*Ding*dong*
"Who is it this time?" The clock showed 10:30 p.m. Eva wasn't expecting anyone at this time.
As soon as she put her eyes on the peephole, she took a few steps back by instinct. She wasn't sure whether it was due to fear or surprise. Nonetheless, she opened the door.
"Hello?" Her voice shook a little.
Aiden nodded but hesitated to greet. Lily, on the other hand, was excited as ever.
"Hello." Still, that was all she could say before she hid behind Aiden. And the awkward tension continued for a moment, before Eva asked, "Would you like to come in?"
Eva had no idea why Aiden chuckled as he entered the room, yet she led them to the drawing-room.
"Please, have some cookies."
The cookies were too enticing. Lily almost pounced towards it but her little hands stopped an inch away from the cookie.
She turned towards Aiden. Though Aiden wasn't even looking at her, she had already comprehended his intention. She went back and took her seat beside Aiden.
Looking at the little play, Eva almost burst into laughter. She took out a few and gave it to Lily, or at least she tried. As expected Lily didn't touch those.
"Come on, take it. Your father won't even say anything." But the girl was too obedient. She turned to see her father who was smiling at her. And rejected the offer.
"Pa said, out to accept anything from strangers."
"Stranger?" Eva chuckled, "Lily knows who I am, right? I am a blue heart."
Lily was happy hearing it but that was all, "Pa said, I can eat only the food Pa and Pi had made."
Eva had no idea why she called her mother 'Pi' but that is not important now. "If Lily takes this, the blue heart will give you an autograph."
Lily was unable to hide her excitement anymore. "Pa?" There was a hint of pleading in her sad yet large blue eyes. Alas! Aiden didn't respond.
"Please refrain from teaching her something unethical."
"Unethical?" Eva was dumbfounded. 'Giving a cookie to a child is unethical?'
"It is regarded as a kind of corruption to compel others to do stuff in exchange for private gain."
"Corruption? Private gain?" No matter how many brain cells she killed, she couldn't understand how a seemingly innocent case of offering cooking to a child turned into a parliamentary debate.
"Let's not talk about it any more."
"Yes, let's not." Eva nodded her head. "So what do you want to talk about?"
"I am sorry."
"Huh?" Looking at the emotionless face of Aiden, Eva couldn't understand whether he was truly sorry or not. But the important question is, "Sorry? For what?"
"Because I broke your sound system."
Eva sighed inside, 'So you understand?'
Alas! He didn't. "This is your apartment and you have your freedom of space, still… You are ringing the music at 120 decibels. Even if you are from the music industry you have no necessity to listen to music at such a high volume."
'What are we talking about?' Eva couldn't say anything as Aiden continued.
"Even if you don't think about your future, you should have thought about your neighbours. That sound is very harmful to a little child like her. Even at different apartments, the vibration generated from those high-frequency sounds is very harmful to a little child's heart."
Eva's brain had stopped functioning a long time ago. She was just staring at Aiden.
"But, that shouldn't have justified my action. I should have let you understand the harmful effect of it. I am sorry for my action."
"Was that an apology?" Eva spoke out in trance. Before her brain could compute the harmful effect of her words, it was too late. Yet the reaction was contradictory to her expectation.
"It might not sound like one, but it is." Aiden's straight face responded.
'So you know that.' Eva sighed in his heart, "No problem at all. It won't happen again. Now if you excuse me, I would like to rest."
One press conference would have been bad enough but the incident follows were more so. From the hospital to the police station then again to the hospital and office. 'You are lucky that I am even talking to you.'
Aiden nodded and stood up. Lily was intended to, but Eva doesn't know whether it is the cookie of the promise of the autograph that stopped her.
Before Eva could react, Aiden moved and carried her in his lap. "Honey, don't be like that. Those commercially available cookies are not good for you. Tomorrow I will bake some for you."
'Commercially available? Those were hand made by the Michelin 2 stars chef. Do you think you can cook better than a 2 star?' Yet Eva didn't have the energy to argue.
As Lily whispered something in his ears, he nodded. "Yes, We have to go to the amusement park. Don't worry, sweetheart. I will bake the cookie after you go to sleep."
Lily gave a bright smile but looked back at Eva. Then she whispered in the Aiden's ear again. In response, Aiden turned to Eva too.
'No, I don't need any of your cookies.' Eva shook her head, expecting the question but what she heard made her speechless.
"No sweety. Can't you see how tired aunty is?" Eva's eyes flew open, as Aiden continues, "Aunty is old now. She needed to rest, otherwise, she won't be able to sing. She can't go to the amusement park with us."
"What? Who said that?" She screamed. No, it sounded more like growling. 'Did you just call me aunty? I am young enough to be your daughter.'
She could speak out loud before Lily chimed in, "You can go?"
Lily's eyes were especially bright. Those eyes caught her off-guard. "No, No. That is not what I am…"
She couldn't complete the sentence before Aiden added, "Sweetheart, Don't force aunty, She needs to…"
"I will go." Both of them turned towards Eva. One is excitement, while the other is confusion. "I will go with you tomorrow."
"Yipee." Aiden didn't see his Lily this excited in a long time so he coincided. He chose to leave for now.
"Get ready at nine, otherwise we are leaving without you." Aiden didn't even look towards her as he left the room.
'Why does it feel like I fall into their trap?' Even Eva didn't understand why she had accepted the invitation. She was crestfallen.
Little did she know there was one more person gloomier than her, Aiden. 'I have planned to spend my whole day with my sweetheart and that…' All he could do was pour his anger on the cookie batter.
The result- Eva: These cookies are very tasty.
Lily: My Pa is best.