Beyond Boundaries (Mommy's Angel)

Twelve

The next morning, I wake up to the smell of pancakes. Leah must be in the kitchen. I stretch lazily, the events of yesterday evening feeling like a distant dream. As I get up and head towards the bathroom, I notice a small note on the bedside table.

"Good morning, princess.
Breakfast is almost ready.
Love, Mommy."

I smile at her thoughtfulness and quickly freshen up before heading downstairs. As I enter the kitchen, I see Leah flipping pancakes with one hand while sipping coffee with the other. The counter is a delightful mess. Flour, cracked eggshells, newspaper, and a splash of milk on the counter.

-And here I thought I was the messy one. Morning, Mommy.
I greet her, wrapping my arms around her from behind. Leah laughs and turns around to give me a quick kiss.
-Morning, baby. I hope you're hungry. I might have gone a little overboard.
-A little?
I laugh, looking at the growing stack of pancakes on the plate.
We sit down to eat, enjoying the sweet and syrupy breakfast. Halfway through, my phone buzzes. It's a text from Cassie.

"Hey, can we come over again today? Linda and I had so much fun the other day."

Leah puts my phone back, a smirk on her face and removes her glasses.
-Can they?
-Sure, but you're cleaning up this mess.
I laugh and quickly text Cassie back, agreeing to the impromptu gathering.
-You won't be all weird and flirty with Linda again?
Leah rolls her eyes and takes a sip of her coffee.
-Finish your plate.
After breakfast, we start tidying up the kitchen, but our, mostly mines, efforts are interrupted by the doorbell.

-That must be them already. Leah says, glancing at the clock. They're early, it's rude.
I open the door to find Cassie and Linda, both looking cheerful, yes even Linda, and ready for another day in our company.

-Come in, guys!
-Thanks, Amy. Cassie says, giving me a hug.
Linda smiles and waves.
-Hi, Amaya.

We settle in the living room, chatting and catching up. Leah joins us after finishing in the kitchen, and we all decide to play some board games. Things start off fairly calm with a game of Scrabble, but soon, Cassie and Leah's competitive streaks come out, and the fun really begins.

-No way that's a word! Cassie exclaims, pointing at Leah's latest play.
-It is too! Look it up if you don't believe me. Leah counters, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
I glance at the board. Leah has laid down the word "quizzity," claiming it's a legitimate verb. Cassie quickly grabs her phone and starts typing.
-Ah, it is a word...
-Told you! Leah says smugly and smiling at Cassie's surprised tone.
-Alright, alright, you win this round. Cassie grumbles
-Like the two other ones you must add!
We all laugh and joke around, the atmosphere becoming more relaxed and playful. Eventually, we switch to a more fast-paced game, Pictionary.

-Okay, it's your turn, Amaya.
Cassie hands me the pad and pen and I draw a card and start sketching frantically, but my artistic skills are lacking. Leah and Linda are both shouting guesses, none of which are even close.
-A tree! No, a cat! A...a...blob? Linda guesses, her face scrunched in concentration.
-Time's up! Cassie announces, laughing. What the hell was it supposed to be?
-A spaceship...
-A spaceship? Leah laughs. It looked more like a deformed starfish.

We're all laughing so hard that we don't notice the paint cans Cassie brought out for the next activity.

-Let's do some painting!

Cassie exclaims, already setting up a makeshift canvas in the backyard.
-Are we really doing this? Leah and Cassie ask at the same time, exchanging a look.
I look at them for a few seconds, but decide to ignore it and follow them outside.

It's nothing.
It happens.

Cassie hands us each a small canvas and a set of paints. The plan is to have a "paint war," where we can only use our fingers to paint. It's chaos from the start. Paint flies everywhere, and soon, we're all covered in bright splashes of color.

-Oh look! A bird! I shout, smearing a streak of blue across Leah's cheek.
-You didn't..

She retaliates with a handful of red paint, and soon, Linda and Cassie are joining in. We're laughing and dodging each other, the backyard becoming a colorful battlefield.

-Truce, truce! Cassie shouts, holding up her hands, now a mix of purple and green. I think we've created enough masterpieces.
-You don't say. Leah adds, wiping a streak of yellow from her forehead.

We step back to admire our work. The canvases are abstract to say the least, but the fun we had shows in every messy stroke.

-Okay, everyone, time to clean up. Leah says, stepping back to take a phone call.

We all pitch in, washing off the paint and tidying up the backyard. By the time we're done, we're all exhausted but happy. We head back inside, where Leah has another surprise for us, homemade ice cream.
I knew she was a great cook, but ice cream ?
-Thought you might need a cool treat after all that chaos. She says, handing out bowls.
-Thank you.
I walk to her and quickly kiss her lips, fully appreciative of her presence and efforts. 
We collapse onto the couch, enjoying the ice cream and reminiscing about the day. As the sun sets, Cassie and Linda start to gather their things to leave.
-Thanks for today, guys. It was a blast!
-Yeah, we had so much fun!
Cassie hugs me tight while Linda shyly waves.

After they leave, Leah and I settle down in the living room, the house finally quiet. She pulls me close, and we cuddle on the couch.

-You know...
-Hm?
I rest my head on her shoulder and kiss her neck.
-Today was perfect. Messy, but perfect. Thank you Mommy.

Leah kisses the top of my head and runs her fingers through my hair.
-I'm glad you think so, baby. I would play with four years old in the sand if it makes you happy.
-Really? Cause I...
-Don't push it Amaya

I laugh and sit on her lap, wrapping my arms around her neck.
-You're the best, I love you.

As we sit there, wrapped in each other's arms, I can't help but smile with content. Leah's steady presence, her warmth, and her love  always make every day feel special.
Leah's phone buzzes, and she glances at it, her brow furrowing slightly. She quickly silences it and puts it aside, focusing back on me.
-Who was that? l ask, curious. It's a bit late Mommy.
-Just a work thing.
She replies so fast that I can't help but sense a hint of something in her voice.
-Nothing to worry about sweetheart.

I nod, deciding to let it go and snuggle deeper into her embrace, feeling safe and content.
-Tomorrow will be a busy day, I might be home late. Leah murmurs, stroking my hair. But I'll try make it before dinner, okay?

I smile against the skin of her neck, closing my eyes, ready to fall asleep.
-As long as we're together, Mommy.
-Always, princess. Leah whispers, kissing my forehead.
-Always.

___________________________________________
I hope you enjoyed it.
Take care and be careful.
XOXO_