Tayvis One-Shots

little miss sunshine

Taylor's POV

The sound of tiny feet pattering across the hardwood floor is my morning wake-up call. Before I even open my eyes, I hear her voice, a sweet, high-pitched stream of baby gibberish, punctuated by a very clear "Mommy!"

I barely have time to sit up before the door creaks open, and there she is, my little sunshine, her curls wild from sleep, clutching her stuffed bunny by one floppy ear. She's wearing the mismatched pajamas she insisted on last night, blue polka-dot pants and a pink shirt with a dinosaur on it.

"Mommy, 'wake! Sun's up!" she declares, pointing dramatically at the window as if I need proof.

I laugh, holding my arms out to her. "Good morning, Everly."

She toddles over, climbing into my lap with surprising determination for someone so small. Her bunny gets squished between us, but she doesn't seem to mind.

"Bunny hungry," she announces seriously, holding up the stuffed toy.

"Oh, is he?" I play along, brushing a curl out of her face. "What's Bunny want for breakfast?"

"Pancakes!" she says with absolute conviction, then pauses, tilting her head as if considering something very important. "An' syrup. An' sprinkles."

"Sprinkles, huh? Fancy bunny," I tease, kissing the top of her head.

She giggles, squirming out of my arms and bouncing on the bed like it's her personal trampoline. "Mommy, up! Pancakes!"

"Alright, alright, I'm coming," I say, laughing as I swing my legs out of bed.

Just as we're about to head to the kitchen, Travis appears in the doorway, his hair a mess and a sleepy grin on his face. "What's all this commotion?" he teases, rubbing his eyes.

"Daddy!" Everly squeals, launching herself at him with the kind of energy only a toddler can muster.

He scoops her up, holding her high above his head, and she shrieks with laughter. "You're up early, little one," he says, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "What's the plan for today?"

"Pancakes!" she declares, wiggling in his arms.

"With sprinkles," I add, grinning at him.

"Sprinkles? You two are living the high life," he jokes, setting her down so she can race to the kitchen.

We follow her, hand in hand, and Travis leans down to kiss my temple. "Morning, angel."

"Morning," I say, squeezing his hand.

In the kitchen, Everly's already climbed onto her stool, banging her little hands on the counter. "I help!"

"You've got this, Sunshine," Travis says to Everly, tying her tiny apron around her waist while I get the ingredients.

We mix the batter together, and Travis lets her stir, even though she's mostly just making a mess. When it's time for sprinkles, she grabs a handful and tosses them into the bowl with an excited "Ta-da!"

"Perfect technique," Travis says seriously, making her giggle.

As the pancakes cook, he wraps his arms around me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder. "Think I get a plate, or does Bunny get first dibs?" he murmurs.

"Bunny gets one," I tease, leaning back into him.

"Unreal," he says, pressing a kiss to my neck.

When the pancakes are ready, we all sit at the table, Everly with her sticky fingers, me trying to keep the syrup off her curls, and Travis stealing bites off my plate just to make me roll my eyes.