Finding the Way Back (gxg)

Chapter 11

It was something that no one had done before. Almost like she had already cracked to code of how I display my emotions, even when I tried my best not to show them.

"Hey," I say, her eyes instantly finding mine, her expression softening with a small smile.

She doesn't respond, but walks over to the couch, stopping in front of me. I already knew what she wanted, so I opened my arms, allowing her to straddle my lap and rest her body against mine as we both soaked up each other's warmth. It was exactly what I needed after attending physical therapy after leaving the bakery this morning.

Not that it was a new exercise that did a number on me; it was the fact that I was still adjusting to how much energy working at the bakery in the mornings consumes. I fact, I had taken naps once I returned home to recover from the mental drain caused by having to constantly keep track of a million different things for hours on end. It was hard, but having Rose by my side during all of it made it manageable.

I plant a gentle kiss on Rose's cheek that only causes her to melt into me even more. It is adorable, and I love that I have this kind of effect on her without even having to try.

From the other side of the couch, Mom chuckles, clearly amused by how attached we have gotten. I still hadn't officially asked her to be my girlfriend, but I had a plan forming for that. I wanted to make it special and would have to wait until the weekend arrived, which is when I could execute my plan.

I had already gotten her parents' permission to steal her away for the weekend. Not that I needed it, just that I wanted to do things the right way where I maintained her parents' trust. The last thing I wanted was for them to suddenly decide that I wasn't fit to be dating their daughter.

But that wasn't important today. Today was reserved for bonding time with Mom, and we were going to make the best possible use of that time.

Starting with a bit of cuddling time with Rose while Mom got everything ready in the kitchen.

We were going to be baking cookies together. Not because I wanted to make Rose do more of what she does every day, but because I wanted to experience what it was like myself. I didn't care whether the cookies came out well, just that I wanted to have fun with Rose.

A girl's day of spending time together since I couldn't exactly call it a date when Mom was doing it with us.

Eventually, I coaxed Rose off of me, guiding her into the small kitchen once Mom called us in. Once she sees the baking ingredients lined up on the counter, her eyes wide with a glint of excitement.

I had never seen someone so excited to do the thing she does at work at home, but given this was Rose I am talking about, I really couldn't be surprised. She loves baking to a degree that even surpasses my love of soccer.

Without missing a beat, Rose takes charge like a head chef commanding the kitchen in a restaurant. She gives instructions to both Mom and me, but in a way that is easy to understand, as any excellent teacher would. It wasn't like Mom and I hadn't baked cookies from scratch before; I just wanted to do something where she could take charge for a change. I wanted to experience her fully in her element without her holding back.

Of course, the whole thing didn't go by without us having a bit of fun. Whether that came as Mom sharing embarrassing stories about me, or me wiping flour on Rose's cheek to mess with her. That led to Rose retaliating and throwing a handful of flour at me before laughing uncontrollably. She had got flour all over my face, shirt, and even in my hair while I stood with my mouth open in exaggerated surprise.

My mouth closes and twists into a smirk, causing Rose to freeze in place with wide eyes. To get my revenge, I step forward and latch onto her sides before she can react. I had found out by accident that her sides are super ticklish, something that I was going to weaponise.