Something warm pressed against my cheek over and over, and it pulled me out of my slumber. The softest giggle on the face of this planet tickled my ears before the blankets around me started moving. And when I felt the small body press against my own, my heart warmed.
“Morning, Asia,” I murmured.
She giggled. “Daddy made breakfast. Wanna know what he made?”
I peeked down at her with one eye. “I smell bacon.”
She nodded. “Uh-huh.”
I sniffed the air. “Mmm and eggs.”
She smiled. “Uh,huh.”
I sniffed a few more times. “And… fruit?”
“Bingo!”
Gavin’s voice came wafting down the hallway. “Asia?”
She scrambled out of my bed. “Yeah, Daddy?”
“Are you bothering Eva like I told you not to?”
I giggled and cleared my throat. “She’s never a bother, Gavin!”
Asia poked her head out the door. “Yeah, Daddy! I’m never a bother!”
His laughter echoed down the hallway. “Well, in that case, breakfast is ready if you two are hungry.”
I threw the covers off my body. “Don’t mind if I do.”
My stomach growled ravenously at the lack of sustenance as Asia took my hand. With a massive smile on her face, she tugged me out of the bedroom, and we both stumbled down the hallway. Exhaustion hung over me like a canopy, following me wherever I went. But, I kept up with Asia as we rounded the corner, raced down the stairs, and found our way to the kitchen table where our plates were already up and piping hot.
“Yummy! This one’s mine,” Asia said.
She claimed the Disney princess plate filled to the brim with cheesy eggs before Gavin set down in front of a massive mound of meat and toast. However, when my eyes found my plate, I thought the portions were a bit small.
I also pointed to the mug with a string hanging out of it. “What’s that?”
Gavin pointed with his knife. “That’s jasmine tea sweetened with honey. I didn’t have any decaf coffee, and the internet said it’s only got about twenty-five or so milligrams of caffeine.”
I eased myself into my chair. “Any excuse for why my plate is so much smaller than yours? Or even Asia’s, for that matter?”
He chuckled. “Just want you to take it slow. The last thing we want is you inhaling food and then getting sick.”
Asia nodded with her mouth full. “Yeah, Eva. Gotta be slow, okay?”
I grinned at her. “Are you gonna go slow with me?”
She slowed her chewing down, and it made my head fall back with laughter. I reached over and took her hand in mine before kissing her soft skin. Then my eyes gravitated to the small napkin sitting next to my tea. There were two massive, oval-looking pink pills sitting there, but it only took me a second to register what they were.
I picked up my prenatal vitamins and tossed them into my mouth before washing them down with the delightful jasmine tea. Then, I dug into the small plate of food in front of me. “Thank you for breakfast,” I said.
Gavin nodded. “I hope it sits well. If it doesn’t, let me know. Okay?”
I took a bite of my scrambled eggs. “Mmm, so good. There’s cheese in these.”
He grinned. “Always. Cheese makes everything better.”
