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Maggie was helping Liz in the kitchen, as much as a three-year-old could help with decorating cookies. “And Mommy and Daddy are going to be a princess and a prince.”
“Are they?” Liz asked, quickly snatching the big pastry bag full of frosting away for one much more suited to little hands. “You know, your mommy used to play princess all the time. She would put on a tiara and build castles using the couch cushions.”
With a tiny gasp, Maggie looked at her with wide eyes. “That’s a good idea,” she declared with all her toddler wisdom. “Let’s do that!”
Patiently, Liz moved a bare cookie in front of her. “Let’s finish the cookies first so we can share them with Mommy and Daddy.”
“And Daddy can help build the castle. He’s good at building things. He’s an auchtect.”
“Architect.”
“Yeah, auchtect.” Maggie’s tongue poked out as she scribbled over a cookie with frosting. “But it’s Halloween, so today, he’s just a prince.”
Liz smiled as she passed her a fresh cookie to decorate. “Does he save Mommy from a dragon?”
Giving the matter some thought, Maggie gave a serious little shake of her head. “No, Mommy has a nice dragon, like a puppy. Daddy brings it lots of treats so Mommy will like him better. She didn’t at first, you know.”
All too familiar with their turbulent courtship in high school, Liz barely hid a smile. “She didn’t?”
“But he tried really hard for her to take a chance on him,” she answered certainly, like it was an old bedtime story she knew by heart. “And he made sure she never changed her mind.”
“Sounds like a happily ever after to me.”
They both looked up to see Klaus and Caroline watching them from the doorway. Klaus, who’d spoken, kissed his wife’s cheek before moving to help Maggie with her latest design. Caroline joined her mother instead, who immediately placed a hand on her baby bump. “How was the appointment?”
With a dreamy smile, Caroline steals a cookie and bites into it. “All good so far, and the doctor told us the gender.” She nodded toward Klaus and Maggie, whose eyes grew three times as he whispered in her ear.
“I’m getting a little brother?!”
Liz gave a teary laugh, “She’s such a good storyteller.”