You can go downstairs and take a bath by yourself, right?" Gloria asked with a gentle smile.
"Yes, Mommy! Annabel is... smart and independent!" Annabel declared proudly. Gloria chuckled softly in response. She knew her little girl had just learned the word "independent" at school about three days ago. Annabel loved using it because she thought it sounded really cool. She wanted to prove to her mommy that she was a big, cool, and independent girl who could do things on her own.
Gloria was busy washing Annabel's large plate in the kitchen sink. Annabel had eaten a whole banana cream pie all by herself, and now the plate was empty and dirty. As Gloria scrubbed it carefully, she suddenly heard a click from Lukas's bedroom door. She turned around instinctively to see what was happening.
Luka
