Page 49 of Ugly Duckling
Sutton was unfazed as she replied with, “I just told her that she could trade her toy in for ice cream if she didn’t open it.”
I frowned. “She can?”
“Yeah.” Her brows rose. “Shouldn’t you as a parent know that kind of thing?”
“I usually just buy her the ice cream and don’t question it,” I admitted. “The toy is usually pretty lame. Ice cream is way better.”
“Ouse cream is betta,” Lottie said around a bite of chicken nugget.
“No chewing with your mouth open, darlin’,” I teased.
Lottie mimed closing her mouth and locking it with a key.
I winked at her and started on my own food, watching the two interact through the rest of the short lunch.
Lottie finished all of her food, including two bites of salad off of Sutton’s plate.
“Ewww,” Lottie groaned as she spit out the tomato.
“Here,” Sutton offered. “Try it without the tomato, and with this little bite of egg and chicken nugget. It’s better.”
Lottie took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. “Okay, betta.”
Seriously, miracles were being performed here, and I had no clue how.
“Seriously, what sorcery is this?” I shook my head as I watched them finish their food.
“Just two girls trying new things,” Sutton teased. “Isn’t that right, Lottie?”
“Right!”
Again with the high-pitched scream.
Seriously, did little girls ever have any other octave?
“Almost time for that ice cream. You have two more chicken nuggets left.” Sutton pointed at Lottie’s masticated chicken nuggets.
“Ohhhhkay.” Lottie snatched the half-chewed nuggets and tossed them into her mouth.
Sutton started to gather trash, and I said, “I’ll go exchange this out.”
While I was gone, they’d completely cleaned off the entire table, giving me ample room to set my brownie, milkshake, and two ice cream cones down.
“Which one do you want?” I asked Sutton as I handed Lottie her cone.
She immediately started going to town while Sutton looked at my food and said, “Which one do you want the least?”
“That’s definitely not what I asked you.” I snorted. “Pick one.”
She went for the shake before changing her mind and heading for the plain vanilla cone.
I handed her the shake, then brought the cone toward my mouth and took a bite.
She blinked. “Did you just bite that ice cream with your teeth?”
“Yeah.” I swallowed. “Why?”
“Because only psychopaths do that.” She looked at Lottie, literally doing the same thing.
