Anything For Grace

Chapter 24

Penelope's POV...

"Good morning, Mommy." Grace greets me as I entered the kitchen.

I dance around the kitchen after kissing Grace's forehead. "Good morning, pretty girl."

Grace laughs, as she draws at the table. "Mommy, you're happy."

"Am I not always happy? I'm happy to see you, my beautiful girl." I grab a pan. "I'm happy that I woke up. I'm happy it's a Saturday morning."

Grace chuckles, "Well I'm happy too. Veronica's having a tea party with some of her friends and I'm invited." She lifts up her paper. "Do you have any fancy pearls?"

"I don't, but maybe Auntie Harper does." I lean onto the counter, looking at her drawings. "A tea party sounds fun. Ooh, the cookies are good too. It's going to be fun."

"Yeah, Miss Lindsey said she'd bake cookies and make a salad." She seemed excited, gleaming with excitement. "Could you come with me?"

I sighed, leaning over to her. "I unfortunately have to work, but I will be here to see you when you get back."

She looked down, bowing her head in disappointment.

"How about I make some pancakes? I'll even shape it into your favorite animal, a lion. Come on, they're your favorite." I bargain. "The next time you have a tea party, count me in. I'll make sure I'm not working and we'll have a great time. Promise." I offer my pinkie, winking.

She tries to hide her smile as she wraps her tiny pinkie around mine. "OK. With blueberry eyes, please." She requests.

I nod my head, grabbing the pancake mix from the cabinets.

Harper lurks in with her hair disheveled and her robe open. She looked rough like she's tossing and turning all night. "You can cook?"

"There's a lot of things I can do. Right, squirt?"

"Yes," Grace agrees. "I'm going to a tea party with Miss Lindsey and Veronica. Do you want to go?"

"Yeah, that sounds fun." Harper starts making her coffee and notices my bright mood.

I turn on the stove. "Awesome, I can't wait to hear about it when you guys get back." I hummed a random tune and it sparked Harper's curiosity.

"Wait, you're not going? You're working? You're awfully cheery on a Saturday morning before eleven." She whispers, arching her eyebrows. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing. I was in bed by nine, which is blissful." I turn to Grace. "Should the mane be whipped cream or syrup?"

"Whipped cream!" Grace laughs, excited.

"Whipped cream it is!" I matched her excitement and poured the batter onto the pan.

Harper gasps, assuming she knows everything. "You were with Elijah yesterday night."

"Shh!" I look at Grace, who was focused on her drawing. "I don't need Grace to hear."

Harper laughs. "You guys have been spending a lot of time together lately. In the office and out. Tell me the details." She sips her coffee as if it's tea and her eyebrows raised in curiosity. I could hear her thoughts; she was assuming we were getting close and the more time I spent with him took away from her and Grace. "Come on!"

"Not in front of the child." I turn to Grace. "Hey, pancakes will take about ten minutes. Why don't you go pick an outfit out for today?"

"OK."Grace hops down from the stool and rushes into the back.