Sunset and Vine | Adopted By Elizabeth Olsen

06 | Raspberry Tart

The kitchen smells sweet, a mix of confectionery sugars and chocolate mixing together on top of the already pungent scent of rich coffee beans. In the far right corner, the scent of lemon and summer fruit lingers,  an otherwise odd mixture to the existing aroma, but it's comforting, and Lizzie can understand why Jay and Barry love it so much back here.

Only recently, she's gotten into cooking elaborate meals, a fun way to incorporate cleaner eating and proteins into her diet, and the sense of homeliness that swarms your senses when your space smells like herbs and spices has become a safe space of sorts. Lizzie can only imagine that Jay and Barry have that same connection, and although cooking's a passion she's always loved and only recently gotten into full-out, they've been at this business for decades. It's bittersweet to think of all the memories certain smells provoke.

Via hasn't left her side since they returned to the main floor of the cafe, her hand holding onto the hem of Lizzie's top. It's definitely wrinkled now, but it's the farthest thing from Lizzie's mind at the moment. She's basking in this feeling, and despite feeling overwhelmingly comforted, she can't place what's going through her mind exactly. There's a feeling deep in her belly that she's never felt before, the weight of the unknown is allowing anxiety to fester.

"We won't bake anything for set yet." Jay says, interrupting Lizzie's racing thought about what this feeling in her gut could possibly be. She nodded, tight lipped, and looked at the clear prep station in front of them. "I'll probably close a bit earlier on Sunday, really get ahead on baking. But I want everything as fresh as possible. I've been in contact with the craft service department, and they'll have everything I need there, but I'd like to get ahead on perfecting some recipes."

Lizzie nods, tying her hair back and away from her face, giggling as Jay hands her an apron with the cafe logo on the front. She's got a name tag clipped to the chest, 'Lizzie' written in pretty cursive lettering. Lizzie cocks an eyebrow, a teasing smirk on her lips. "Elizabeth didn't fit nicely on the tag."

"Mmhm, sure Jay." Lizzie laughs, tying it around her neck and folding it at her waist so it doesn't hang at an awkward length. She turns to see that Jay has one for Via too, and it's even more precious to see the little girls name scribbled out on the surfboard name tag in elegant cursive lettering.

"I figured you could do with one, if you were willing to help me out on set?" Jay smiles invitingly, holding apron up to Via. The little girl nodded, smiling in thanks as she reached for the apron. The smile was tight, not entirely genuine, and Lizzie realized just how comfortable Via is with her rather than others. "Perfect. Okay, we need to make two breakfast sandwiches, three of the pastries, and Barry insists we try out a new oreo mousse recipe."

"Just tell us what we need to do." Lizzie smiles, looking down at Via who's still struggling to tie up her apron, and in the process knocking the braid out of her hair every time she snags the end of her ponytail. "Can I help you?" Lizzie asks softly as Jay turned to grab ingredients and baking pans.

Via blushes a deep shade of red, but she nods her head in approval and steps away from Lizzie just enough so that it's easier for her to tie the apron. Lizzie makes quick work of it, leaving the necktie in a beautiful bow before moving onto the waist tie and doing the same. The apron looks adorable on Via's little body, swallowing her like the top she has on. "Can I fix your hair?"

Via nods again, so Lizzie wordlessly undoes the braid that's almost entirely fallen anyway, and begins to twist it up again, trying not to snag any baby hairs in the process. When she finishes, Via whips it around so she can admire it, smiling brightly at Lizzie as she fiddles with the ends of her hair. "Like?"

"Mmhm! I can't braid very good." Via admits bashfully, but Lizzie just smiles. Who would have taught her to do her hair? Who's to say she even has what she needs, because the hair tie that she'd just wrapped around the loose ends felt disgustingly tight and on the verge of snapping. The unfamiliar pit in Lizzie's stomach only grows at this new stream of thoughts, but anger flares in her chest at the nerve of some man to call himself a foster father and then deny a little girl of any affection or basic care at all, but there had to have been a time when he wasn't like this. Lizzie only hopes that Via had a few good years.