Two eggs and a sausage link landed on the skillet with a sizzling hiss as Nate watched, drooling.
"Now the key to making the eggs taste good is to let the juices from the sausage mix. It gives the eggs a tangy flavor, no salt needed," Daryll explained. His son absentmindedly nodded, his focus honed in on the aroma the food was giving off. His body was slouched over and his stomach grumbled over the sound of the skillet. Having such a big body was having other effects that he hadn't even noticed; he was so hungry!
"There, sunny side up. Just how you like it." Daryll set the eggs and sausage aside, which would've been more than enough for Nate's old body. But Daryll reached for the upper cupboards to get pancake mix; his average stature fell just short by a few inches. Nate tried to get the box for his dad, and to his delight, grabbed it without having to even jump on his tip-toes. He handed it down to Daryll, grinning.
"Look, daddy! I can even reach the top cabinet!" He scratched the back of his head, his enormous biceps bouncing and bulging.
"Thanks, son. I'm in my regular body so much I sometimes forget how tall I really am." Daryll threw in the batter and some other ingredients into a bowl before handing it to him. "Why don't you try to mix the pancake together with those strong arms of yours."
Nate cradled the bowl in one arm and began mixing the pancake batter with a spoon in his other arm. It pusled and flexed rapidly, catching his dad's attention. "You really like big biceps, don'tcha boy. Careful now, don't mix too fast."
Nate slowed his stirring, noticing a few spills that landed on his abs and dribbled down. "Yea, dad. I love being so strong!" Nate remembered when he used to swing from his dad's arms like monkey bars and watched in awe as Daryll lifted him higher. His biceps wouldn't even budge from the weight Nate put on. Nate wanted to grow up and be big and strong just like his dad, but he didn't think it would be this easy or quick!
"Look's pretty good. You AND the pancake mix! Why don't you let me handle the rest and you can set the table?" Nate nodded and bounded off to collect silverware while Daryll poured on slabs of batter onto the skillet.
"I really like the big arms, too. The ones you have on are my favorite. But I can't wear them to work or I would rip out of all my shirts," Daryll chuckled.
Nate laughed at the thought, his pre-pubescent voice mismatching the masculine body. He noticed Daryll was already bringing out the plates. "Aren't you gonna eat anything daddy?"
"This is actually one of my special parts," he pointed to his naval, "I changed this torso to have no stomach, so I don't get hungry," Daryll explained, setting down an entire mound of pancakes. "This part has to go back to the lab to recharge after 24 hours, though." Daryll patted his flat belly. There were some days at the lab where he had to research tirelessly and couldn't afford distractions. He picked this part out today because he wanted to spend more time with his son. Then, a thought occurred to him.
"Hey, Nate. Why don't I show you how some of the stuff down at the lab works?" There was a twinkle in his eyes. Nate looked up with a mouthful of sausage and eyes wide as saucers.
He swallowed. "Really? That would be so cool!"
His dad smiled at the response. He still felt guilt over leaving Nate alone for so many hours of the day, and now that the boy has found out his secret, there's no way he could keep him from the room. He hoped that his invention would satisfy Nate's boredom of being alone, and hopefully give him some inspiration on where to go next with his creations. And besides, he kind of wanted to pass down this secret eventually. Daryll was just expecting to do it AFTER Nate hit puberty.
Nate was bouncing in his seat, the chair creaking at each interval. He shoveled down the rest of the meal that would have fed two adults. But it felt like a light snack to Nate, who leaned back and gave a mighty belch for just a 10 year old boy. "C'mon, race ya, dad!" He bolted down to the basement, his footfalls causing strong vibrations against the furniture as Daryll observed the trembling glass of juice.
Maybe he didn't think this all the way through.