Page 5 of Power Play

“Pancakes.”

“Again? I made them yesterday.”

“Pancakes,” she says more insistently.

“Okay, okay, little boss.” I laugh, pulling her down and nestling her on my chest. “With blueberries?”

“No, strawbees.”

I sigh, hiding my nose in her brown hair that smells like cotton candy. “Then strawberries it is.”

“I love you, Mommy.”

Closing my eyes, I hug her tighter, reveling in her warmth and sweet scent. I might be angry with Eli, might despise him for how he left us…but I can’t bring myself to hate him. If it weren’t for him, I would’ve never had her, and I refuse to even think about a world in which this little girl doesn’t exist.

“I love you too, baby.” I open my eyes and find her looking at me. “Let’s go to the kitchen. Today is a busy day.”

Maya kisses my nose, rolls off me, and climbs out of bed. She starts rubbing her eyes, and I shake my head. It’s something I’ve noticed her doing a lot lately, and it bothers me. I’ll need to schedule an appointment with her doctor, to make sure that everything’s fine and I’m just being paranoid.

After climbing out of bed, I kneel in front of her and take her hands away from her face. “Maya, what did I tell you about your eyes? Don’t do that, okay?”

She nods.

“All right, sweetie, time to wash your face. Do you want my help, or can you do it all by yourself?”

“I do it!”

“Good job! I’ll be in the kitchen.”

I kiss her forehead and straighten my back. Turning around, I quickly make my bed as she dashes out of the room. The sound of running water brings a smile to my face. If only every morning were like this one.

“Coop!”Maya squeals and barrels straight to the huge black Doberman that stands in the middle of the hallway with Drake holding him by his collar. Her arms wind around the dog’s neck, and she nuzzles her face in his fur.

I smile affectionately at the scene and then turn my head to my brother’s fiancée, Angie. She holds the door open for me; her floral dress does nothing to hide her small baby bump. “Hey, Angie.”

“Hey, Layla. Come on in. We’re almost ready,” she tells me as I walk past her.

“I didn’t want to be late, so we came, like, twenty minutes early.” A nervous giggle bolts out of my mouth, and I shut up.

Angie narrows her green eyes at me, and I mentally beg her not to say anything. Slowly, her lips stretch into a smile, and I relax. “You’re always welcome here. Twenty minutes early or not.” Angie steps closer and hugs me briefly, her long brown hairbrushing my cheek as she leans away. “I need to go check on the icing. Ava’s cake is almost ready.”

“Okay.” I watch her stroll to the kitchen with a smile on my face. Feeling his gaze on me, I turn my head to my brother. “Hey, Drake.”

“Hey.” He smiles and then glances at Maya with Cooper. “Maya, doesn’t your uncle Drake deserve a hug too?”

Maya giggles and finally steps back from Coop. Looking up, she raises her hands. Drake immediately lifts her and holds her close to him. She kisses his cheek and wraps her arm around his neck. The picture-perfect image warms my heart as I prop my shoulder against the wall. The bond between Drake and Maya never ceases to amaze me. They have so much love for each other. He’s going to be a perfect dad; I know it.

“How was your day?” he asks her.

Maya smiles brightly at Drake. “Good. I made pancakes with Mommy.”

“Wow, look at you! Already making pancakes?” She nods enthusiastically, her pigtails bouncing up and down. “Will you bring me one next time?”

“Yes.”

“I can’t wait, baby.” Drake kisses her cheek, his stubble making her ticklish. She giggles, and he puts her down. Maya instantly grabs Cooper’s ball and throws it. The dog scrambles on his feet and runs down the hallway to catch it. Maya’s cheerful laugh spreads through the space.

The time Coop spent with Maya and me while Drake and Angie were in France made my daughter love this dog more. And I can say he loves her just as much…the things he lets her do to him are unreal. I still need to show Angie the picture of her dog with a wig on his head and a yellow-and-black tie on his neck.

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