Waking up to the aroma of pancakes is a feeling of home. The warm, inviting scent enticing anyone in the vicinity to come and gobble some up. My mother made the best pancakes and would always make a couple extra for Old Mimi next door.

A while back, Old Mimi and her family were caught in a fire and Old Mimi was the only one to survive. Since then, Old Mimi has had health problems and mother goes over to her house frequently to help care for her. Mother has invited Old Mimi to live with us, but she always declines by saying, "In this house is the fruit I have grown and the burdens I must bear. To leave would be disowning the choices I made in life, and I don't regret one thing." 

Old Mimi was never the type to give up. She was always resilient and lived her life to the fullest. She was the one who told me to live life the way I wanted to and to always own up to my choices. To this day if I were to steal an extra pancake and my mother asked me where it went, I would respond, "Well, of course, I ate it. We can't just let an extra pancake laying around." 

Honesty was one of my strong traits. My mother ALWAYS ensured I knew right from wrong. She told me to believe in people and help them when I could. She would say that some people were more unfortunate than me and I should try to understand them to help them.

However, my mother also told me to never trust the royals. Her and papa despised the King. They said he made the country a rundown, dangerous, dump, and was a huge scammer. I don't blame them, I don't like him either. 

The past King made a rule that families were to work in the same field all their lives. For example, a shoemaker mother and father would have kids who grew up to be shoemakers. It's been this way for many years. My parents are some special technology folk that basically help others with technology.

I enjoy building with them, don't get me wrong, but it's more of a hobby. 

An echo erupts from downstairs, "Chance! Breakfast is ready!"

"Coming mom!" I quickly got dressed and ran down the stairs.

"On today's menu, we have specialty syrup from the ruins of Rishon," my mother exclaims.

"Oh yeah? And I'm sure Lord Lancelot is coming after you right now for stealing his syrup," I said.

"You're no fun Chance, you could at least go along with it."

"I'm not going to fuel your fairytale," I said as I chuckled.

"It's not a fairytale, I actually got it from Rishon!"

"Girls, girls, it's too early to be this rowdy," My father chimes in as he enters the room. "Now, we have a meeting to get to dear, we don't have time to be fooling around."

"A meeting? Is it with-"

"Yes," father said sternly while cutting my mother off.

"I have no business with him, and neither should you."

"He contacted me late last night. He said he needed a favor."

"A favor? Haven't we done enough for him?"

"He said he had valuable information to trade with us in exchange for our services."

"This is the last time. I will have none of it in the future."

My parents weren't the type to keep me out of business matters. They wanted to ensure I understood the job I would have to take one day. However, there were times when my parents had their secrets and I learned early on not to pry.

"Will you be home for supper?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, depending on the magnitude of the job, we may be out later than anticipated," my father stated.

Perfect.

"We have some food leftover in the fridge for supper if we don't make it back," my mother chimes in.

"Alright, that's fine," I said.

We continued to eat our pancakes while listening to the radio. My mother loved listening to the radio and it made the house feel more lively. Our house isn't a dump, but it's not a castle either. With most of the city in ruins, living in a house with four walls and a roof was a blessing.

My parents quickly finish their pancakes and gather their things before heading to the door.

"Don't forget to eat an apple Chance, you know-," my mother says as I cut her off.

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

"That's right. Well have a good day and don't forget to clean up the shop when you're done messing around."

"Will do." The door slowly closes as they exit, leaving the room empty of any lively emotion that once filled it.

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away..." I mumble as a grab one of the numerous apples sitting on the counter. "Yeah right."

I take a bite out of my apple, the familiar taste of warmth engulfing me. 

"An apple a day to the doctor's dismay is more like it," I say as I walk out the door with excitement overflowing in my body.