Hearing Layla in the kitchen and smelling freshly baked cookies, we rounded the corner to find her sitting with Mama at the kitchen table eating cookies and milk.

Seeing us enter the kitchen, Layla looked up and said,
“Mommy, Daddy!!” and then went right back to her warm Toll House chocolate chip cookie.

“I want one of those!” I said.

“So do I!” Maggie said almost simultaneously.

“Where’s Buddy?” I asked as Mama laid a plate of warm cookies on the table.

“Oh, he’s out there in the backyard sleepin’ most likely. These kiddos wear him out! They’s just nonstop all day!”

“What’s a kiddo?” Layla asked.

We all laughed as Mama said, “You’re a kiddo, child!”

“And sometimes you’re Miss Fancy Pants too!” I said as we all laughed again.

“Y’all sit down now at the table and eat one of Mama’s cookies before they get cold. Then we can talk about this old house and I’ll give you the tour!” Mama said, and as she carefully placed a cookie on each of our plates, she said, “Can’t have a warm chocolate chip cookie without a glass of cold milk!”

And with that, out came two glasses and the milk.

We were set and it was already beginning to feel like home.