𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 (𝐖𝐋𝐖)

𝟎𝟒

"She likes you." Aurora announced after a while.

I stood up and took off my jacket, lying it onto the back of a nearby chair, "Ariella? Yeah, she's a good kid."

The older woman smiled and emptied out the bowl of incorrect measurements into the trash, "She is . . . when she wants to be."

I grinned and found myself over to the counter of where I had caught them a few minutes prior and blew out a breath, "Were you trying to make cookies or a snowman?" I joked.

Aurora laughed and placed the now empty bowl into the sink, "Ariella was confident that she memorized everything you did, so I thought we'd give it a try."

"I don't even have to ask you how that turned out, the kitchen answers all of my questions."

We shared a laugh.

She wet a towel and handed it to me.

I gently grabbed it from her,"Thanks."

"No problem."

♕

"Are they ready?!" Ariella squealed while running into the kitchen.

I laughed and looked down at her. Aurora had given her a bath and she was now wearing an orange knitted sweater ( the color of a leaf during fall ) underneath a black denim romper. Her hair was put into a bun, a few of her baby hairs framing her face.

"Yes, actually, lucky for you they just finished cooling." I grabbed one of the many cookies from the white dish before handing it to her.

I had decided to make a lot more than I did last night, so that I wouldn't have to make them every single day I came over. Not that I don't mind that, but I just thought it'd be better if they were already prepared for whenever Ariella wanted one.

As she nibbled happily on the cookie I looked around the kitchen in search of something to store the leftover cookies in, "Do you guys have a cookie jar?"

Ariella didn't pause to answer my question, but rather continued to demolish the dessert before she pointed her index finger at one of the shelves beside the fridge.

The glass jar was cream colored with the words 'Ariella's Favorites' in a black, cursive font printed out on it.

I bit the inside of my cheek and walked over to the shelf, immediately scrunching my nose up in distaste.

I'm too short for this.

Nevertheless, I stood on the tip of my toes and reached up as far as my short arms could manage.

After a few minutes of struggling to grab ahold of the jar and handing Ariella another cookie who happily skipped away to the living area, Aurora walked down in grey baggy sweatpants and a plain white spaghetti strap crop top. Her hair was pulled back into a messy low ponytail, showing off the small diamond studs in her ear.

I assumed that she took a shower after taking care of Ariella.

I was too busy checking her out that I hadn't even noticed how close she had gotten to me, but when I did, my throat became dry. Her taller frame was towering over my shorter one. She reached upwards, her arm softly rubbing against mine, and began to pull the cookie jar down from its spot.

I attempted to ignore the way her body felt pressed against mine. The smell of vanilla flowed within my area and I fluttered my eyes back and forth between opened and closed. She had placed her other hand on my waist to balance herself I suppose, and the act caused me to go into a spiral. Although I couldn't feel the coldness of her rings because of my shirt, I still tensed up because of how she gave my hip a little squeeze, causing the jewelry to gently push into my side.

Eventually, she placed the glass jar onto the counter in front of me . . . or us.

She leaned down to my ear, her minty breath fanning over the piece of skin, and whispered, "You're welcome."

I cleared my throat and looked down to hide the blush on my face, "Thank you."

Aurora laughed and stepped away from me as I started to place the freshly baked cookies into the glass jar. 

"Plans have changed. I'm not going into work today, so I will be in my office upstairs working. However, I still will need your . . . assistance. You don't mind staying do you?" she tilted her head to the side, her hands now stuffed into the baggy piece of clothing.

I shook my head and forced words out, "I don't mind. It is my job after all."

I internally praised myself for not stuttering over my words.

Aurora nodded and grabbed one of the cookies that were in the jar before walking off.

When she was out of sight I let out a breath and put the top of the jar on it, but then I unscrewed it and grabbed a cookie of my own before placing the top on it once again.

Pushing past recent events I bit into the cookie and walked out of the cleaned kitchen.

She didn't mean anything by it.

"Ariella?!" I called out.

"I'm in here!" a small voice yelled from the living area.

I followed the echo of her voice and smiled when I saw her terribly following along to a Just Dance that played on the big TV screen.

♕