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It was early in the morning, sunlight only just starting to peek in through the windows of the little cottage, and Celestine was already awake, throwing her bed sheets aside and stealthily making her way out to the kitchen. The house was completely silent aside from the quiet sounds of her dads sleeping in their bedroom across the hall, but the little girl knew she had to work fast to get everything done before they woke up. She picked up her step stool and carried it over to the counter, careful not to make a sound as she began gathering the materials for her carefully crafted plan.
Meanwhile Ruby Carbuncle scampered over, leaping onto the counter and walking over to the small stove as Celestine filled it with pieces of wood and sticks.
“Okay Ruby," Celestine looked up at her cohort, "Dad showed me how he lights the stove but he said that I’m not allowed to do it by myself or without someone watching so you have to watch me and help me, okay?”
Ruby nodded and sat up on her hind legs to salute the young princess in the most serious way that a small fluffy creature could.
“Yes, ma’am! Operation: Breakfast Surprise is go!”
And with that the two of them got to work.
Sunlight was streaming through the cracks in the curtains of the cottage’s main bedroom and the warm scents of butter and vanilla finally began to make their way to the back of the house. Jougo smiled, nuzzling into his pillow as the delicious smell began to rouse him from slumber.
“Mmm… Breakfast smells amazing, Mamo…” he sleepily mumbled into his pillow, already excited to see what his husband had been up to in the kitchen.
But as he rolled over in their large bed, he found that the space next to him was still occupied.
“Hmm? What do you want for breakfast?” Mamoru’s sleepy voice murmured back, still not awake himself.
But as the aroma from outside reached him, the gears in his head began working the sleepiness away and his eyes slowly blinked open. Jougo couldn’t cook, and he was still in bed. If it wasn't either of them, then who was in the kitchen…?
Before either of them could fully wake up and answer that question, the bedroom door creaked open and Celestine walked in, doing her best to carry a tray holding two plates of pancakes and scrambled eggs as well as a card.
“Happy Father’s Day!” she cheered as she brought the tray up to the bed.
Jougo rubbed his eyes and yawned, taking the tray and pulling it on to the bed, “Did you make breakfast all by yourself?”
On the tray sat two stacks of pancakes, all of them a little misshapen, alongside some piles of scrambled eggs that looked like they were starting to brown before she got them on the plate, and next to one plate sat a cup of tea and the other a cup of coffee with maybe more cream than Jougo would normally use, but everything in front of them smelled amazing.
Celestine nodded, beaming with pride. “Mmhm! I used the recipe book Dad made me to make the pancakes and I’ve scrambled eggs lots of times before!” she suddenly paused and turned to Mamoru, “Oh! But don’t worry, Ruby was keeping an eye on me so I actually wasn’t using the stove all by myself!”
Right on cue, Ruby walked into the room, jumping up on the bed and settling herself into Mamoru’s lap. He scratched the little creature’s ears but he wasn’t sure if knowing that Ruby was keeping an eye on things made him feel better or worse about the whole thing, he’d have to make sure to tell Celestine later that Ruby didn’t count as having “adult supervision”, but it seemed like everything turned out well in the end anyway, and it made his heart swell seeing everything his daughter had done for them.
“Thank you so much, Celestine," He smiled at her, "You did a great job!”
“You’re welcome! I wanted to do something super special for you because you’re both the most amazing bestest dads ever!”
Jougo quickly scooped up his daughter into a big hug. “Well you’re the bestest daughter ever!”
Celestine started laughing and Mamoru watched them with a fond smile. He reached for the card that was folded on the tray, saving it from being knocked into their breakfast, and opened it up. Inside was a picture Celestine had drawn of all three of them with a big heart above them and the words “For the bestest dads in the whole world! Happy Father's Day!”
Jougo finally released his daughter, and got ready to start eating when he noticed that there were only two plates on the tray.
He turned bak to his daughter. “Did you make food for yourself too, Celestine?”
She just smiled at her parents and nodded. “Mine is still in the kitchen. I had to make sure I brought you yours first because it’s your special day today!”
Mamoru chimed in, “Why don’t you bring yours in here too and eat with us then?”
“Really? But this is all supposed to be just for you!”
Jougo chuckled, “Well, we only get to celebrate today because we have an amazing daughter like you, so it only makes sense that you should celebrate with us!”
“Okay! I’ll be right back!” And with that she quickly disappeared back into the kitchen to grab her own breakfast.
As she left the room the two proud parents started getting their plates situated, both of them holding back tears of joy.
“She’s gotten really good at this.” Jougo said as he took a sip of his coffee, “She’s learned a lot from you.”
Mamoru laughed, stirring his tea and looking back at the card sitting between them, “Well I think you’re the one who gives her the ideas for these things.”
Jougo finally opened the card himself to look at it, his heart warmed by the little picture drawn inside. “That wish was the best decision we ever made.”
“I think so too.”
Mamoru leaned over to kiss his husband’s cheek and both of them started to laugh as Celestine returned, and Ruby finally got up and moved off the bed so the family could enjoy their special breakfast together.