Chapter 15

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After Strauss left, Hotch and I didn't talk much during the rest of the day. Only when it was necessary so we wouldn't cause more small talk about us. I sat at my desk and finished some older reports that I was putting off because they weren't really important. Jack was still in the office drawing or playing with everything he could find in there. It was really cute looking at him playing alone with his imagination as dad worked.

There was no new case for today so after work hours were done, Hotch relieved us. I went by his office before leaving. The door was open and Jack jumped from the couch as soon as he saw me "Hi Jessie" he says
"Hi Jack" I say
"Hey, are you heading out?" Hotch asks
"Yeah. I came by to ask if you were done too" I say laying against the doorframe
"I don't think so. I still got to finish some things" he says.
"Dad, when are we gonna go home?" Jack asks
"Soon buddy" he answers.

"How about I take Jack in the kitchen or my desk and we go play so we can leave your work?" I ask
"Are you sure? Don't you want to go home? Get some rest?" he asks
"It's 6 pm so I think that I still got some energy" I say
"Ok. Jack? Do you want to go with Jessie until I'm done?" he asks
"Yes!" Jack says excited and runs to me
"Thank you" Aaron says as he stands up and walks to me
"You're welcome" I say
"Jack, close your eyes" he says and Jack covers his eyes with his little hands. Aaron leans to me and kisses my lips. "Now you can go" he says pulling away
"Ok, let's go" I say and I take Jack's hand.

We played for about an hour and then I got an idea. "Jack, do you know what a bath bomb is?" I ask him
"Yes, it's that thing that you put in the water and it melts and it breaks and has color" he says excitedly
"Yes! Have you ever tried it?" I ask
"No. Dad doesn't know what it is" he says
"Well, I was watching a video last week and I got a kit with all the things that I need to make some. Do you want to help and make yours?" I ask
"Yes!" he says even more excited "I love you Jessie" he says and hugs me.

"Everything ok here?" Aaron asks as he walks to us
"Yeah" I say as Jack pulls away
"Dad, Jessie and I are gonna make bath bombs" Jack says
"I don't know what that is" he says
"Don't worry, I'll show you. And the kit is kids safe" I say
"Ok then. I'm fine with it" he says with a chuckle. "Do you want to come with us? Have dinner?" he asks
"Yes, Jessie, please come" Jack says
"How about you two let me go home first and I'll come by later?" I ask
"Ok" Aaron says
"Will we make bath bombs?" Jack asks
"I'll bring it if your dad let us" I say
"Sure" he says
"Great, I'll see you later" I say
"See you" Aaron says and leaves with Jack.

After going to my place and changing into something more comfortable, I went to Aaron's. I knock on the door and he opens it almost immediately. "Finally" he says and kisses my lips "He wouldn't stop talking about you" he says and I chuckle
"Jessie!" Jack yells as he runs to me
"Hey, let's go to the kitchen and start already" I say
"Yes" he says and takes my hand to get me to the kitchen.
"Can I help?" Aaron asks
"Sure" I say as I lay everything out.

"Let's do a little science before we start" I say "These are inert when they are dry powders, but in water they dissolve, it's like they melt, and the citric acid reacts with the sodium bicarbonate to form sodium citrate and carbon dioxide. The sodium citrate stays in solution and you don't really notice it, but the carbon dioxide bubbles out as a gas that helps the bath bomb break up. This lets the detergents, perfumes and oils that make up the rest of the bath bomb mix with the bathwater and it makes it all colorful and smelling good" I say
"Ok, now you sound like Reid" Aaron says
"No, if Spencer was here this is where he corrects me or says something smarter" I say and he nods.

"Ok. Let's start. I need a cup, a spoon, two big bowls and a few smaller ones" I say
"I got it" Aaron says and runs to bring them to the table. I put Jack on a chair so he could reach the table. I take the biggest bowl in front of me and Jack. "We need 1 cup baking soda" I say and I give the full cup to Jack and he pours it in the bowl. "1 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup citric acid, 1/2 cup epsom salt and 1/2 cup cornstarch" I read and the boys pour them in.

"Ok, how many colors are we gonna make?" I ask
"Blue and green and red and yellow and purple and orange" Jack says
"Ok. Then we need to separate the mixture into six bowls" I say
"Can I drop the colors?" Jack asks as Aaron and I separate the mixture into different bowls
"Sure" I say and I hand him the first color. He pours them in one at a time and Aaron and I whisk them which was kinda hard to mix but eventually we got it.

"Now... Aaron!" I say
"Yes!" he says
"On another bowl you mix 2 1/2 tablespoons almond oil, 3/4 tablespoon water and 12-15 drops essential oil" I say
"Yes ma'am" he says and kisses my cheek as he mixes. I weighed the 'wets' and separated them into six.
"Now it's the hard part. We need to mix the 'dries' and 'wets' very slowly so we won't activate the citric acid and it starts fizzing" I say
"Tell us what to do" Aaron says
"Jack, take a spoon, Aaron, you pour the oils really slowly" I say. I hold the spoon over Jack's hand and we mix slowly.
"Was that it?" Aaron asks
"Yeah. One down, five to go" I say and Jack and I high five.
"Don't leave me hanging" Aaron says to Jack holding his hand up.

We mixed the rest of them successfully and it was time to put them in the molds. "I want rainbow" Jack says
"Ok, let's do rainbow" I say. Jack holds the mold and I pour in red, then orange and then yellow. To the other one I pour purple, then blue and then green. We give them to Aaron and he squeezes them together with all his strength making the two half molds one. "Do I open them now?" he asks
"Uhm... Wait. Ok. It might fall apart. Oh God. Give it to me" I say stressed. I take it and I tap lightly the mold. Gently, I pull it apart and the bath bomb remains one piece.
"We did it" Aaron says excitedly
"Yes!" Jack says bouncing up and down.
"Now they need to sit and dry for a day. Then we can try it" I say
"Can we make one for Penelope? She was nice today and she played with me when you and daddy needed to work" Jack asks
"Sure. And for Penelope I also have some glitter that we should out in" I say
"Yes!" he says and we continue to make the rest of them. At the end of the day we made 12 beautiful bath bombs and we had the best time doing it.

Work Relations || Aaron HotchnerWhere stories live. Discover now