Dedicating Every Day to You

Chapter Twenty-Six

"I'm home!" I skip in through the back door, backpack swinging off one shoulder. My hair is dripping a little from the light drizzle of rain outside.

"Hey, little girl." John is at the kitchen table doing some kind of paperwork. He jumps up when he sees me and runs over to give me a hug. "How was school?"

"Okay. How was work?" My backpack is now abandoned on the floor.

"It was good. We got a new waitress today, named Abi. She's super sweet, but I don't think she's ever so much as strapped on an apron before today. She's a klutz like you."

Alex bursts in through the front door and crushes us both in a hug. "Hello, husband. Hello, mini-me!"

"I'm not mini-you. If anything, I'm taller than you now." I stretch onto my tiptoes.

"No you're not." Alex puts a hand on my head and squishes me back down.

"Yes, I am." I push against his hand.

John laughs. "No, you're not."

I jump into the air. "Yes I am, yes I am!"

My shoelace is untied, and I trip over it and fall on my butt. John pulls me up, grinning. "I've got dinner almost ready, and I just finished filling out the health insurance forms for this quarter." The oven beeps, and he turns. "There we go, it is ready!"

I walk over and grab plates and forks as John takes a tray out of the oven. Setting the table is my job- I'm not allowed to help John make dinner anymore since the Unfortunate Lasagna Incident of last month.

"Play ball!" Alex crows, then throws a napkin at me. I use a plate as a shield to block it, but it slips out of my fingertips and smashes on the floor.

John sighs. "I'll go get the broom. Kathryn, carefully pick up the big pieces and put them in the paper bag. Alex- just don't touch anything."

After a few minutes, we're all settled down at the table. We're having breakfast for dinner, so there are pancakes and bacon and eggs. Alex says grace, and then we dig in.

"That's a lot of syrup, Dad." I gesture to Alex's pancakes, which are drowning in maple syrup that he bought on our trip to Canada.

"I'll share with John." Alex takes a bite of pancake.

John does, indeed, dip a strip of pancake in Alex's syrup. "So, Lexi, how was work?"

"Oh, it was great. I finally got Jefferson and Madison to agree to meet with me about my plan. I think I've really swayed Washington, too."

"I got the date for my opening night of Cinderella!" I'm busy cutting my scrambled eggs into tiny pieces, because I like tiny food.

"When is it?" John addresses both of us.

"June sixth at seven," Alex and I respond simultaneously. We look at each other and laugh.

"I'm really excited to go to your opening, Kathryn." John smiles. "Hopefully, Alex, you can reschedule your meeting so we can both be there for her."

Alex looks a little sheepish. "I already rescheduled two debates and opted out of a crisis meeting for our Canada weekend and our New York trip. Unfortunately, I can't skip this. If I do, I'll never get this done."

"Please, Dad?" I wouldn't normally ask, but this is kind of important to me. My opening night is always a big deal, and this is the first one I'll have with them.

"I'm sorry, honey. I'll come for your Saturday show, but this is really important." Alex is pushing his food around on his plate.

I shove my own plate away. I'm not hungry anymore. John sees my expression and turns to Alex. "Alex, this is really important to her. Can't you take one day off?"