Chapter 16

I was taken by surprise because I had never expected Layla and Ashley to visit me anywhere other than the dining room.

"Yes, of course." I opened the door wider. "Please come in."

I immediately picked up the papers scattered everywhere. "I’m sorry, my room is a bit of a mess right now."

Layla glanced at the script and immediately seemed to feel guilty for coming in without notice. "Did we disturb you, Samantha?"

"No! Not at all. I’m glad you came." I clapped my hands once after placing the papers on the table and let them sit on the couches. "So, which muffins should I try?"

Ashley replied enthusiastically, "All of them! We usually bake cookies for the New Year, but Mommy and I want to bake something new this year!"

I bit my inner lip when I saw there were six muffin cakes on the tray, each topped with colorful decorations, sprinkles, fruit, and a generous dollop of whipped cream.

Too many calories.

"Well, I don’t think I can eat them all at once," I said with a smile, "but I’ll try them all. Which one is your favorite, Ashley?"

Ashley’s face lit up as she pointed to a muffin with a swirl of vanilla whipped cream and dried strawberries on top. "This one! Mommy says it’s our best batch."

I picked up the muffin and took a small bite, the rich flavors of vanilla and strawberry melting in my mouth. "This is delicious! You and your mom did a great job."

Ashley clapped her hands excitedly. "You really like it? Mommy said it was good, but I wanted to hear it from you!"

I chuckled and wiped a crumb from my lips. "I love it, Ashley. You are a talented young lady."

Ashley spoke with pride, "Will you help us bake next time? Mommy says it’s fun to bake with friends."

Friends?

It had never occurred to me that Ashley would consider me a friend.

I smiled. "I’d love to. Maybe I could learn a thing or two from you."

Ashley grinned and picked up another muffin to offer me. "Here, try this one next! It’s blueberry lemon, Mommy’s favorite."

I took the muffin and smiled warmly. I rarely baked cakes because Rowan hated it when he saw me eating something sweet. He said I would gain weight easily if I ate those things.

However, Rowan wasn’t around anymore, so I could try it once in a while.

For the first time in a long time, I felt a sense of warmth from others, even if it was just over a tray of muffins.

From tasting the muffins, Ashley and Layla ended up talking to me about many things, from their favorite recipes to funny stories about Ashley’s attempts to bake cookies on her own.

"Last week, Ashley tried to surprise me by baking cookies," Layla said, laughing as she told the story. "But instead of sugar, she accidentally used salt. Luckily, her daddy loved her cookies so much that he ate them all."

"Daddy said my salty cookies taste good!" Ashley defended herself.

Layla laughed. "That’s because your daddy’s tongue is numb."

I watched their interaction and smiled. If only I had children of my own, maybe I would teach them to bake cookies for fun and let their father taste them.

Wait, if I had a child now, didn’t that mean that Zephyr would be the father?

My face suddenly turned red at the thought.

I knew I couldn’t bear a child, but wouldn’t it be great if my children had Zephyr’s appearance?

I shook my head, trying to dismiss the thought, but my cheeks remained red. The idea of having children with Zephyr was both impossible and strangely comforting.

I imagined our little ones running around with Zephyr’s gray eyes and his smile, filling the house with laughter. Maybe they’d tug on his coat, asking him to read them stories or wanting to follow their daddy to work.

As my imagination ran wild, my heart ached with a mixture of longing and sadness because I wouldn’t be able to turn that imagination into a reality. "What am I thinking?" I muttered to myself.

"Did you say something, Samantha?" Layla asked, confused.

My eyes widened as I realized I had been talking to myself while others were around. "Ah, no. Nothing." I immediately changed the subject. "I used to love making cheesecake. It was ... something I did a lot when I was younger. But I haven't baked for years."

Layla said, "Maybe it’s time to give it a try again. Baking can be therapeutic for some people, you know. Zephyr would love to try your cake."

"Does he like sweet things?"

"Who cares what he likes?" Layla chuckled. "If you make him something, he has to eat it."

Ashley nodded in agreement. "Yeah! My daddy always eats everything my mommy cooks!"

I lifted the corner of my mouth. "That’s because your daddy loves your mommy very much."

We talked for a while until Ashley started to feel sleepy. Layla carried her daughter in her arms and said, "I think it’s time for the princess to take a nap."

"No ... I want to play with Samantha a little longer..." Ashley murmured.

I rubbed her head. "We can play again later. Besides, we live together, so we can see each other every day."

Ashley’s eyes lit up. "Would you like to play in my room tomorrow, Samantha?"

"Yes, I’d love to."

Layla added, "I’m sorry if we bother you. This kid is very clingy when she gets close to someone."

"Don’t worry about it." I waved my hand. "I like playing with children."

As they headed for the door, Layla patted me on the shoulder. "I heard from Darren that you’re going to divorce court."

I nodded. "Yes. Rowan refused to sign the divorce papers, so I have no choice."

Layla gave me a sympathetic look. "I can’t imagine how difficult it must be. But you seem strong, Samantha. You’ll get through this."

"Thank you," I said quietly. My heart filled with warmth and happiness as Layla looked so concerned for me. "It’s not easy, but I’m trying."

Layla gave me a genuine smile before speaking again. "If you ever need someone to talk to or even just a distraction, you can always come to us. Ashley would be overjoyed to have you around more often."

I smiled faintly. "I appreciate that. Really."

I waved at Ashley, who was half asleep, before I closed the door. I let out a sigh of relief as most of my anxiety disappeared after spending time with Layla and Ashley.

Then I looked at the tray of muffin cakes on the table and planned to throw them away. But as I almost tossed them into the trash bin, my hands stopped halfway.

"Just today ... I can eat them for today.”