Forty-Seven Uses for a Paperclip (Completed)

Chapter Eleven: Fatherly Figures

I haven't updated in forever. I'm sorry! I had a wee bit of writer's block :p  

 

Chapter Eleven Fatherly Figures

Finally, I descend down to the kitchen. The voices stop as soon as I tread on a particularly creaky step five from the bottom.

“She’s coming!”

“Shh! Danielle!”

“Sorry!”

I stand awkwardly in front of the stairs. Colton is making the pancakes, a sizable stack already towering on a plate on the counter. Hillary and Danielle are still sitting at the table, although Danielle is hurriedly cleaning up the board game.

I move to help her and she looks up at me. Our matching green eyes lock.

“Weweren’tjusttalkingaboutyou.” She says in a rush.

“Danielle!” Colton yells.

I keep eye contact with Danielle, smiling slightly. “Right.” I chance a glance at Colton. Red is creeping up the back of his neck and he’s facing the stove, determinedly not looking my way. Hillary seems to have developed the chills since her shoulders are shaking. “You know, you’re great at keeping secrets, Danielle.”

“I know.” She hangs her head in shame. It suddenly snaps back up, a smile breaking across her face. “But I’m such a nice person!”

Colton snorts. Danielle hums to herself and continues to pick up the game pieces.

I grin and look over to find Hillary doing the same.

“Pancakes are ready!” Colton holds the plate towering with pancakes aloft and proudly sets them in the middle of the table.

Hillary looks at them admirably. Colton gives Danielle four forks and she uses one of them to poke the pancakes.

“Are they edible?” She lifts the top one with the fork and peers under it, sniffing suspiciously.

Colton slaps her hand away. “Yes, I’ll have you know they are.” He struts over and takes four plates from the cupboard, handing each of us one. “Now chow down, family! And Carlton,” He adds as an afterthought.

“So glad to be included,” I mumble through a smirk as we all sit around the table.

Colton flashes me a smile and takes my hand as we pray. This time I’m prepared, so I bow my head and close my eyes along with the others.

“Thank you Father, for friendship,” Hillary says, her voice filled with warmth. “Thank you for fellowship. And thank you that we are blessed so much by you and get to enjoy this meal. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”