QUARANTINED

Day Four

Aaliyah had always been a patient girl, even in her teenage years. When she turned thirteen years old, she had asked her grandmother to buy her a simple white cake that had her name on it and her age. That was all she dreamed of but her grandmother had been struggling with some finances and everything had to be done by budget. Aaliyah knew this when she asked for the cake, it was after all a small thing to ask and in some instances, they cake would be bought without having to say anything. On the day of her birthday, her grandmother had said "Happy birthday Liyah, I know you asked for a cake but I do not have any money to get it for you. It is disappointing but surely I will be able to buy it at the end of the month" Aaliyah wasn't disappointed because she knew that things were hard. She had expected her day to be similar to all the days she'd had since the passing of her parents but Miss Jones, her sponsor, walked in with a large cake that spilled sweets when cut. It was magical, Miss Jones salvaged her birthday. Although Aaliyah was happy, she was after all a little girl, her grandmother felt badly for not having money to give her what she had asked for so Aaliyah told her that she would wait for her to buy the birthday cake that she had asked for.

She waited and waited and waited but the cake never came. Her grandmother had even forgotten as the twins celebrated their birthday with a two tiered cake and after that she still waited. Months passed without her special cake and soon she forgot about it.

"What do you want on your fourteenth birthday?" her grandmother had asked her as it was nearing and that's when Aaliyah remembered the cake she had asked for.

"I'd like a white frosted cake with my name written on it and my age" she had informed her grandmother and she witnessed as her grandmother's face went blank. She also remembered that she hadn't kept a promise, it was a mere promise but she couldn't keep it.

On her fourteenth birthday, her grandmother had told Miss Jones to refrain from buying her a cake as that was her duty so Miss Jones agreed and bought a gift card. Her grandmother bought two similar cakes with only the age difference, Aaliyah was elated as she thought her grandmother had forgotten. She would never forget that birthday as she got to eat a whole cake alone as she didn't have friends.

Seven years later, Aaliyah still possessed the same patience as she had been waiting for Racheal to finally text or even call. Usually Aaliyah would switch off her phone as it irritated her plus she didn't really have anyone to use it on but now it was the most exciting thing, she couldn't stop looking at it and the time. It was an exhilarating feeling waiting for someone to text, especially when you don't know their intentions. Aaliyah had even showered with her phone as she didn't want to miss the call meanwhile Cordelia shook her head in amusement as she had never seen the young girl so excited.

"You need to relax" Cordelia said.

"I am relaxed" Aaliyah lied, she was far from being relaxed.

"If you say so" she rolled her eyes and continued with her work.

Cordelia was jealous of the entire situation. She wanted Aaliyah all to herself and she will have her but it would be hard if Aaliyah has someone else in her mind. Racheal angered the older woman without even doing much. In normal cases, Cordelia would've flirted with the young doctor and maybe even slept with her as she was charming but now she didn't care about the young beautiful daughter because she already had someone keeping her on her toes and now she gets to watch her gush over another woman.

The young girl had noticed that Cordelia wasn't being her normal self when she simply greeted the girl, showered and came back in fully clothed without their usual banter. She wouldn't dare say it out loud but she missed fighting with the older woman and learning more about her. She knew that the only person capable of entertaining her from Racheal was Cordelia but she was in glum mood so Aaliyah waited.