Extra-Best Friend

She kicked her little legs back and forth, completely lost in the rhythm of her impromptu song, her face lit up like she'd just discovered a new planet. With one final flourish, she added a grand statement that left Maverick blinking in mild confusion:

"An' I EAT DA BUGS!!"

Maverick, still holding the cup, turned his head just slightly, arching an eyebrow as he gave her a curious look. "You eat bugs now?" he asked, trying his best not to laugh, though it was clear his amusement was tugging at the corners of his mouth.

She paused for a second, considering his question as though it was the most serious thing she'd ever been asked. Then, without missing a beat, she shrugged her tiny shoulders, as if to say, "Why not?"

"Noooo, Chickuns do," Vivi said, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. Her expression was serious, like Maverick had just asked a question that no one in their right mind would ever need to ask. "I eat pan-takes, ketchup, noo-noos, 'cept da green kind. Green is ick."

He blinked, trying to follow her logic. "You mean vegetables?"

Vivi scrunched her nose up, like the very idea of vegetables was a crime against nature. "No! Like—like... leaf noodles. Da ones dat taste like tree feet. I don't like tree food. Only cheese food."

Maverick had to stifle a snort, turning his head slightly to hide his grin. "Got it. No leaf noodles. Roger that."

Vivi, meanwhile, had a whole new drama unfolding in her world. She threw her arms down with such flair that it was almost like she was performing on stage. Then, without warning, she collapsed face-first onto the counter, her little body going limp like a ragdoll.

"Maveeeee, I'mma staaaaaarve," she moaned dramatically. Her voice carried an exaggerated sense of urgency. "My tummy said RAAAHRRRR like monster an' I said, 'Go nap, tummy,' but it just roared louder! So rude."

Maverick raised an eyebrow, trying not to laugh at the sheer gravity of her complaint. "Your tummy doesn't listen?"

"Nope. It's bad," she said, her voice full of finality, as though there was no debating the fact that her tummy was, indeed, a rebellious beast.

He couldn't help but laugh as he set her plate down in front of her. Scrambled eggs, toast with honey, and a warm cocoa—nothing fancy, but it was the best he could whip up at this early hour.

Vivi gasped, her eyes going wide as she stared at the plate like he'd just served her a feast worthy of royalty. "DIS A REAL BREAKFAST?!"

Maverick leaned against the counter, trying to suppress his smile. "I mean... yeah?"

Without missing a beat, she grabbed her fork like it was an enchanted sword, wielding it with the kind of seriousness that would make any knight proud. "I DUB THIS… PRINCESS FOOOOOD!!"

She stabbed at the eggs with a flourish. "An' now I slay da egg dragons! HAAA-YA!" Her voice was full of dramatic gusto as she made a wild, imaginary strike at the breakfast.

Maverick shook his head, grinning. "You always this dramatic?"

"Yup," she said, popping a piece of toast in her mouth. "S'cause I'm a wizard, duh."

Maverick chuckled, watching as she munched happily on her breakfast. But soon enough, her little eyes were scanning his plate, narrowing suspiciously as though she was a detective on the case.

"You got toast too," she said, squinting at it like a scientist examining an alien specimen.

"I did."

"Lemme see da toast." She leaned forward, her gaze focused with such intensity it was as if she were inspecting the rarest of treasures.

He angled his plate toward her, and she immediately began her assessment. Her eyes darted between his toast and hers, like she was conducting a thorough investigation.

She paused, scrutinizing the honey on his toast. "Yours gots bigger honey. Mine got baby honey. Yours is daddy honey toast."

Maverick tried not to laugh again. "I gave you the same—"

"Noooo," she interrupted, shaking her head with all the authority of a tiny judge. "Dat one shined more. It sparkled. I seen it."

He pushed his plate toward her, chuckling at the absurdity of it all. "You want it?"

Vivi thought about it for a moment, her little face scrunching up as she weighed the pros and cons like a monarch making a difficult decision. Then, with a wise nod, she shook her head. "Nah. You need da big honey. Mommy said you was a bean string man but now you gots—um—arm tires."

"Arm... tires?" Maverick repeated, genuinely confused.

She poked his bicep with a serious little poke, and his muscles bounced with a soft "boing" sound. "Boing."

Maverick had to look away for a second, his throat tightening. He wasn't tearing up. Absolutely not. Definitely not. But that little girl had a way of getting to him, no doubt about it.

Maverick cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably as he stared down at his coffee, trying to act casual. "So... hey. Did your mom talk about me sometimes?"

Vivi, mid-bite into her scrambled eggs, paused. She furrowed her brows and tilted her head, as if digging through the mental filing cabinets for the right information. "Uhhh-huh. She said you stealed her fries but it was okay 'cause she liked you even when you was a fry stealer." She took another big bite and continued, mouth half-full. "An' she said you went to jail one time—but not da real jail, da timeout jail. 'Cause you breaked her mom's vase with a sock ball. But she said it was a on-accident."

Maverick blinked, the words taking a moment to sink in. "She told you that story?"

Vivi nodded solemnly, as though this was the gospel truth. "Yuh-huh. She said you was her bestest friend before I got borned. But now I'm da extra-best friend. So I win."