theredheadedwitch:

The pancakes had been a real hit that morning. Willow had sprinkled in the sweetest blueberries she could find on top while the batter still sizzled, trying to see how many shapes she could make with them. That one was mickey mouse, that one was a smiley face, that one was a heart, that  one was supposed to have been an S for Summers or super or something, but . And the one after that. And the one after that. No one had seemed to mind, though. They were pretty darn delectable if she did say so herself.

Willow was washing the dishes now, her skin soft and slack from soaking in the soapy water. The soup was almost done, just a few minutes to go.

Joyce called out from her resting place on the couch, “Willow? Do you need any help?”

“I got it!” She shouted back, grabbing a towel and starting her speed drying.

“Get the good plates, will you? If this is anything like breakfast I’m sure it’ll be quite the occasion.”

Willow shook her head and giggled, “Nah, I’ll save ‘em for dinner. Now stop worryin’ about dishes and watch Passions!”

The timer went off with a sharp chirp. Willow reached over to turn off the burner and put the lid on the pot so she could finish drying dishes without having to worry. Some people might leave it cooking for a few extra minutes, couldn’t hurt too much, right? But the beauty of Willow’s cooking was that she always calculated her temperatures, knife strokes, stirs, and timers to mathematic perfection. Even if it was something from the box, Bisquick or Betty Crocker or Lean Cuisine, Willow managed to find just the right spot: not burned or underdone, not greasy or dry, just right. Now if she could just stop getting carried away with her little embellishments (damn those blueberries).

She ladled the soup into the bowls in smooth, loving movements. It was just chicken noodle, nothing really fancy, but it was helpful. She was being helpful. Not as helpful as she could be in theory, but more than she was last time. Regular Willow didn’t know how to cook this well. Or how to wash dishes this efficiently. Oh! And she didn’t know how to give good back rubs then! She could do that too! Willow smiled nervously as she piled the bowls onto the tray. Part of her still felt a little too helpless about this whole thing, but this was a start. “Soup’s ready, Buffy!”

Things were finally starting to look up for Buffy.  Sure, the fact that Glory was out to kill her kid sister (or whatever else it was she planned to do to her…) still loomed overhead, but on the small scale things seemed to be headed in a direction Buffy could totally support.  The fact that her mother was at home and recovering really well from her surgery seemed to outweigh all the bad things that had begun to build up.  Spike’s creepy and violent obsession with her?  Not a problem, merely a major wiggins factor.  Riley and the vamp brothel ordeal?  Small potatoes.  And her mother’s brain tumor?  Well, she wouldn’t have to worry about that anymore.

All of the small drama was slowly subsiding and Buffy felt that, at last, she had the clarity of mind to solve the supernatural problems at hand here.  Her mother was sitting on the couch across from her watching one of the many soap operas she followed and Dawn was somewhere in the house though Buffy wasn’t exactly sure where.  But she was safe and just as happy as Buffy was about this day off Willow had arranged for the three of them.  The Summers women; no mere health, identity, or romantic crisis could throw them off!  Everyone and everything was as it should be, if only for that moment.  Having Willow over all day had just been the cherry on top.  

As if she’d read her mind, Joyce interrupted Buffy’s train of thought with a question they both immediately knew the answer to.  "So, Buffy, Willow’s been such a help around here today.  And with the Glory temporarily at bay, how do you feel about Willow…“

"Yes!  Thank you mom,” Buffy interrupted her mother’s sentence.  Bursting out of her chair with excitement Buffy hurried over to her mother and gave her a gentle hug, sure to be cautious of her healing noggin.  "We’ll be super quiet I promise!  You won’t even know we’re here.“  She assured her mother with a wide grin plastered across her face.  She hadn’t had a sleep over since high school really, sure she and Willow’d been roommate’s but there really wasn’t anything like having a good old fashioned girl’s night.  After a few moments she heard Willow’s voice calling her into the kitchen.  Lunch was ready, which would probably be delicious if the pankakes she’d prepared that morning were any indicator of the meals to come.  Willow’s cooking had become surprisingly good compared to previous efforts, something Buffy didn’t really spend much time pondering.  For all she knew, Willow could have been enchanting up these delicious meals.  Fortunately, she didn’t care either way!

She rushed into the kitchen hurrying to help Willow bring the food to the dining room where the table was set for four.  Hearing Dawn’s footsteps as she thundered down the stairs at the sound of the metaphorical dinner bell, Buffy quickened her pace a little and was in the kitchen within seconds. "Hey Will, that looks amazing! Let me help.” Buffy took the tray from Willow with ease and perfect balance, those slayer powers were really paying off! As they walked to the dining room Buffy tried to think of some special witty way to announce the little sleepover she was now planning but decided a no frills proposal was just as effective.  As she placed the tray down on a golden idea seemed to pop into her mind.

“Guess what my mother told me?” She asked Willow with an expectant grin, seriously considering actually making the witch guess what was in store.