Page 27 of After Midnight
“Can we make pancakes?”
"Sure, son. But no chocolate. We can do strawberry banana."
He cheered and scrambled off the bed.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed, running a hand through my beard while he ran ahead toward the kitchen. I used the bathroom and washed my face quickly. By the time I made it to the kitchen, Melo had already dragged his little stool over to the counter.
“Apron,” he requested.
“Yes, Chef,” I said, grabbing the small apron Kendrix bought him before he was even born.
I tied it around his waist while he watched me seriously.
“Chef Melo’s ready,” he announced.
“Alright, Chef Melo.” I reached for the mixing bowl and started pulling ingredients from the cabinet. Flour. Eggs. Milk. He watched closely like he always did.
“Daddy?”
“Yeah?”
“You gonna cook today?”
“I always cook, buddy.”
“But like at the restaurant.”
“Yeah,” I said, cracking an egg into the bowl. “Later, after I drop you off at Mee-Mee and Pop-Pop's house.”
He nodded in satisfaction as we prepared the batter. It didn't take long for me to whip up the pancakes and for us to be sitting down to eat. I heard my phone ringing in my room.
"I'll get it!" Melo offered, jumping out of his seat running towards my room. He already had the phone to his ear when he walked back in. "It's Mee-Mee, Daddy. Hi, Mee-Mee!"
I chuckled because I could hear my mother's warm voice on the phone.
"Hi, my love!" she gushed.
"Put it on speaker, son," I asked.
Melo did it and sat back in his seat. "We eating pancakes, Mee-Mee," he said, shoving a big bite in his mouth. "Want some?" he asked, mouth full.
I smirked and took the phone from his hand. "Don't talk with your mouth full, Melo. Remember you could choke." He nodded. "Hey, Ma. How's my favorite girl?" I spoke into the phone.
"Wonderful. How is my baby boy on this beautiful morning?" she cooed.
"I'm pretty good. Gonna take Melo to grab some new shoes before I drop him off to you guys."
"No. Don't worry about that. Me and Pop-Pop can take him. Then we're gonna go to lunch and to the park. We're gonna have a whole day of fun."
"Yayyyy!" Melo cheered raising his arms in the air. "Can we get ice cream too, Mee-Mee?"
"No," I said.
"Yes, we can grandson," my father's deep voice came on.
I smirked and looked over at my son who was grinning because he knew his Pop-Pop would tussle with me.
"Morning, Pops," I greeted him.
