family friends

5 - christmas shopping

While that bakes, I change into a tank top and shorts to match the hot sun outside and brush out my hair which has grown quite frizzy with all my movement. A timer goes off in the kitchen letting me know that the cookies are ready to be taken out. It also lets me know that I need to be ready soon.

Once the cookies are out and cooling, I finish up everything I need to do in the bathroom and grab my shopping list off of my bedside table. Just as I grab a dish to put the cookies in, someone knocks on my door. I open it to find Clay standing awkwardly on my front steps, obviously trying to appear casual. "Hey! Come in for a minute. I made cookies, but I haven't packaged them yet."

Without a word, he follows me to the kitchen. "So," I start. He looks up from the floor that he seems to be fascinated with at the moment. "Tell me, were you going to sleep or waking up at 8 a.m?" He laughs and seems to relax a little bit.

"I had been up for like an hour. Don't worry, I went to bed at like midnight."

"Psh. And you said you had another five hours in you." He laughs and leans back against my fridge. "Sorry, I'm almost done," I say as I throw the last of the cookies in a dish to leave at Isabella's house. "Here, try one." As he bites into the chocolate chip cookie, his eyes roll dramatically back as if he can barely stand the taste filling his mouth and he makes several approving sounds through the mouthful.

"That tastes like heaven. I've never had a cookie move me like that." Now I roll my eyes at him and walk past his chuckling body toward the door.

"Waiting on you now!" I shout behind me as I tie my shoes by the door. Just as I finish, he darts past me carrying the cookies for his mom and I run after him. By the time I catch up, he's knocking furiously at his mom's door, a grin plastered on his face.

"What are you doing?" I ask, breathlessly. He just winks. Finally, Isabella opens the door, surprised at the scene before her.

"Clay! What a surprise. What are you doing here?"

"I made you cookies. My own recipe. Created just for your consumption." She raises an eyebrow at me but I just shake my head...

"That's so... kind of you. What inspires this?" she asks, ushering us inside.

"Just being the kind and thoughtful son that I always am. Don't act so surprised." He fakes a frown and dramatically acts as if he's wiping a tear from his eye. "Anyway, that's all. We're going christmas shopping, but you know. Thought I'd stop by to see my favorite woman EVER."

"What do you want?" Straight to the point.

"What do you want?" he asks. "For Christmas I mean. Please tell me. I'm lost."

"Hey, that's what I'm here for!" I say, glaring at him. Isabella hides a smile behind a fake cough.

"Sure but why not try to get it straight from the source?" He retorts. I roll my eyes.

"I'll tell you again, Clay. I don't want anything. You've already done so much for us. Now you two get going." I wonder for a moment what he's done for the that's so incredible, but it could be anything. Besides, we really should get going.

"Okay, bye mother dearest. Much love." She laughs and kisses his cheek. I wave and we begin to walk toward the door.

"Oh, and y/n?" I turn back. "Thank you for the cookies. They look amazing." I just nod, smile, and follow after Clay.

Once in the car, he turns to me and groans dramatically. "That. Was. A. Waste. She didn't even tell me what she wants."

"Maybe next time you should actually bake her cookies and she might. Why doesn't she want you to get her a gift?" His face flushes red for a moment, but he recovers quickly.

"Oh it's just like the mom thing where they think if you buy them nice christmas gifts it suddenly makes you way more adult than before. She still thinks I'm her little boy I guess."

"Ah, okay." I don't quite believe him. I feel like he has a very obvious lying tell, but I just can't seem to put my finger on it.

"Anyway, where should we go first?" I realize now that he's just been driving toward downtown Orlando with no particular destination in mind. I pull up the map on my phone and search for stores near me. Eventually I choose the Mall at Millenia and give him the directions.

When he looks at our destination he cringes a little, but doesn't say anything. "What? Do you wanna go somewhere else?" He just shakes his head and keeps his eyes on the road. "Oh... too many people? Let's look for a smaller area."

I reach for my phone but his hand stops mine. "No, no. It's fine. I just have to do it. I can't avoid it forever." I am all too aware of the heat that our hands are now sharing. He notices this at the same time and immediately lets go. "Sorry," he mumbles so quietly that I almost don't hear him.

"Turn right at the next light, and the destination will be on your left," the computer voice reads out, breaking the momentary silence. Clay obeys, switching lanes, turning, then pulling into the mall parking lot. We both situate ourselves in silence then climb out of the car.

"Lead the way?" he asks, but it's really more of a statement. I nod and walk toward the stores. The silence is almost painful as we reach the door, so I pause and pull him to the side.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I ask, searching his face for a genuine answer. He nods without looking at me. "Words, Clay. We can go somewhere else, but you have to tell me."

"It's okay," he says, immediately biting his lower lip. There it is—his tell.

"You're lying. Come on, let's just find somewhere smaller and maybe if that goes well we'll come back." I start to walk back toward the car but he doesn't follow.

"Okay fine! I'm lying," he calls after me. "But I want to do it anyway. Please. I have to." Slowly, I walk back to where he stands, staring at the ground. "I'm sorry. I'm acting like a child, I know. I wish I could explain it to you, but I just can't."

"You don't owe me an explanation, Clay. This is completely up to you. We do what you want." He thinks for a minute then reaches his hand out for me to take. I do and he pulls me toward the door. If this is what he needs to feel better about being at the mall, then I'll do it. Besides... what will it hurt?

To be continued...
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