The 22 days

Day: 12

 "Good morning." Carter mumbled sleepily. He didn't seem to have had a very good night sleep.

She on the other hand, was well rested, and looked very upbeat as she walked around the kitchen, "Good morning."

"What are you doing?" He asked frowning, seeing her stirring something in a bowl.

She smiled, "Pancakes."

"Really?" He looked surprised.

"You don't like it?"

"I do. I just... it's been awhile since I had any."

"How do I look?" They both heard Joey ask and turned to see him walking into the kitchen, with his little paper hat on his head. He wanted to look like a chef.

"You look great baby."

"You're cooking too?" Carter asked.

Joey smiled hard, "We're making pancakes, you wanna help?"

Carter waved his hand, declining, "I'll let you help your mom with this one."

"Here," She handed Carter a mug with coffee. He looked like he needed one.

"Thanks. I dreamed with that." He took a big gulp and sighed.

"You look like you didn't sleep enough."

"It took me awhile to get some, and it didn't last."

"Well, it's Sunday, you can eat and go back to bed."

"I may do that. Or take a nap after lunch." He seemed to be teasing her as he said it, which made her smile.

"You should. It's really good. Energizing even."

Carter only nodded then went to get his newspaper.

"Now you hold this for me." She handed the bowl to Joey while she got the pan ready. In the last couple of days that she had spent in the house, Carter was the one making her breakfast, and it was great, since it helped her feed well and opened her appetite, but this morning she wanted to return the favor.

"How is it?" This time, Joey was the one asking, anxious for the verdict on his cooking assistance skills.

Carter laughed, "It's really good. I like them fluffy like that. I'll have to learn how to make them that way."

"Mommy can teach you. She can cook anything." Joey said confidently.

Carter's eyebrows went up along with hers, "Is that so?"

"Tell him mommy."

"Well, almost anything I guess." Although she did believe she could cook anything, having the needed ingredients, she didn't want to sound conceited by admitting.

They enjoyed breakfast silently for a few minutes, hers including pieces of fruit, a small pile of pancakes and a tall glass of juice, as she was trying to decrease her daily consumption of coffee – She knew she couldn't give it up completely. And theirs, two tall piles of pancakes, eggs, and for Joey, milk while Carter drank another mug filled with coffee.

"Shawn, can we play Marbles today?" Joey asked, pausing for the first time since he started eating.

Carter looked up, but didn't respond, which made her think he had other things to do. "Honey, what about Darnell? Don't you want to play with him?"

Carter shook his head no while finishing chewing the food in his mouth, "He has an appointment today. He's getting trimmed up."

"Oh really? Joey actually needs that too. One of these days I'll have to take him to-"