𝐙𝐀𝐈𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘𝐀𝐌 ~ 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 ♡

34 - Chaos in the Kitchen!

MARYAM SHEIKH

Fatima was overly specific about her birthday cake since the past few years. It was always to be from La Roza's, the one store in whole of Europe, she said, that made the best chocolate truffle cake.

It was already two by the time I reached the apartment and as I was washing some of the vegetables, I heard a knock on the front door. Amr came running in.

"Maryam! You won't believe what just happened!" he exclaimed, his voice a mix of excitement and panic.

"What is it?" I asked, trying to figure out whether I should be worried.

"I was on my way here, and someone bumped into me! And then-" His words tumbled out in a rush, his hands flailing as if he were trying to catch the very thoughts escaping him. "They knocked the cake right out of my hands!"

My heart dropped. "What do you mean, knocked the cake out of your hands? Is it okay?"

Amr's face fell. "It's not okay! It was a complete disaster! The cake is... well, it's more like a melted whipping cream by now!" He collapsed onto the kitchen floor, clearly distraught.

I calmed myself down, trying to process the absurdity of the situation. "You're telling me the cake is ruined because someone ran into you? Are you serious?"

"Totally serious! I was carrying it like a prized possession, and then bam! I didn't even see who it was!" He buried his face in his hands, his dramatic flair reaching new heights.

"Do you have the bakery's number? We need to call them and see if they can make another one," I urged, feeling the pressure mount.

Right! Let me call them!" Amr fished his phone out of his pocket, but he looked hopeless. "But what do I tell them? 'Hey, I had this cake, but now it's gone because I got blindsided by a random person on the street!'"

"Just tell them it was an accident! Maybe they can whip something up quickly," I said, pacing the kitchen while he dialed.

"Okay, okay, I'm calling!" He pressed the phone to his ear, and I watched him bounce nervously on his feet, all the while imagining Fatima's face when she found out about the cake. It was her favorite bakery and she always ordered from it. That was one of the things she was super stubborn about!

"Hi! Yes, I had ordered a cake for a birthday..." He was silent for a moment, listening intently. "Well, it was supposed to be a surprise, but... uh, there's been a slight incident."

Amr's face twisted into a look of despair. "What do you mean you can't make another one in time? This is a disaster! It's for my best friend's birthday!"

"Okay, okay! Calm down!" I urged as he continued to plead with the bakery. "Just ask if there's anywhere else we can go!"

"Wait!" Amr exclaimed suddenly, snapping his fingers. "What about that new bakery down the street? The one with the rainbow unicorns on their boxes? They might have something!"

"Good thinking!" I encouraged, and Amr quickly relayed the information to the bakery staff.
After a few tense moments, he hung up the phone, his expression still defeated. "They said they can't help us. We need to find another place."

Suddenly, Amr's face brightened as if he had struck gold. "Maryam! You work part-time at a bakery! Why don't you just make a cake?"

"Me? Right now?" I shook my head vigorously. "I can't do both! We're supposed to be cooking kabsa and lamb chops too. Who's going to handle that while I'm baking?"