Henry found his father and sister like that a few minutes later. He had finished his book and wandered downstairs in search of a new one but was distracted by the smell of dinner cooking.
"What are you making?"
"Soup! I'm helping," Maisie said proudly. "Daddy said I'm a good helper."
Will had said that because the childcare books he had read emphasized that children at this age liked to be told they were helpful. It fostered their self-confidence. Truthfully, it would have been easier to make dinner without her interference.
But he let her be. She was less of a nuisance than usual right now and he was still feeling strange from his sudden change in motivation.
"Good for you," Henry said boredly before addressing his father. "What kind of soup is it and when will it be ready? I want to know whether it's worth it or not to start another book now or wait til after dinner."
"Potato soup. It'll be another twenty minutes so you decide," Will informed him.
