Jack makes them better than I can.”
“Yeah, that’s what I always use,” Marnie said, then looked at David at the same time he looked at her. “Why did I say that? Did I used to make the pancakes?”
“No. Never. Why did you say that?”
“I don’t have a clue.” She turned away. “Maybe my mom and I made them when I was a kid. I don’t know.”
David shook his head. “You remember the most useless information.” He threw Marnie a playful smile. “One of these times it’s going to be something important, and when the dam breaks, you’ll remember everything.”
“I hope so,” Marnie murmured, but she wasn’t too sure she wanted to remember everything.
As David poured more pancakes onto the griddle, Marnie went to the pantry and searched the shelves.
“What are you looking for?” he asked.
“These,” she said as she came out of the pantry holding a bag. Returning to the stove, she opened the bag and took out a handful of chocolate chips. Carefully she arranged them on a pancake. “Let them sink down into the batter before you flip that one.”
David was grinning when he delivered the smiley face pancake to Jonathan, who laughed when he saw it. “I’m eating his eye,” he announced as he took a bite. “Now I’m eating his nose.”
“The bacon is on that platter,” David said, pointing. “Do you want some pancakes?”
“You bet I do!”
“Do you want smiley face ones?” Jonathan asked.
“No, I think I want plain ones this morning. Why don’t you eat those while they’re hot, and I’ll make my own?” she said to David.
“What? And take away my job as chef?” David bantered.
“I’m eating his mouth,” Jonathan declared.
“My goodness, what a charming little scene. So domestic,” drawled a voice from the doorway.
David’s smile disappeared. “Celeste, how did you get in?”
“Your mother gave me a key, David. She thought I should have one in case I was needed. You know, to help with Jonathan or something.”
“We didn’t call for any help, so what are you doing here?”
“Darling, don’t be mad! We’re going out for the day, your mother and I. She needs someone to be her friend. She feels so . . . alone.”
He didn’t comment on his mother’s feelings but rather tersely said, “She’s in her room. You know the way,” and turned back to his cooking.
“If you needed someone to fix your breakfast, you could have called me. I make wonderful breakfasts. You do remember, don’t you?”
“I prefer my own cooking, Celeste. You and Mother have a nice day. Goodbye.”
Celeste glared at him, then turned on her stilettos and left the room.
Marnie felt it wise to keep her thoughts to herself, so she went to the refrigerator to find something to drink.
“Jonathan, do you want milk or juice?”
“Milk, please.”
She placed a glass in front of him and poured it about half full. “That’s so it’ll be easier not to spill. Tell me if you want more.”
David looked at her oddly. “That’s a good idea. He spills it quite often.”
“And what do you want to drink?”
“I have coffee right here, but I’ll take a glass of milk, too.”
She grinned. “Should I make yours half full, too?”
“Maybe you ought to. Sometimes I spill stuff when I get upset.”
“Why are you upset, Daddy?” Jonathan asked.
“Little pitchers,” Marnie said softly as she poured the milk.
“Because I can’t flip a pancake right,” David answered.
When breakfast was eaten and the kitchen straightened, the trio proceeded upstairs to brush their teeth and fetch their jackets.
“It’s a beautiful day, Jonathan. Let’s get out of the house,” David said to his son.
“Can we go to the park, please, Daddy? We haven’t been there in a long time ‘cause it’s been so cold.”
“We’ll go there first, for a little while, but then we’re going to go shopping for some new clothes for you. Mrs. Tucker tells me you’re growing so fast all your jeans and shirts are too small.”
Jonathan was amenable to the suggestion, and they drove to the park where Marnie had found herself that first day. They parked at the curb, and Jonathan raced to the climbing bars.
“Come this way,” David said, taking Marnie by the elbow. “Let’s walk back over where you remember standing. Maybe now that the snow is gone, we can find your cell phone or wallet.”
They looked all over with no more luck than they had the first time they searched. By this time, Jonathan had grown tired of climbing and approached them.
“Daddy, can we go to the other park? There aren’t any kids