marmalade crystals ━ m. verstappen

𝟎𝟎𝟏 ━ lemon-blueberry blondie,

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AS DELICIOUS AS LEMON-BLUEBERRY BLONDIES ARE, HONEY CAN'T DENY THAT MORNING DROP-OFF HOLDS A SPECIAL PLACE IN HER HEART AS HER ABSOLUTE FAVORITE THING IN THE WORLD. If she managed to arrive with the right amount of time to spare, she would be alone to take in the first light of daybreak as the sun rose over the horizon, warming the indigo sky to hues of ballet slipper pink and apricot orange. Stubborn stars would still be dancing in the fading night, reluctant to say goodbye just yet, while the birds prepared to sing their opening serenade. Damselflies and ladybugs would still be dew-kissed, and the flower petals that lined the path to the entrance of Loughton Heights Academy would be unfurling in the gentle sunlight.

The crisp air would continue to carry the scent of fresh blooms and damp earth well until the students were starting to show up, and if her stomach grumbled because she had skipped breakfast to marvel at the Northern Divers gliding across the lake, she could count on at least three parents to bring her freshly baked scones and citrus parfaits. Her colleagues would appear one by one, then all at once, cars crowding the parking lot as they arrived to start another day of schooling. Some would bring their own children, who would run excitedly to the playground; others would head in early to gather in the staff lounge, catching up on the latest news and sharing stories from the weekend until the bell rang, signaling the start of the school day.

Unlike them, Honey knew her day as a teacher officially began when Petunia bounded into her arms and joyfully announced, "Rise and shine, Miss Honey! I brought you more beauties from Papaw's garden!"

The little girl's beaming joy, a shot of espresso in human form, dispelled any lingering fatigue Honey may have felt. And who wouldn't appreciate being alive at the sight of Marigold, the most delightful Golden Retriever to ever honor a service vest, standing by with a solemn expression despite the shimmering pink bow on her head and the rainbow colored scarf around her neck?

All the same, both Marigold and Honey had duties to attend to, which meant pleasantries had to be cut short when Chester arrived with untied shoes and an unraveling tie. The routine tasks—tucking in Nikolaas's dress shirt, straightening Clementine's pigtails, begging Charley to stop chasing the ducks around the pond—reminded Honey why she had chosen this profession in the first place.

Safe, structured, and brimming with moments that stirred her heart with purpose, it encompassed everything she ever desired—utterly idyllic, just like every other morning in Milton Keynes.

And if Honey had to deliberately overlook the headmaster's beckoning to uphold this perfection, none of that mattered in the grand scheme of things.