Cast of Thousands, chapter 16
Monday mornings always seemed a little odd to Jess and her family. Somehow she felt more tired on Mondays than any other weekday, even though in theory she'd just had a long restful break.
Kelly made waffles for them all, this Monday, spreading the table as lavishly as if she had made the waffles from scratch instead of in the toaster. There was butter, margarine, organic maple syrup, boysenberry syrup, apple syrup from their trip to Apple Hill, apple syrup from the Farmers' Market, and whipped cream in a can, which Jessica was spraying directly into her mouth.
"Oh, that is so gross! Joyce, why are you letting her do that?" Kelly protested when she turned and saw this tomfoolery going on.
"I don't see as how it matters much," Joyce remarked, spreading butter on her waffle. "It all goes in her mouth anyway. Might as well cut to the chase."
"But her mouth is on the spout!"
"Oh, you've seen worse," Joyce said pragmatically, if a little nonsensically.
"Glumph wllf mrm sup sllm," Jessie began, whipped cream spilling over the edges of her mouth, but both her mothers cried out, "Stop! Stop! Not with your mouth full!"
She swallowed and licked her lips. "I said, I'm going to stop soon."
"Oh, the compromise that helps no one. Pass the syrup, please." Kelly seated herself at the round table.
"Which one? Wait, why am I even asking?" Joyce pushed all the bottles toward Kelly.
"Syrup junkie, syrup junkie! Moms is a syrup junkie!" Jessie chanted, spearing a piece of unadorned waffle with her fork. "Are you sure Kitten's not out?"
Kelly equably poured stripes of fruity syrups diagonally across her waffle. "Hush, you. I saw you with that whipped cream!"
"But I didn't put it on my waffle, "Jessie said in logical tones. Joyce laughed, almost choking on her bite of waffle.
"Of course, why didn't I think of that. You're definitely above reproach in the area of waffle consumption," Kelly replied, slicing her waffle perpendicular to the syrup stripes.
Jessie admired it from across the table. "Maybe that should be my next project for Art class. I could paint a still life of Moms' waffles. Or do a sculpture of the pieces. Or make stained glass of it!"
"But first you have to get to school," Joyce pointed out. "Finish up quick and I'll drive you. I have to run errands today anyway."
"Woohoo!" Jessie hooted, gobbling it up.
"Slowly, slowly! Your mom doesn't drive an ambulance!" Kelly protested.
"I thought it was a fire truck." Jessie slowed down marginally.
"That either. Or a police car. Or a Coast Guard ship."
Jessica collected her schoolwork and hopped in the car. She loved getting to ride in the front seat, with its full view of the road and control of the radio, even more than she loved just getting a ride to school.
Chapter 17?