Lola stood in the kitchen doorway and counted. One — Mom at the table, stirring pancakes.
Two — Dad by the counter, flipping pancakes. Three — Sam on the rug with his toy cars.
She walked closer. Four — Grandma shuffling in from the garden, dirt on her knees. Five — Wally under her feet!
Wally sneezed. Sneezed and sneezed. Lola giggled out loud.
Lola ran to hug Mom, but stop — batter everywhere! She tried Dad, but three spatulas! She reached for Sam, but he didn't look up.
Then she turned to Grandma. Grandma opened her arms. Lola ran and leaped!
Grandma picked her up and spun. Wally barked and pressed his wet nose against Lola's cheek.
Lola squeezed everyone — Mom, Dad, Sam, Grandma, even Wally — until they were all tangled in a big, giggly pile.
Lola sat in the middle of the hug pile. Pancake crumb on her nose. Wally's tail thumping.
Everyone was close. Everyone was warm. Lola closed her eyes and smiled.