Ashley ✓

Forty-Two | Happily Ever After

SOTC: Here With Me by dv4d

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SIX MONTHS LATER

"Noooo!" I exclaimed, lightly swatting Mustafa's eager hands away. "It is the right of the person who's put the ingredients into the bowl to mix the ingredients."

Mustafa's jaw dropped. "Wha— girl. You told me I could do one thing before it goes in the oven."

"But not this thing."

"So what thing?"

I stared down the accusatory narrowing of his eyes. Sadly, my logical nature lost the battle, so I pushed the bowled cake batter across the island. However, when that bowl along with the spoon made it to his hands, the bitch in me allowed me to cross my arms and menacingly whip my head away. Though that act folded when my stupid ass, loving boyfriend of six months turned my face to his to gently peck my lips. Then I supposed it was fine.

The last six months had been a dream. School was still easy and now almost over, I still inhabited the house hosting the Gardener shenanigans featuring Francesca (who now came over religiously), I'd been promoted to assistant store manager at my job, and my really cool new cartilage piercing finally sucked it up enough to heal over.

And then there was the boy who asked me out at the basketball game.

From our actual first date (our technical first one at the Olive Garden ended in Francesca falling out one of the bushes surrounding our table, which exposed two other peeping Toms had joined our rendez-vous) to making cookies in a real apartment. One that by the funding of Mr. and Mrs. Fadahunsi along with himself, was now his own. Though that man better not forget who designed its interior.

Anyway, after Mustafa's sweet gesture, he pulled away to begin mixing the ingredients.

"Buuu Asley mix!" a certain 18 month old who'd been spectating the ordeal professed from his high chair.

My eyes illuminated.

"Focus on your cheerios, young man," Mustafa said to Xavier very calmly. "This is grown talk."

My favorite toddler in the world smacked a hand on his severely salivated rings for cereal, whispering, "Gohwn, gohwn, gohwn—" And suddenly, he was screaming, "Gohwn pee-pole tahlk a lo! Gohwn pee-pole dive cah cuh like voom voom, and I no why!" Prior to bursting in another fit of laughter.

"Did we teach him contractions?" Mustafa asked upon turning back to me, his eyebrows raised.

"I don't think so," I drew out.

"Either way, this kid got me wondering whose DNA he shares." He ceased the movement of his spoon to give Xavier a bombastic side eye.

"Well duh, those brains gotta originate from somewhere," I said, and right as I had, the boy produced the loudest manic laugh while simultaneously beating the cheerios to a pulp yet again.

"Girl, if I—" he started but stopped.

"What?" I said, eyeing him as he clasped the island on each side of me.

Mustafa just grinned.

"Holy Mary Mother of God, what?" I gasped, palming his arms.

"I was gonna say that if I didn't feel the way I felt about you, I'd punish you, but I would regardless," he confessed prior to drawing out, "Y'know, just in a different way."

I rolled my lips together, smiling.

"Damn, you always want me to tell that freaking story."

"I don't know, can you?" I challenged with the cock of my head.