Lily gasped.
“Are we making another cake?”
“If you want to.”
She pulled out the apron and held it against her chest.
“Can we make the butterfly one again?”
“Absolutely.”
They waited until Saturday.
Hannah joined them in the kitchen, and the three of them spent the morning baking.
They made a chocolate cake with vanilla frosting, pink roses, and tiny white butterflies.
This time, Lily piped the flowers herself.
Some were crooked.
Some looked more like clouds than roses.
One butterfly broke when she tried to move it.
She looked up at her parents nervously.
“It’s not perfect.”
Hannah smiled.
“Neither are we.”
Daniel laughed.
“And that’s okay.”
Lily carefully placed the last butterfly on top.
Then she stepped back.
The cake was lopsided, messy, and beautiful.
They carried it to the dining table and cut three slices.
Lily took a bite and closed her eyes.
“This is the best cake ever.”
Hannah smiled at her husband.
Daniel reached across the table and took his wife’s hand.
For the first time in a long while, the house felt peaceful.
Not because nobody disagreed.
Not because every problem had disappeared.
