MasukHazel walked up to me, a sheepish look on her face. I smiled down at her. “Is there anything you need, young lady?”She opened her palm to reveal a piece of wrapped candy. It looked smiliar to the ones I’d stuffed into the piñata earlier. The kids had gone crazy cracking it open, poor thing was probably in shambles somewhere on the lawn.I furrowed my brows. “You want me to open that for you?”She shook her head, grinning. “I kept it for you. Take it.”I chuckled, taking the candy from her damp fingers and slipping it into my pocket. “Thank you, Hazel.”She nodded, clearly pleased with herself before she skipped off, probably to rejoin the other kids.I watched her go, then turned to head toward the front porch. Debbie was there with a little boy, busy giving him a face painting. “Um, what exactly are you painting?” I asked, settling down beside her.She grimaced. “Spider-Man. Isn’t it obvious?”I looked at the boy’s face. The paint was so smudged I couldn’t tell where the webbing st
I shot the pretty lady at the counter a smile as she handed me my card back. “Thank you so much.” I said, slipping it into my purse before I reached out for the medium-sized cake box she had set carefully on the counter. Inside lay a vanilla sponge cake with neat frosting letters spelling out 'Happy Birthday Adeline' on the surface. I was relieved that I had finally secured it in time for this afternoon’s party.I’d chosen this cute bakery tucked inside the city mall to make Adeline's birthday cake and I’d initially been worried that my order wouldn't be ready in time for the party. Thankfully they'd called me that morning to come pick it up and now I could finally cross it off my list. Beside me, Hazel stood quietly, her gaze fixed on the bustling crowd outside the bakery’s glass doors. “Are you okay, Hazel? Do you need me to carry you?” She pouted dramatically at me, shaking her head with vigor. I laughed at her reaction, grateful she wasn’t tired yet because carrying her al
We had dinner at six o’clock, not five. Roast beef with stir‑fried vegetables that I'd helped myself to more than everyone else. The food was good, better than I'd expected. And accompanied with the heavy silence in the dining room, I could enjoy it in peace. But the silence didn't last long though.“It’s been a while since we all had dinner together like this.” Dad said, reaching for his glass of water. He stared at us, almost expectanly, waiting for someone to respond. No one said a word. He continued. “Especially with Eleanor disappearing on us, dinners like this didn’t feel quite complete.”Eleanor let out an amused snort. “Didn’t think my absence would matter so much.”“Of course it did.” he said. “Your mother and I missed you dearly.”Eleanor and I exchanged a look across the table, the kind of look that said 'what the heck is going on here?' Our confusion mirrored each other’s perfectly.Mum cleared her throat, setting her fork down carefully, her gaze locked on her husband.
I glanced up from the tab I’d opened on my laptop where I'd spent the past twenty minutes browsing bakery websites. “What do you think I should get Adeline for her birthday?" Nathaniel shrugged as he buttoned up his office shirt with practiced ease. It was always a shame he had to leave so early for work. Our mornings could have been spent wrapped in eachother' arms, sharing lazy kisses. “I’m not sure.” he said, adjusting his collar. “What does she like?” “That’s the problem, I don’t even know.” I groaned, clicking over to another bakery’s page. "I’m terrible when it comes to getting people birthday gifts.” Nathaniel chuckled. “No, you’re not. On my birthday you made a whole picnic for me—” “That wasn’t a proper gift.” I huffed. “Besides, you should’ve seen me panicking that day. I wasn’t even sure if you were going to like—” My words trailed off as an email notification popped up on my screen. Brows furrowed, I opened it, confusion twisting across my face. “Are you o
A smile tugged at my lips the moment I noticed Harold approaching me. “Ah, Ms. Elena." he greeted me warmly. “It’s been a while since I saw your pretty face around.” I laughed. “It’s good to see you too, Harold.” I reached into my bag and pulled out a twenty to hand to him. “Keep up with the compliments and I might just give you my bank card one day.” He burst out laughing, the sound echoing in the empty lobby as I walked to the elevator and pressed the button to my floor, a smile playing on my lips. Harold had been right, it had been far too long since I’d last come to my apartment building. Strangely enough, I didn’t miss it as much as I thought I should. Nathaniel’s place had become way more comfortable for me than my own place. The elevator pinged open and I stepped out, rummaging through my bag for my key. I slid it into the lock and twisted until the door creaked open. A wave of stale air greeted me, heavy and suffocating. I rushed to the windows and pulled them
"You think she’ll be coming soon?” Debbie asked, her voice carrying a faint note of impatience. I shrugged. “She called about twenty minutes ago. Said there’s a bit of traffic but she’s on her way.” We were at the Olivia Sanchez Children’s Home, sitting on the front porch, taking in the afternoon sun. The place was unusually quiet because the kids were inside having their mid-day lessons. It felt weird not seeing them running around the yard, disturbing the quiet with their playful shrieks. Debbie shifted so she could face me properly, her expression soft. “Um… so about your dad.” She hesitated before continuing. “I’m sorry all this has been happening and I knew nothing about it. How are you dealing with everything?” I exhaled slowly, my shoulders sagging. “It’s been kind of hard, I can’t lie. I just hope everything gets settled soon.” I’d already briefed Debbie earlier on about the police case involving my dad. I hadn’t gone into details, but I'd said just enough for her
“Are you going to tell me where we’re heading now or…?”Nathaniel spared me a glance, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Let me give you a clue.”I tilted my head. “I’m listening.”“The place is secluded.”My brows shot up. “Now I’m really convinced you’re going to kill me in the woods som
My face lit with a smile the moment I spotted the familiar figure waiting for us at the front steps as we pulled into the driveway and stepped out of the car.Daria’s face mirrored my excitement as she stepped forward, arms wide open. Her hug was warm and inviting. And I'd admit I did linger abit l
I fiddled with my hands on my lap, my fingers tapping against each other nervously. The silence inside the car felt heavier with each passing second.I wondered if I should just get out of my car, go into the building and check up on her myself. What was keeping her? Why was she taking so long?But
"You need help getting out?" Hazel shook her head firmly, her little hands already reaching for the door handle. With a determined tug, she pushed it open and stepped out of the car on her own. I couldn’t help but smile at her determination. Daria had been quite adamant about Hazel walking on







