Once there was a woman who lived with her children in a mobile home community. There was very little money. Her two girls were always dressed all right and they nearly always had enough to eat. They just didn't get any treats. One day the woman was drying clothes at the laundry. She found four quarters and a dollar bill in one of the driers. She knew how to get the drier to work without putting coins in it, so the money was free and clear.
She remembered it was Easter Sunday. She decided to make an Easter Bunny cake for her two daughters who were at Sunday school. She planned it as she folded the clothes.
At the supermarket she bought a yellow cake mix, some frosting sugar, some shredded coconut and a little pack of raisins. It came to more than two bucks but that was OK. She baked the cake in a 9x12 pan and turned it out and traced out the bunny parts on the cake with a knife. The cake was still warm and it crumbled slightly as she cut. She scooped up the warm crumbs and ate them. A body. A head. Two long ears. Two front paws. Pink frosting, white coconut. Raisin eyes and nose and a cluster of peanut M&Ms for eggs. It turned out beautiful. She was so proud - what a way to spend her day off!
It was half an hour - an hour - after her girls should have been home. She had no phone. She walked down the road looking for them. They often stopped to play with friends, but then it was evening and a dark fear filled her heart. She asked her neighbor if she had any idea where the girls were. She was about to call the police. Her neighbor looked surprised.
``You didn't know? They were going to services in Santa Barbara, they wont be home until late. Didn't you sign a consent slip?''
Now she remembered. She returned to the trailer in the dark.
``I guess I wanted them to see you,'' she said to the rabbit cake, ``Oh well.'' And she sliced off an ear and ate it.