Natalie and Mason fretted too much. Usually, they worried about keeping ingredients stocked or whether or not their daughters would nail that dance combination. Today, they worried about watching the neighbors’ children.
“Do you think they will need bread?” Natalie asked Mason. “I would not want to show up unprepared and end up letting the poor children go hungry!”
“I’m certain that the Hopscotch Rabbits have food in their house, Natalie. But, if you are worried, I’ll bring a basket of bread,” Mason reassured his wife before prepping a basket of his bakery’s bread.
“Mother, you must not worry so much. Everything will be fine. And, it’s a short walk to our house,” Rose pointed out.
“Alright, let’s get going,” Natalie beckoned.
One by one, Natalie, Mason, Lily, Felicia, Rose, Ginni, and Olive stepped outside. Lily carried a simple assortment of bread from her father’s bakery. They made a right turn towards the Deluxe Village House, where Heidi and Harlin were already waiting outside. The adults did their polite good mornings as usual.
“Thank you again. We are very grateful,” Heidi thanked.
“Of course!” Natalie replied.
“Oh wait, mother, father, may I go with the Hopscotch Rabbits? I actually have an important errand to run. I’m supposed to visit the head office once every two months for logistics. This is the perfect opportunity!” Felicia butted in.
“No, the Hopscotch Rabbits have a very important meeting today,” Mason decided.
“No, no, it’s okay! We’ll gladly drop her off!” Harlin said.
“Well, then, that’s fine.” Mason changed his mind.
“Thank you!” Felicia thanked, knowing that Harlin was in on her grand plan.
Before the three of them could speed off, Natalie had yet another pressing question. This time it was: “Eh, what happened to your back row of seats and baby seats?”
“The mattress we left in the living room, because someone might need to rest midday. Feel free to lie down whenever you need to. The car seats we placed outside the house; the babies like to play pretend cars sometimes,” Heidi explained with perfection.
“Oh, I see. Have a safe ride now!” Natalie responded.
It seemed that everything was perfect. Natalie and the rest of the cats walked into what was a perfect house. Everything was tidy and plush. The floors were scrubbed to cleanness. The children were the most well behaved, and the kitchen was loaded with food.
“It doesn’t even feel like a job!” Mason remarked happily as he watched the babies get to playing. The table had already been set by Bellia. There were spoons, teacups, plates, a teapot, and a full pot of boiled flour on the table.
Added with the snacks Heidi kept in the kitchen, and there would be plenty to go around for the day.
Meanwhile, Heidi and Harlin were chatting with Felicia on the way to town.
“You are such a good daughter,” Harlin complimented. “Doing something nice like this for your parents.”
“Yes, they are incredibly proud of you, young lady,” Heidi nodded.
Felicia, humble and polite, only thanked him for the compliment. The three got to town relatively quickly, heading directly to the pricy shops. After Felicia had worked out a price at the counter, Harlin and Heidi helped to move the island. (The price came down to about a month’s worth of salary as a junior editor).
“It’s a perfect fit,” Harlin happily announced.
It had been a worry whether or not the bulky kitchen addition would fit.
“We’ll have to stop at the grocery store if Felicia’s parents are going to get to make some breakfast tomorrow. We’ll need some vegan eggs, flour, and vegan milk,” Heidi said.
The three drove off, not stopping for lunch. They made a shortstop to buy basic ingredients and headed out on the road once more. Until, Harlin’s stomach grumbled by the time the critters were more than halfway between town and home.
“Oh, you must be hungry, dear,” Heidi noticed. “I packed a loaf of pound cake for us to share.”
Heidi passed out slices of moist pound cake as Harlin parked the car by the side of the beaten down country road.
After their quick pitstop, the three were back on the road again. They drove right up to Felicia’s house. Together, the three heaved the enormous thing inside the kitchen. With a bit of Heidi’s rearrangement skills, the kitchen island looked like it had always belonged. It was a tighter fit than Felicia had imagined, but it would definitely work.
“Now, to see the stage for their big surprise!” Heidi announced.
The three adults went to knock on the front door of the Hopscotchs’ house. Natalie swung the door open in an extremely good mood. In her background was a quiet tea party going on between the babies. The television was going on as Mason watched it.
“You’re back! How was it all?” Natalie asked as Mason was getting up from the couch.
“Great. Going to town is always such an attraction. It’s so different from here, but we’re happy to come home,” Heidi explained.
“Lovely,” Natalie responded.
“Let us walk you and everyone else home. It’s the polite thing to do,” Harlin said.
So, Natalie, Mason, Rose, Lily, Ginni, Olive, and Felicia were led home by Harlin and Heidi.
When Mason swung open the door, he was in for a happy surprise.
“Oh my! What is this?” he said with bubbling curiosity.
“It’s an anniversary gift, father, mother,” Felicia explained earnestly.
“Oh my, Felicia. This is so sweet of you,” Natalie complimented.
Before long, Harlin, Heidi, and Felicia had summed up their grand plan to move the kitchen island into the house undetected. Felicia even had to catch a big breath after going on for so long.
“I am astonished and impressed!” Mason remarked. He was in utter awe and respect of what Felicia had accomplished.
“Yes, truly,” Natalie added with her gracious approval.
Felicia smiled. She was so happy to hear her parents were proud of her.
The sun was setting as the rabbit couple shuffled out the door, past the deck, and into their own homes. Everyone had certainly had a tiring day, so everyone fell asleep within minutes. They slept soundly.
The next morning, Mason and Natalie woke up early once again. They gathered flour, vegan eggs, vegan milk, and a bit of yeast. Mixing well with the electric mixer, Mason created the perfect waffle batter. It was thick, well mixed, and the perfect golden beige color.
Natalie ladled it into the waffle machine, producing the most beautiful waffles. They were in the shapes of flowers and houses.
Pretty soon, all the children and babies had awoken to find a beautifully plated waffle breakfast to start off their parents’ wonderful anniversary!
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