That Abercrombie Model

TWENTY EIGHT

Kystan's POV

Her head whips towards me so fast. I continue talking as though I do not notice her surprise. "Before she died, she had been working here all day, and had to make me cookies which I had been whining about." I look across the parking lot at the waves crashing onto the pier.

She looks wary, "You don't have to tell me."

I turn to look at her, "I want to tell you." I say resolutely but also softly. She nods.

"That day my dad woke up feeling under the weather and he had to stay home all day. Me and Rehan, we help my mom out at the bakery. So we came with her, waited tables and manned the register until I felt a craving for a chocolate chip and peanut butter cookie which she had especially created for me." I smile at the memory. "When I look back, I really understand that she was as busy as she told me because all tables had been occupied that day, but I insistently pressured her. She made it for me though, because I was seriously relentless."

I pause, and look to see if she is still listening; she is all ears.

"After happily eating the cookie, mom let us go to play on the pier since we were disturbing her anyway more than we were helping. So me and Rehan went out, ate ice cream and had a jolly time before going back home, where later that night, the police came to find us with the news that our parents had drowned." Tears swim in her eyes.

A trek of tears goes down her face, I lift my hand to her cheek and wipe them away. "Don't cry." I say. I hate seeing her cry.

"No, I am okay." She wipes the rest of her tears away. "I am so sorry you had to go through all that." She says earnestly.

"It's okay." I unbuckle my seat belt and get out of the car and signal her to come with me. She follows my lead and I pull a set of keys from my pocket and unlock the door.

I can see the wonder in her eyes. The inside is so different from the battered outside. "I hire someone to clean every month." I clarify and she nods in understanding.

"It looks nice inside." She says while turning around absorbing everything in. I gingerly touch the counter while she looks around. "Is it still in business?" She asks as she looks at the menu board hanging behind the counter.

"The other branches are open but I couldn't let anyone take over this one." I go behind the counter and get an apron. I get up and tie it around my waist as she looks on with confusion. Liza looks so cute when she is confused.

"This way." I say, motioning to the door to the kitchen. Thanks to Aunt Margo, it is clean in here, with pristine white countertops, spotless white cabinetry and many stainless steel appliances. "I am going to make you the chocolate chip and peanut butter cookie." I say with a child-like excitement.

She pulls a stool over and watches as I do the magic. One hour later, I pull a whole batch of cookies out of the very enormous oven. To be honest, I am not the best cook out there, but I hope she appreciates it still.

We let them rest and she comes to help me clean up the workplace. "Let me warn you though, those cookies may not do justice to my mom's." I say with a sheepish smile.

My face scrunches up when the cookie makes contact with my tongue, I spit it out immediately. it is a clash between salty and chocolaty; my mom would have given me a good talking to for making such a horrible replica of her recipe.

"How are you still eating this?" I ask with wonder when I notice Liza is still munching on hers.

"I've eaten worse." She answers and takes another bite, "But you are not cut out for this."