Chrissy Moone

Chapter 24

"What do you want for breakfast, Maxie?" I ask, my voice thick with enthusiasm.

"Pancakes. Apple pancakes." Max says solemnly and confidently.

"Aye aye captain," I laugh, saluting him. "Wanna help?"
"Yes!" Max squeals, turning his back to me so I can tie an apron around him.
He doesn't really need an apron, he just likes wearing it.

I tie the apron with dogs printed on it around Max's small body, then fetch a big bakers hat from the cupboard and place it on his head.

He turns to face me and giggles, the hat slipping over his eyes. He walks around the kitchen, unable to see any of his surroundings.

We laugh in unison, and I fondly lift the hat back up above his eyebrows.

"Let's get started then," I smile, dragging the stool from the corner and putting it against the counter. I hoist Max up and plonk him on the stool.

"Now, Max. Call out the ingredients for me." I order, holding the cupboard doors open.

"Eggs... Milk... Sugar, no no. The sugars not in the cupboard it's in the larder. Yeah, that's it. And flour. Oh and salt, that's on the shelf." Max reads as I gather the ingredients
and organise them on the shelf.

"Max, will you get the milk and eggs, please?" I ask, taking down the weighing scales and putting a frying pan on the hob.

"Absolutely, Chrissy!" Max says brightly, waddling over to the fridge to do the task I asked of him.

In the meantime, I weigh out the flour and sugar, sieving it into the bowl.

Max walks back over to me with the eggs and milk, with an angelic look.

"Here you are, Chris!"

"What did you do?" I ask, my eyebrows furrowed in suspicion.

"Nothing!" Max protests.

"Then what's this?" I question, pointing at the milk that is laying above his upper lip. "Did you drink out of the carton again? You know you're not supposed to do that, Max."

"I didn't! This is just... My moustache! I've been growing it, see. You just didn't notice it!"

"Then why is it white?" I say, amused at his excuse.

"I'm... I'm getting old! Got a few white hairs!"

I laugh out loud at his response and wipe away his 'moustache' with my sleeve.

I let Max pour in the milk, and I crack the eggs. I sprinkle some salt in and fold everything together, leaving the pancake mix with Max as I slice the apple into cubes.

I swipe the apple cubes off the chopping board into the mix and let Max use the spatula to hide the apple cubes beneath the thick batter.

Max cuts a sliver of butter and lets it sizzle on the pan, then -with my supervision- picks up the pan and slides the butter around the frying pan.

I get the ladle and pour the batter onto the pan, trying my best to get it into a neat circle. Maxie and I watch intently as yellow floods onto the batter.

I shuffle the spatula under the pancake, lift it up slightly, and peak under to check the colouring of beneath. Satisfied with what I've seen, I take a chance, feeling confident, and take the frying pan off the hob and flip the pancake.

"YES!" I yell once the pancake lands safely back into the pan, it being brown mixed with cream, a good old pancake colour.

Maxie and I make six pancakes, two for all of us. Suddenly my phone beeps from where it is charging.

Hey, Chris! If it's not much bother could I come over for breakfast and then we could go out somewhere? At home is chaos! Justin :)