Chapter 153

Sofia. Mornings in our house were never quiet. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. The kitchen smelled like warm syrup, cinnamon, and something unmistakably homey. Sunlight streamed through the windows, golden and soft, casting a warm glow over the absolute war zone unfolding in front of me. Jade stood on his stool, spatula in hand, looking every bit like a tiny war general as he surveyed the griddle. “Mama, this is serious. We need maximum efficiency if we’re gonna get pancakes and whipped cream before Alexei does.” Gosh, he sounded like Schmidt from New Girl when he said that, I cackled internally. Alexei, sitting on the counter beside Arsen, scoffed. “You act like I can’t hear you.” Jade ignored him. Instead, he turned to Lorelai, who was standing beside me, her tiny hands clutching a measuring cup filled with flour. "Lory, you’re on mixing duty." Lorelai nodded solemnly. “Mix.” Jade nodded back like this was a military operation. “Good. Uncle Renzo’s in charge of toppings.” Renzo