Six Years Later
“Daddy, can we add more chocolate chips?” Sapphire asks, her big blue eyes wide and excited.
“Yeah,” I say, watching my daughter sprinkle chocolate chips over the rim of the porcelain plate. Her head is bending in concentration, her deep black locks dangling over her shoulders.
“Daddy, can I add syrup?” Emerald questions with the bottle if maple already clutched in his small hands, his smoky green eyes lit with mischief.
Ruffling his soft blonde curls, I nod. “Sure. Go ahead.”
He squirts syrup over the thick stack of golden chocolate chip pancakes. Then they look at each other with matching impish smiles and flour-powdered faces and begin to lay chocolate chips and maple syrup on thick. They have me down to a science. My children understand that I can never deny them of anything. They are covered in batter and have wrecked the kitchen with good intentions on helping me make chocolate chip pancakes for Isabel.
I look to the ceiling and shake my head. God, I love my children. They take my breath away every day. I am lucky to be living my dream. I get reminded of that every day.
“Ready to give Mommy breakfast in bed?”
They both nod.
Sapphire runs to cling to my leg and Emerald sprints to settle on foot. They both hitch a ride on me. I lift the tray from the sticky countertop and begin to make my way to our bedroom.
My kids own me and they are very aware of this.
Nudging open the door with the tip of my elbow, I watch them race to Isabel with their small arms flailing wildly and their hair blowing in the air as they run. I love the way my children greet us. My kids greet us every day like they haven’t seen us in years.
Isabel is asleep after a long shift at the hospital. She loves working. I think it gives her a good release to help people that she can’t get solely from me. I also think she works too much, but I’m not going to mention it unless she gives me cause to.
“Morning busy bumble bees,” Isabel says as she tickles them into oblivion.
“Morning, Mommy,” they both greet in unison.
“Daddy let us make pancakes.”
“We added lots of chocolate chips and syrup.”
Isabel’s gentle eyes travel over to me and I fall in love all over again. “Good Morning, Daddy.”
“Good morning, Mommy,” I say through a massive smile, making my way to my family.
My life is beyond enough.
I have my three little angels.