"Wow! It's so beautiful!" Aisha beams at the cute Christmas cake that Luce makes. "You're really the best baker, Luce!"
Luce giggles at Aisha's exaggeration. "No, I'm not. There are more wonderful patisserie in the world, more great than me."
"No! You're the best of them, I am sure!" Aisha exclaimed as she jumps from the seat she is standing. Because Aisha is short, she had to stand in the chair to reach the counter.
"Careful," Lucian suddenly said, his eyes glares at her as he gripped the back of the chair so it won't lose its balance. "And control yourself, your drool will ruin the cake."
"Hey!" Aisha reached to her mouth and found no drool, and realized that Lucian was just teasing him. "Elder brother Lucian, be nice to your cute little sister." Aisha coquettishly said, her eyes twinkling merrily as she lightly tugged at the hem of his shirt.
Lucian could've swoon at her action if it weren't for the fact that she just called him "elder brother". He didn't like this term, not one bit.
"I am not your elder brother, nor you are my cute little sister." He coldly said which makes Luce grinned in amusement.
"You're so cruel!" Aisha hugged Luce with her little hands, she look at Luce with an aggrieved expression. "Luce, am I not cute!?"
Luce and Lucian: "..." of all the things Lucian said, the only thing that registered to her mind was she's not cute?
"Luce!" Aisha whined when Luce is not answering her.
Luce patted Aisha's head and smiled merrily at her. "You're cute, Lucian is just jealous because he's not cute like you. Don't mind him."
"I never wanted to be cute anyways." Lucian grumbled under his breath.
Hearing Luce's words, Aisha's mood lit up as she stuck her tongue out at Lucian.
"Childish." Lucian pursed his lips and commented, however, the mirth in his eyes can't be concealed.
Luce naturally saw this and giggles happily at her son. Lucian is normally an introvert kid, but when Aisha came, Lucian started interacting with other people and he express himself easily than before. Even though it was just a bit of time since Aisha came from their lives, she had manage to give color into their dull lives. For that, Luce will be forever grateful to her, however, there was this fear in her that Aisha will pull Lucian into the world of Mafias.
She fears that Rafael will find Lucian and took him away from her. After all, back when she's still in the mafia, she heard that the De La Torre and Cavelli are friends with each other.
But Luce didn't have the heart to take away her son's happiness.
"I'll leave you two here and I'll take this to deliver to Mrs. Jones."
"I'll help you." Both Aisha and Lucian said in unison, the two shared a look and then broke into laughs.
Luce's heart swells at the sight, she have never seen her son laughs. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears and her smile widens. "I can manage, plus we have other staffs here. The two of you just cleaned the mess here."
"Alright/Yes!"
"Say, Lulu, does your Mom always did personalize cake like this?" Aisha asked as they cleaned the messy counter.
Lucian gazed at her, a smile slowly forming on his lips as he ruffles her hair.
"Hey!" Aisha shouted, her lips forming into a displeased pout. Her mother spend hours doing her hair and he'll just ruins it!?
"No, this is the first time someone had asked Mother to do a personalize cake. Back then, Mother's bakery isn't known, there will be only a few costumers. It was all thanks to you that---" Lucian was cut in his mid-sentence when Aisha suddenly spoke.
"You didn't have to thank me. I didn't do anything. It was just because of your Mother's skills." Aisha said seriously, she had a smile on her face as she wipes the flour in the counter.
Aisha really admired Luce. She didn't see Lucian's Father, and she didn't dare to ask about him, but Aisha knew that Luce is raising Lucian alone. Even though Aisha had both of her parents, but listening to the members of the famiglia who didn't have a spouse and raising their children alone, Aisha knew that it was hard.
"Say, if I want you to make me a personalize cake, will you do it?" Aisha asked Lucian once they are done cleaning.
"No." Aeron immediately answered.
"Why?" Aisha whined. "Come on, make me a cake! I want cheesecake! With chocolate! And strawberries! And then flowers, little heart shaped, and..."
"I don't know how to cook, nor bake." Lucian immediately said.
"How can you not know how to cook?" Her eyes wide as she stares at him in a disbelieving manner.
"Why, you know how to cook?" Lucian deadpanned which Aisha answered with an embarrassing cough.
"I'm only three years old but you're already eight! You should know how to cook!"
"Well, I don't."
"You're just a lazy bum! Luce should teach you how to cook." Aisha teases him.
"Caina!" Lucian threatened.
"Please! I want that kind of cake! Pretty please with a cherry on top!?"
"Huh, you wish. If you want one, go and make it yourself."
"Please, make it now!" Aisha suddenly thought of something. "Hey! Make it on Valentine's day! Mommy said that boys gives girls sweets on that day! Give me one!"
"You!" Lucian immediately blushes furiously. "Why would I give you sweets on that day!? I will not give you chocolates on hearts day!"
"Lucian, you heartless fool!"
♡♡♡
Aisha groaned, her arms reaching to cover her eyes as the sunlight penetrate through the glass windows. With one hand clenched, she rubbed her eyes as she tried to stretch her body but couldn't. She became vaguely aware of the strong arms around her body.
She quickly opens her eyes, and Aeron's deep blue eyes immediately greeted her.
He was looking at her with his head resting on his palm as his elbow leaned against the pillow. "Hi. Good morning." Aeron said, he had a contented smile on his face.
"Hmm, good morning." Aisha greeted back.
I dreamed of you.