A Midsummer Night's Dream

20

DIANA

I wiped the layer of sweat off my forehead as I admired my creation before me. I had spent the entire morning baking a cake for Theodore's birthday, September 4th which was today. I decided to go with a vanilla flavour cake with strawberry buttercream icing decorated with fruits. The cake looked pretty promising and I really hoped he liked it.

My aunt walked into the kitchen. She was wearing a workout set and holding a glass water bottle.

"Hello auntie. Enjoy your walk?" I asked her.

"Yes, it was great. Walking around the estate one final time was so... unreal. All the memories I shared with your mother here and all the moments in the maze or near the fountains or the statues, they will all be missed." She said as she stared out at the rolling lawns and blue sea in the distance.

"I wish I had come here every summer. Maybe I would have the same memories."

"Well you were the one who didn't want to come in the first place. You always complained when I offered to bring you and your sister back to your ancestry home."

"I guess it grew on me." I said with a shrug.

"Yeah that tends to happen to most people. Anyways did you finish that painting you told me about? You're flight back to the states is in 5 days after all."

5 days. The words stung my heart.

"Yes. I'm almost done. I'll hang it up before I go. I promise."

"Okay great. The buyers of the estate said they were willing to keep all the art, we're the Monet's after all! So a piece of you will always be here. Your great great grandfather Claude Monet must be so proud!" My aunt told me, reassuringly.

I chuckled.

"Auntie... I was told about this girl by one of my friends. Her name was Bellamy and they say she-"

Marilyn interrupted me before I could finish, "Oh Diana you know it's all nonsense. I'm gonna be taking this extra icing with me now! Have a great day mon cherie!" She said, instantly grabbing the bowl of pink frosting and taking it to her office.

༻✧༺

"Happy birthday dear Theodore. Happy birthday to you!" I sang along with the Lavigne family as we huddled around the cake I had baked.

Theodore blew the candles and we all ate the cake.

"The cake is sooo good Diana." Lillian remarked. I chuckled at her face covered in icing.

"I want this one for my birthday." Lenora said.

"Of course. I will make sure to share the recipe with your brother to my best. To be honest, I did really just put together some ingredients and hope it'll turn out." I revealed.

The two little girls giggled at my revelation.

I went into the kitchen where Theodore was standing. I had seen him watching me with his sisters.

"17 how does it feel?" I asked, leaning against the counter in the small kitchen.

"Pretty much the same." He said with a shrug.

"You know you're like the epitome of a Virgo."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. A Virgo and a Sagittarius. Who would have thought." I joked.

"Not me." He replied with a chuckle.

No one was around. His parents were outside eating cake. Lillian and Lenora were playing in the family room and Marcel and Lorraine had already left for Paris a couple days ago.