Page 15 of Sweet Home

“Do you have a nickname?” Elizabeth asked.

“Dulcie is my nickname,” Dulcie told her, nodding. “My full name is Dulcinea.”

“That’s a good name for a princess,” Elizabeth decided.

“I guess,” Dulcie said, shrugging. “How about we call you Libby?”

“No,” Elizabeth said, but her eyes were sparkling.

“Betsy?” she tried.

“No,”Elizabeth yelled, looking delighted.

“Bitsy?” Dulcie offered.

“Not, Bitsy,”Elizabeth laughed.

“What about Little Bit?”Dulcie asked.

“No, no, no,” Elizabeth said.

“Oh, fine,” Dulcie said, sighing in pretend frustration. “I was saving this one for a special occasion, but I guess you leave me no choice.”

“What is it?” Elizabeth asked.

“Lilibet,” Dulcie said, expecting to get a belly laugh out of the little girl before she yellednoagain.

“Lilibet,” Elizabeth said thoughtfully. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Dulcie echoed, amazed.

“Yes,” Elizabeth replied.

“Okay,Lilibet,” Dulcie said. “Let’s make some pancakes.”

They got started together on the task at hand. Dulcie added ingredients, but let the little girl do a lot of the stirring. After a few minutes, they had a nice batter prepared.

“Do you want these to be magical princess pancakes?” Dulcie asked. “Or regular ones.”

“Magic princess ones, please,” Elizabeth said.

“Excellent choice,” Dulcie told her. “Close your eyes, please.”

“Why?” Elizabeth asked.

“Because the magic won’t work if you watch,” Dulcie told her.

Elizabeth dutifully obeyed, putting her floury hands up to her eyes.

Dulcie dropped a tiny bit of red food coloring into the batter and added a generous handful of rainbow sprinkles.

“Keep your eyes closed,” she told Dulcie. “And give me your hand.”

Elizabeth held out a hand and Dulcie put the mixing fork into it.

“Now stirgently,”she told her. “While I say the magic words.”

Keeping hold of Elizabeth’s hand, she helped her stir.

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