Jake's mornings always began the same way—his mother's voice calling from downstairs, "Jake! Time to wake up!" He'd groan, pull the blanket over his head, and try to steal five more minutes of sleep. But then, the smell of bacon and pancakes would drift upstairs, and suddenly, getting out of bed didn't seem so bad.
He raced down the stairs, still in his dinosaur pajamas, and slid into his seat at the kitchen table. His little sister, Emily, sat across from him, already digging into her breakfast.
"You always wake up last," she teased, syrup dripping from her fork.
"I need my rest," Jake said with a grin. "You know, to prepare for all my adventures."
His dad chuckled from behind the newspaper. "Oh yeah? And what adventure is on the schedule today?"
Jake thought for a moment. "We're on the hunt for the mysterious neighborhood thief."
Emily's eyes widened. "There's a thief?!"
"Well," Jake said dramatically, "Mrs. Patterson's garden gnome disappeared. And then Mr. Dawson's newspaper vanished. Suspicious, right?"
His dad raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like detective work to me. Just make sure you're home before dinner."
Jake grinned. "Deal."