Floating in the Abyss ✔️

Chapter 33

Laura went straight into her bedroom when we got home, which I assumed was to make the call to Sarah.

"What do you want to do whilst we wait?" Nick asked but continued before I could respond. "Actually, ignore my question, lets see what we have to bake. What's your favourite?"

"I had cookies at the hospital. I liked those." I said quietly.

"We should have everything for that. What type?"

"I had choc chip. What other types are there?"

"More than you can count." He chuckled. "My favourite is shortbread, Ryan loves gingerbread, River loves the hundreds and thousands of biscuits you buy from the supermarket, Jonah loves wagon wheels and Austin loves anything chocolate."

"I'm the same as Austin." I giggled. That was something else we had in common.

"Twin things." Nick winked.

"What are hundreds and thousands of biscuits?"

"Hundreds and thousands are sprinkles. So they're just plain biscuits with pink icing and sprinkles."

"That sounds good." I smiled.

"They are."

"Well, I think Laura wanted to do this with you, so I won't take over. What should we do in the meantime?"

"I don't mind." I told him quietly, secretly, I was hoping to watch Paddington.

"I could put Paddington back on for you. No one will mind, we've all seen it a thousand times anyway." It was like he had read my mind, making me feel slightly worried that I might have thought out loud.

"Yes please." I nodded and smiled. He helped me get set up on the couch and turned on the movie. I was too intrigued to even realise that Abi, the dog, had appeared in the lounge room and was asleep at my feet. I wasn't usually comfortable with dogs. All the dogs I knew didn't like me and were more terrifying than my real father when he was drunk.

Although parts of the movie were frightening, I was incapable of stopping it for good. I came to love the Brown family, and all that they did for Paddington.

Mrs Brown says that in London, everyone is different, but that means anyone can fit in. I think she must be right because although I don't look like anyone else, I really do feel at home. I will never be like other people, but that's alright. Because I am a bear. A bear called Paddington.

I watched Paddington and the Brown family play in the snow. I had never seen snow. It didn't snow where I used to live, and I was sure it didn't where I lived now either. Now, my dream is to see snow. My last dream came true. Hopefully this one will as well.

"How was it?" Asked Laura, coming out of her bedroom just as the movie finished.

"I loved it." I grinned. I would watch it over and over again if I could. I would even go as far to say that it was just as good as The Princess Diaries.

"I'm glad."

"Did you spend that whole time talking to Sarah?" I asked, curious if she really spoke to her for over an hour.

"No." Laura chuckled. "I spoke to her, then called Chris to see what he thought."

"What did they say?"

"Sarah said she actually didn't know any officers here but was more than happy to get in contact with them anyway. Chris was not impressed, to say the least. He was going to come home, but I made him stay at work. He insisted he was coming home earlier though, so he will probably be here around the same time as all the boys."

"Oh."

"Baking time?" Laura smiled. I nodded and followed her into the kitchen. Together, we got out all the ingredients. It was helpful for me since I could start to get used to where everything was in the kitchen. This would mean I could make myself food instead of making everyone else do it for me. I didn't want to get in anyone's way. "What does the recipe say?" Laura asked me, handing a sheet of paper which had a recipe from online printed on it.

"Beat the butter and sugar together." I repeated back to her, reading directly off the recipe.

We followed all the steps until we had a light brown dough.

"Last step; chocolate chips!" Laura grinned, opening the bag. "We should test them and make sure they're not poisonous first."

"Poisonous? They could make me sick?" I looked at her, concerned.

"No!" She laughed. "I was just joking. Have some."

"Oops, sorry." I smiled sheepishly. I felt awkward.

"Don't be sorry!" Laura held out the bag and I took two little chocolate chips. "Take some more that that Ash! They're tiny!" Laura was smiling and I felt happy and comfortable. I wouldn't trade what I had right now for the world.

I poured the entire bag of chocolate chips into the dough and started stirring them in. My arm started to hurt, and Laura must have noticed, so she took over.

We spooned the dough into balls and put them on the tray. I saw Laura eat some of the dough and my eyes widened.

"The recipe said not to eat it! It can make you sick!" My commentary only made Laura laugh.

"The egg wasn't rotten, I'm sure I'll be fine. Plus, it tastes too good to resist." That made me tempted to try some, so I scooped a little bit out with my hand and ate it, ignoring the anxiety it caused me.

"Good?" Laura asked.

"Ya." I replied, my mouth full. We both started laughing.

We finally finished and had all the cookies in the oven. One batch of dough made three and a half trays worth of cookies, so we had to rotate them in and out of the oven, which could only fit two trays.

The entire house started to smell like cookies, and even Abi appeared in the kitchen. I tried to keep my distance from her, not wanting anything to happen, but overall, she seemed very uninterested in everyone. Laura told me she was old and that was partially why.

"We have to hide some of these cookies before all the boys get home otherwise, they'll all be gone!"

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