"Chocolate! Oh, I love chocolate!" sang Mother as she fussed over the dark chocolate cake on the dining room table. Mother did love anything with chocolate in it - ice cream, milkshakes, cakes.
From where she stood at the other end of the table, Annie could see the small cake. It was coated with a generous layer of chocolate and had the words 'Happy Anniversary' written in cursive on it. Big Sis had spent the previous night baking it.
"Happy Anniversary, Mum, Dad," Marie wished her parents. It was Saturday, the anniversary of their parent's wedding.
"Thanks, Marie! You're my favorite daughter!" Mother embraced her first daughter in a fierce hug.
"I'm getting one for my birthday too, right?" Mother held her first daughter by the shoulders at arm's length. "And one for Christmas? And while we're at it, you should start baking me one for Valentine's too."
"I think Mother is in love with Big Sis," Annie whispered up to Father.
Father sighed. "That's the woman I married."
"Okay, chocolate cake for breakfast!" Mother decided with a knife in one hand and a fork and plate in the other. "The rest of you get your own breakfast!" She waved her knife menacingly over the cake. "You too, dear!"
Father shook his head slowly and went into the kitchen to find something to eat.
"And pour me some coffee while you're in there!" commanded Mother.
"Oh, chocolate cake!" Carrie chirped when she came down to the dining room.
"Mine!" warned Mother. Her free hand hovered protectively over the cake while she gestured threateningly with her knife. Her blue eyes, behind a pair of spectacles, narrowed dangerously.
The other sisters left Carrie staring at Mother and entered the kitchen to help Father. Once breakfast was laid out, without assistance from Mother who was elegantly stuffing herself with cake, the rest of the family sat down to eat.
"Happy Anniversary, Mum and Dad," Second Sis said with a glance to Mother and an envelope to Father.
"Thanks, Carrie." Father opened his daughter's envelope and removed the card inside. He smiled as he read the words within the card.
"Happy Anniversary, Mother, Father." It was Annie's turn and she handed her envelope to Father.
Father tapped the envelope without opening it. He looked at his youngest daughter with concern. "Are you sure you can afford this? Sorry for being blunt."
"It's okay, Father." Annie smiled. "It's all paid for."
"Dad, are you worried if Annie can afford an anniversary card?" Second Sis asked.
"No, it's not an anniversary card," Father said as he opened the envelope and took out the invitation card within. After a glance at it, he passed it to his second daughter.
Mother stopped licking her fork long enough to announce, "It's dinner at Jean Sheppard's!"
"Where?" Second Sis asked as she flipped the invitation over. She had a puzzled expression on.
"It's an upscale restaurant in the city," Big Sis explained.
"You knew?" Second Sis asked her parents as she passed the card back to Father.
"Annie told us earlier in the week so we wouldn't make other dinner plans," Father said.
Second Sis leaned close to Annie to whisper, "So I'm the cheapskate daughter..."
"If you'd ask my advice earlier," Annie said back quietly, "I could have told you the show they wanted to see tonight and you could have bought them the tickets."
"How'd you get the money?" the wavy-haired sister asked under her breath.
"Remember all the things I didn't buy whenever we go shopping?" Annie asked back. She saw no need to mention her huge monthly allowance.
"Dad," Big Sis called as she handed Father her envelope, "I got the tickets for that show you wanted for tonight."
Apparently, Big Sis had that same idea. Marie had just smacked Carrie into the gutter in her run for the title of Most Favored Daughter.
***
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