Come Along

20

        I woke up to blinding light peaking through the curtains, the hum of the tv from downstairs, and a child on my lap. I instantly recalled the events of last night. Aiyanna had tried to run off and was of course punished. I looked at the dark marks on my arm from when the little runaway bit me; It still ached. I guess I shifted a bit too much when I glanced at my arm because Aiyanna stirred in her sleep. I gently stroked her hair in an attempt to calm her down so she'd sleep soundly, but the effects were quite the opposite seeing as she woke up right when I touched her. She mumbled a  'Hi' before yawning right in my face.

 "How about we go get some breakfast? I'm sure Carlo'll help us make some pancakes.'

 "But it's too earlyyyyyy." Aiyanna whined, but getting up nonetheless. It was just passed 6:30, and my family usually gets up around 8 or 9.

 "I'm sure if you help make breakfast mo-Angela and Daven'll forgive you." I stopped myself from saying 'mom and dad' because I know she doesn't like being told they're her parents or being told to call them her parents.

      We went down to the kitchen to see Carlo in the apron he always borrows getting out the ingredients for pancakes; it's his specialty. When did he even get here? Him and Dante probably got bored and came over sometime last night.

"Hey," I said, causing him to jump. 

"Jeez! Don't creep up on me like that!"

 "Mind if me and Aiyanna help you make breakfast?" I asked, gesturing to The little girl who was currently grabbing aprons for the two of us. She handed me a solid black one saying 'It matches my hair' and continued putting on a much too large  red-violet one. I clipped the apron up so it wouldn't drag on the floor. Me and Carlo were just finished getting everything out and he was reading us the measurements when Dante stumbled downstairs.

"G'morning Dante."

"Hi." He said as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"I'm assuming you guys crashed in my room last night?"

"Yup, where were you?" Carlo answered.

"I fell asleep in Aiyanna's room." 

             Carlo continued explaining the measurements to me and Aiyanna while Dante sat at the breakfast bar watching. Me and Carlo did the measurements and cracked the eggs so Aiyanna could put everything into the big mixing bowl. I had to lift Aiyanna up so she could reach the top of the counter well enough to mix. I poured a little bit of the batter into the pan as Carlo explained his technique for flipping the pancakes. He flipped it on his own at first before handing it over to me. I have terrible hand-eye coordination so it didn't go so well. Instead of taking the pan from my hand, he grabbed my hand and guided me through the motion. After I got the hang of it, I showed Aiyanna how to do it. She never really got the hang of it, but she didn't care.

"Hey Dante, wanna flip some pancakes? I asked. Carlo laughed and Dante sent him a 'shut up' kinda look. 

"What?"I questioned curiously.

"Dante can't flip pancakes, I tried to teach him about a million times but he only gets worse." Carlo replied with a chuckle.

"I can flip a pancake!" Dante said stubbornly. He poured some batter into the pan, waiting for it to be ready to flip. Once it was, he flipped it, right onto his face.

"HOT HOT HOT." He said loudly while flinging the pancake back into the pan. His expression went from pain to disappointment to emmbarasment. 

"Here," I said, moving behind him and grabbing his hand just like Carlo did to help me but the only difference was that I had entwined our hands that weren't on the pan, and he was leaning slightly back into me. I lead him through the motion of flipping it a few times before I let go and let him try on his own. It not only flipped, but it flipped twice. 

"Whoa," Carlo said. "How the heck did you go from flipping it onto your face to a double flip?!"

"No idea." Dante said, obviously impressed with himself. Carlo finished making the pancakes, me and Dante cut up fresh strawberries and bananas, and Aiyanna set up the dinning table.

"Well, this is nice to wake up to!" Mom said, clearly suprised. Alice always wakes up early, but she finally came downstairs once everyone was downstairs talking, eating, and generally making noise. It was nice to sit down as a family, but I could tell Aiyanna was uncomfortable. She was sitting next to mom and I caught her looking at mom with a rather scared expression. Well, I don't think scared is the right word, more like unsettled.

               ~Cesira