Finding You

2: Pancakes

WILL:

3 months earlier...

There's a strip of sunlight escaping my dark curtain, it happens to just land on my face. My face scrunches, and I turn onto my side. I pull the pillow over my head and will myself to go back to sleep. The birds are already chattering and chirping outside of my window, I turn over and glance at my alarm clock.

7:08 am

I sit up and ruffle my hair, my fingers getting caught in knots. I pull a black shirt over my head and head into Jiao's room.

She sleeps in a crowd of plush stuffed toys, snuggled in a lilac duvet. Glow in the dark stars are plastered all over the ceilings and walls. A reading book from last night placed onto the bed-side table. Her fingers curled around a toy dinosaur; her mouth opening and closing rhythmically, releasing soft snores. As I place a foot closer to her room, the wooden floor creaks underneath me and she stirs. She lets go of the dinosaur and turns onto her right side. I close the door quietly and head downstairs.

I reach downstairs and message Samantha a good morning.

I put on some Post Malone and begin making some pancakes.

Lots of flour, a whole bowl of batter and some syrup later, I carry two plates of pancakes up to dad and Jiao.

I knock on dad's room and there he is on the phone.

"Okay Julie thank you, could you just send me the files on my email and I'll deal with it myself. Okay sure, see you later", he says as he places the phone into his suit pocket and turns towards me. He smiles as he sees the pancakes and takes the plate from my hands.

"You're already ready? I wanted you to have breakfast in bed", I say slightly disappointed.

"That's okay, we'll have it with Jiao", he reassures me as he touches my shoulder.

We both walk to her room and she is on her bed, playing with a doll and a dinosaur. She is talking to herself, mumbling the dialogues of a supposed fairytale. Her small, scruffy ponytails are bopping away to her fascinating story.

"Hey Ji, you want some pancakes?", I ask going to sit on her bed.

She looks up at me, with adoration in her eyes.

"Pancakes?", she says showcasing her cheeky dimple

"Yep pancakes, I made them for you and dad",

"Oh thank you so much Will, I love pancakes", she says grabbing the plate of pancakes

"I really hope that you don't love them more than me", I tease as she begins to gobble down the syrup covered pancakes

My dad chuckles as she eats his pancakes.

I steal a pancake from Jiao's plate and start eating when I get a message.

I take my phone out of the pocket of my joggers, it's Sam.

S: good morning, why you up so early?

W: the birds woke me up lol, I just made pancakes for Ji and Dad

S: AW, how cute are you! want to bring me pancakes? ;)

W: I can't leave Ji at home cause dad is leaving soon

W: but you can come over and we can make more pancakes?

S: yeah, that sounds so good I'm hungry

W: see u soon

I look up from my phone to see Jiao with a clean plate, staring up at me with a little smirk on her face.

"All done!", she squeals as she runs off to play after handing me the plate.