After paying for the books, they decided to take a break from gift searching and have lunch. They picked an italian cuisine restaurant that was on the highest floor of the mall. It had a rustic design that created a nice atmosphere for chatting and relaxing.
"Sweetie you should pick a present for your uncle soon. We've been to a lot of stores already and you haven't chosen anything yet." Claire said as she brushed a few strands of Lily's hair behind her ear.
'But mommy I haven't seen anything that I want to give him.' Lily answered with a somewhat defeated expression. She was having a hard time thinking of what to get for Colton.
"Then how about we think about it together?" Claire suggested as the artisanal pizza they had ordered was being placed on the table.
They were sitting in the middle of the restaurant. The table was square shaped and Lily was between both Aiden and Claire. Since she was too small to properly reach the table, they had her sit in a booster seat.
"That's a good idea. Let's see, what's your favorite thing to do with your uncle princess?" Aiden asked her as he placed a slice of pizza on her plate and Claire used a napkin to make her a makeshift bib. She was afraid of the pizza sauce staining her clothes.
'We like to watch movies together. Uncle always gives me hot chocolate inside my favorite unicorn mug.' She smiled as she remembered the countless times they did so.
"Unicorn mug?" He asked her with a curious expression.
'Yes! It's pink and sparkly. My uncle gave it to me for my birthday last year.' Since Colton had gifted it to her she refused to use any other cup in the house.
"Does your uncle have a special mug too?" Aiden asked with a soft look in his eyes. He was imagining her sipping out of such a girly mug. Lily just got cuter and cuter for him.
'I don't think so. Uncle uses a normal one.' Lily replied by signing with her fingers slightly greasy thanks to the pizza.
"Then how about you pick a mug to give him. That way when you watch movies together you can both have a special mug to drink your hot chocolate from." He suggested as he wiped her hands clean with a napkin.
"That's a good idea. Wouldn't that be nice Lily? I bet he would really love it." Claire said before she took a bite of her pizza slice.
'We can both have special mugs?!' Lily was thrilled with the idea.
"Of course. And I know just the place to get it from. We can go after we finish eating." Aiden replied.
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After finishing their meals they went back to the car. Cameron placed the few things they bought in the trunk before they all got in and made their way to their next destination. This time Aiden and Claire sat on either side of Lily's car seat.
Once they got to the place, Claire noticed that they had actually gone to an art studio. And a very famous one at that.
"Logan Aalto for a mug?" Claire raised her eyebrow as she looked up at Aiden.
"A princess only deserves the best of the best. Don't you think?" He smirked at her as they walked in.
Walking inside the studio was like entering a a whole other dimension. The walls were covered in a hand painted mural of different landscapes from around the world. The wooden floor was stained with different paint splatters and the sun that seeped in through the high ceiling windows made them look like they were standing right in the middle of a messy and colorful rainbow.
In Lily's eyes the place looked magical. Having been raised in monotone colored houses with little to no eye catching features, made the place she found herself in outstanding. She looked around and found splashes of colors, beautiful paintings, drawings and sketches everywhere. As she scanned the space she noticed a tall man approaching them making her immediately grab on to Aiden's leg and hiding behind him. Noticing her reaction he bent down and picked her up leading to her hugging him tightly.
"No need to hide princess." He whispered to her while soothing her unease by rubbing her back. "There's no stranger who could ever harm you while I'm around."
Although they may have seemed like nothing more than simple reassuring words to anybody else, Aiden meant it. She had already started to grow on him. Enough so that he wouldn't doubt ending whomever dared to fathom the idea of bringing her harm.
Lily slowly looked at the man that had already reached them. She had started to calm down, but didn't let go of Aiden.
"Mr. Villan, its been some time. As always, it's a pleasure to have you here, as well as your companions. What can I do for you?" Logan Aalto said as he reached out his hand to greet them.
Logan Aalto was one of the worlds most regarded artists. His paintings and sculptures would sell for millions at auctions. It was considered a high honor to even attend one his gallery expositions since they were so exclusive. Meeting him and even being inside his personal studio and workshop without a prior appointment was evidence enough that Aiden was above others when it came to power and social standing.
"I came to commission something." Aiden answered while his focus was still on Lily.
"Whatever it is that you're looking for I'll be sure to create with the best of my abilities. Did you already have something in mind? A painting or perhaps a sculpture of some kind?"
"A mug." He calmly said.
They all stood silently for a few seconds before Logan spoke again."...A mug? As in a drinking mug?" He asked thinking he misheard. His expression was obviously a confused one.
"Yes. A hand made, standard sized mug." Aiden replied as he now looked at him.
After a few second of silence Logan finally replied. "Of course Mr. Villan. Is there any specific design you would desire on it?" Logan was beyond shocked by what he was asked of, but he quickly let it go. Even if he was a world class artist, Aiden Villan was not a man anybody would want to disrespect by refusing his request. So he simply kept his thoughts to himself.
"What would you like the mug to look like princess?" Aiden asked Lily who had now completely calmed down. Being his his arms was reassuring for her.
'Is mister going to make the mug himself?' She asked with sparkles in her eyes. The idea of hand making something her uncle would use was very intriguing to her.
"He is sweetie. So you can ask him for anything you'd like." Claire answered her as she tapped her little button nose with her index finger.
'Then.... can I help him make it mommy?' Lily shyly asked and started to fidget with her fingers.
Claire was surprised. Seeing her want to actually participate and even work with a stranger was unexpected of her to say the least.
Lily was very wary of people. Claire was aware that a great part of it was due to her limited access to social life and her heavy restrictions. Something she and Colton felt extremely guilty and bad about yet couldn't avoid. But even so, her little flower had a hard time getting along with others. Regardless of how many times they tried to get her to warm up to other people, most of the time it seemed too hard for Lily accomplish.
"Would it be alright if she helps you make it? You see it's a present for somebody very special. She's very well behaved so I can assure you she won't give you any trouble." Claire asked Logan with an apologetic smile. She knew it wasn't easy for any artist of his caliber to 'lower' himself to make a simple mug. Especially if he was expected to work along side a child.
Logan looked at Lily's expression and understood that she was a shy little girl. Meaning it wasn't easy for her to ask. He was somewhat amused. Although he didn't know who the woman and the small child were or what relationship they had with Aiden, he could tell they were no ordinary people. So to witness such a reserved and good natured child in the arms of such wealthy and prominent figures, he was both surprised and pleased. Children belonging to wealthy house holds tended to be spoiled and arrogant, making him see Lily in a rather favorable light.
"It would be perfectly fine." Logan answered as he offered Lily a gentle smile.