As she opened her mouth to continue, William blurted, “Which one?”
She froze mid-breath and stared at him. “Will, you asked a follow-up question.”
He blinked. “I did, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you did,” she said. “Since you lost, you now have to pay for my pancakes.”
She smiled. “You should feel lucky that was all I asked for.”
“My wallet appreciates your mercy,” William said, grinning.
They turned toward the counter where Manny and the only other customer were
chatting. Casey leaned in again.
“Love-A-Lot. The Care Bear was Love-A-Lot. I took it to the beach with my family,
and it never came back.” She paused, thoughtful. “My dad always said I forgot it,
but I think he left it on purpose to keep sand out of his station wagon.”
“That sucks. Did you ever get a replacement?”
“No. By the time I lost it, I think Care Bears weren’t cool anymore. Stores didn’t
carry them. Or at least that’s what I was told.”
Manny returned with their food. Casey cut her pancakes as he set the syrup beside
her.
“Thank you,” she told him. “It looks delicious. Even more delicious now that I know
Will is paying for it.”
“Well, William’s quite the gentleman,” Manny said with a knowing smile.
“Thank you,” William said. Manny smiled back and returned to his conversation at
the counter.
When their plates were cleared, William glanced at the time. Breakfast hadn’t taken
as long as he hoped.
“Okay,” he said. “It’s only eleven. We’ve got three and a half hours until school
lets out.”