What Love Feels Like

Nine | injured

Ariella.

"I had never expected myself to make something so delicious.Thanks, Aunt Nora." I say excitedly.

Technically, I just helped but still let me be proud of myself okay?

I take another taste of the batter by dipping my finger in the bowl. She playfully smacks my hand away from it. "If you keep on eating the batter, how will we bake the last cake for family dinner tomorrow before I leave for work?"

"But it's so yummy." I argue. She gives me an amused look, which makes her look so much like Noah, it's crazy.

So this is where he got most of his expressions from.

"Are you sure you're okay with me staying over here alone until Audrey fetches me?"

She gives me an unimpressed look that I already receive so many from her son. "Ella. I did call you here to help me with the baking didn't I?"

I frown sullenly, "But that's 'cuz Audrey and mom were telling you about how I'm a terrible baker. I'm so offended by the way,even though it's true."

She laughs, "And today taught you so many things didn't it?"

"Yeah, but-"

She cuts me off, "Ariella, this is basically your second home, so don't pretend as if I didn't know you since you were in your diapers."

"Okay, aunt Nora." I say begrudgingly.

She pulls me in a warm hug before she leaves, and her the subtle scent of her perfume envelopes me. She pulls away and gives me a bright smile that makes her dimples show, it reminds me of- "Noah has the exact same dimples when he smile like this." I blurt out from I have no idea where and immediately regret it after I see a full blown grin appearing on her face as her eyes light up.

"I knew it! I literally just told Alice about what I thought!"

Huh? My brows furrow in confusion. "What did you tell my mom about?"

"Noah has been saying..., it's like he can't stop talking about...and the things ...does." Aunt Nora mutters to herself, as if she has forgotten I was even here.

"About who?" I could not hear a thing she just said.

Her face morphs into what someone looks like when they have been caught saying something that was confidential.

"Oh nothing, nothing. I'm leaving now honey. Feel free to have anything if you're hungry and don't forget to take the last cake out of the oven. See you!" She grabs her purse and keys and heads out the door.

I'm alone now. Isa isn't here since he and Audrey went out to check out their dorms.Noah is at practice and doesn't come home until an hour.

I pull out the cake from the oven, the smell of cocoa wafts through my nose as I put icing on the cake.

I am not going to eat it now.
I am not.

It's for family dinner tomorrow and I am going to proudly say that I had baked this, even though Aunt Nora did half of the things.

But she did say I get to take the credit, and honestly doesn't really care.

Yay!

After I'm done, I sit in the TV room and lounge on the couch. I watch a series that is Thea's absolute favourite that I only watch for the second-lead couple. I skip every scene with the main couple just to watch five minutes of screen time for the other couple.