Another lil Benley collection

Training Wheels

It was the weekend, a precious time of rest, and they were determined to savor every moment of it. But a sudden, insistent jiggling of their bodies jolted them awake. "Daddy. Mommy. Wake up. It's bike day." A small voice broke the peace of the morning. 

"Five more minutes," Ben mumbled, pulling the covers over his head. 

Miranda groaned in agreement, trying to burrow deeper into her pillow. "Pru, it's too early," 

"No, it's not early. It's bike day. The red day." 

They knew this day was coming. It was circled in bold, red ink on the kitchen calendar, a glaring reminder of the inevitable. But the promise of a quiet, lazy morning had seemed so enticing.

"Hurry up. We have to go outside. The sun is out" She jumped off the bed and began to tug at their covers.

Ben could feel the weight of the world, or at least the weight of getting out of bed, pressing down on him. He glanced at Miranda, who was slowly sitting up, rubbing her eyes.

 "Alright, Pru, alright," he said, his voice thick with sleep. "We're up, we're up."

Miranda chuckled. "I think it's time for coffee," she said, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. As she stood up, she stretched and yawned, her arms reaching for the sky. Pru clapped her hands excitedly. 

With a dramatic sigh, he swung his legs over the side of the bed. He grumbled and stretched, his bones protesting the movement. Yawning widely, he scooped up Pru in his arms, her giggles filling the room.

"We have to eat breakfast first, princess" Ben said, his voice still rough with sleep. Pru pouted, her lower lip trembling slightly. She wanted to be outside, feeling the wind in her hair as she soared on her bike without those pesky training wheels.

But his grip tightened reassuringly. "After breakfast, we can get dressed and head outside. I promise."

Pru's face brightened. Her pout disappeared, replaced by a wide, toothy grin. With renewed enthusiasm, she wrapped her arms around Ben's neck and kissed his cheek. "Okay, Daddy"

Ben carried her downstairs and into the kitchen. Miranda approached Tuck's door and knocked gently. "Tuck time to get up," she called softly.

A muffled groan answered her, followed by the soft thump of a body shifting in bed. "Five more minutes," a sleepy voice mumbled.

 "We're about to make breakfast. You in?"

A few moments later, Tuck's door creaked open "Yeah" he mumbled, stretching his arms high above his head.

"Good. We need to get Pru fed before we head out."

Tuck blinked, his confusion evident. "Head out? Where to?"

"Bike day," Miranda reminded him.

"Bike day?" 

 "Ben is taking off Pru's training wheels." 

"Wait, what? Today?"

"Yes that's today and she's very excited so breakfast needs to be quick so we can get out there." 

"On it." He put on his slippers and they headed downstairs. 

The kitchen was a symphony of smells and sounds. The sweet aroma of waffles filled the air as Ben made waffles on the waffle iron and Tuck cut up strawberries. Miranda, meanwhile, was engrossed in a lively conversation with Pru, who was perched on a stool at the kitchen island.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this," Tuck remarked looking at the calendar. 

Ben chuckled. "She's been looking forward to this for weeks. I just hope she doesn't end up skinning her knee."