” I asked her.
“Mickey Mouse, please,” she replied politely. I threw one down the table for her and then did the same with Sandy. We spent the rest of breakfast chatting happily.