*The Pond Easter re-cap will be on Thursday’s post!

“What are you doing, mister?”

The rabbit’s ears twitched.  Had this kid seriously called him mister?

“Are you asleep?”

His ears twitched again.  Yup.

He felt the boy’s breath on his fur, his gaze singing the grass around him.  “Are you the Easter bunny?”

Crap.  His eyes flew open.  “What makes you think that?”

The boy beamed, utterly pleased with himself.  “Because you’re wearing a bow tie and carrying a empty basket.”

“Plenty of bunnies wear bow ties and carry empty baskets,” the Easter bunny snapped, utterly aware of how ridiculous he sounded.

“And you have a velvety pink nose and plush white fur with a big cottontail.”

“It comes with the territory,” the rabbit snapped, shielding his eyes from the piercing morning rays.  “Are you done, kid?  I’m tired.”

“Because you were up all night?” the boy asked slyly, rocking back and forth on his heels.  “Delivering eggs, maybe?”

The rabbit sighed, raising himself up from the grassy nook.  This had looked like such a comfortable hollow, too.  “What do you want, kid?”

“What do you mean?”  The boy blinked.

“You want magic eggs, chocolate, a new Easter hat?”

“Boys don’t wear Easter hats,” the boy pointed out.  “That’s a girl thing.”

“Right.”  The rabbit stroked his ears, a bad habit.  “I don’t have any carrot cake or chocolates.”

“I don’t want carrot cake or chocolates,” the boy replied.  “It’s eight in the morning.”

The rabbit sighed.  “Then what DO you want?”

“I don’t want anything,” the boy replied, bewildered.  “I just wanted to say hello.”

The rabbit narrowed his liquid black eyes.  “You catch the Easter bunny sleeping and you don’t want anything in return?  That’s like finding Santa Claus in July and not asking for presents.”

The boy chewed on his lip.  “Well, maybe there’s one thing…”

“I knew it!” the rabbit crowed, pounding his furry fists into the ground.  “I knew you would want something!”

“You insisted!” the boy cried, his cheeks turning red.  “I wasn’t going to ask for anything before this!”

“But you asked all the same.”  The Easter Bunny flopped over, his ears dangling haphazardly.  “So tell me, son.  What do you want?”

The boy glanced around, his gaze sweeping over the wildflower-dotted field.  “I was wondering…”

“Yes?” the rabbit asked impatiently.

“If you wouldn’t mind…”

“If it gets me back to sleep faster, I don’t mind anything!” the rabbit snapped.

“Would you want to go to breakfast?” The boy’s request rushed out, crammed across the morning breeze.  Stunned, the Easter bunny fell back on his haunches.

“You want me to go to breakfast with you?”

The boy nodded.

“Why?”  The rabbit’s ears nearly twitched off his head.

“Why not?” the boy shrugged.  “I’d like to take you to breakfast.  You made a lot of kids happy yesterday.  Surely that’s worth something.”

The rabbit paused, his nose twitching.  What he wouldn’t give for a boiled carrot or purred parsnip…”Where?” he demanded.

“Anywhere you like.”  The boy dug in his pocket and pulled out a $20.  “My Easter money from my grandmother,” he said proudly.  “I can buy us anything in the world.”

“Anything?”  Drool dripped onto the rabbit’s furry shoulder.

“Anything.”  The boy nodded.

The rabbit thought for a moment, then nodded.  “All right.” Leaping up, he brushed the grass off his fur and linked his arm through the boy’s.  “You’ve convinced me.  Let’s go to the diner on Pearl Street.  It’s cheap and not too far.  And it’s got marvelous carrot cake.”

“Carrot cake?  For breakfast?”  The boy shuddered. “Why not pancakes or bacon?”

“As you’ve said, I’ve been up all night,” the rabbit replied, hopping across the field.  “Anything would be delicious at this point.”

“Anything?”  The boy’s eyes widened.  “Even steak or a hamburger?”

“Anything,” the rabbit replied before adding, “Anything but eggs.  Or chocolate.”

And with that one request, the Easter Bunny and his new friend hopped to the diner for breakfast.

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends!  We have a new bit of whimsy tomorrow, some Shimmer Wednesday and a Easter recap Thursday!  Stay tuned!

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