By the time Mia gat home, she was done.
Not just tired done.
Her feet felt heavy, her shoulders ached, and her mind… her mind felt like it had been running a marathon she had not trained if for
Fuck!
She barely made it through the front door before she was already fantasizing about her bed.
She pushed the door open.
There were sounds coming from the kitchen. Clinks….Small bursts of laughter. And… what’s that smell?
Her brows drew together as she walked further in. She rounded the corner, and that’s when she saw them.
Aiden.
Her little boy stood on a stool in front of the kitchen counter, his tiny frame almost lost in the oversized apron tied around his waist.
His cheeks, nose, and even the tip of his hairline were dusted with flour. It was on his shirt too. His hands moved clumsily but excitedly, and his grin could have lit up the whole house.
She blinked.
They were…
baking?
“What in God’s name is going on here?” Mia asked, her voice holding more amusement than shock.
She dropped her bag on the sofa along with the stack of files she’d brought home.
She didn’t even bother to straighten them, she knew within seconds Aiden was going to hear her and launch himself into her arms.
And sure enough-
“Mommy!”
The small, high–pitched squeal filled the space before his little feet came running towards her.
His arms spread wide even before he reached her, and Mia bent down instinctively, her tired body making room for the one person who could always, always recharge her. She scooped him up, holding him close as his flour–covered face pressed against her neck.
“Hi, baby,” she murmured softly, hugging him like she had been holding her breath all day and finally got to exhale.
The second his small body was in her arms, the weight she’d been carrying since morning loosened…just a little.
“Mama, we are baking!”
Mia kissed his cheek. “Hmmm,” she hummed. “Baking what?”
“Cake, Mama!” he announced proudly, like it was the most important project in the world.
Her heart squeezed.
From behind them, Ethan appeared, leaning on the kitchen doorway with a smirk. He was holding a wooden spoon.
1/4
Chapter 200
Mia’s smile widened when she saw her brother. “What are you doing?” she asked, laughing a bus
Ethan shrugged casually. Alden already told you. We’re baking.”
He glanced at the boy in her arms and grinned. “Come on, Aiden, let’s finish up. Mummy will go freshen up and join us later
Aiden nodded so eagerly that Mia felt his excitement vibrating through him. He started wriggling in her arms almost immediately, silently Leffing her ( put him down.
“Alright, alright,” Mia said with a small laugh, setting him gently back on his feet.
The moment his shoes hit the floor, Aiden darted back towards Ethan like the kitchen was where all the magic was happening
Ethan caught him halfway, scooping him up and carrying him to the counter. He set him back on the stool, steadying him before turning his attention back to the mixing bowl.
Mia stood there for a second, just watching.
Ethan was helping Aiden pour sugar into the bowl, guiding his small hands so nothing spilled. Aiden was grinning the whole time, talking about something Mia couldn’t quite hear from this distance.
Aiden says something and Ethan nods seriously, like
hatever his nephew was saying was critical to the success of the cake
Mia shook her head, but her lips were curved upward.
Her body might have been heavy with exhaustion, but her insides… her insides were warm. Swelling with a quiet happiness she couldn’t put into words.
It was in moments like these,small ordinary moments like this….that brought her so much peace and the belief that everything will be alright.
It wasn’t just the sight of Aiden’s happiness, it was knowing he is happy….That despite everything, despite the way life had twisted in ways she couldn’t control, her little boy could still stand in the kitchen covered in flour and smile like the world was nothing but good.
She breathed out slowly, and finally made her way to her room to change,
She wrapped herself in a towel, staring at her reflection in the mirror for few seconds.
She forced herself to move, pulling on a clean round neck and leggings.
She was about to head out to the living room when her phone dinged from the bed.
Her steps slowed.
It was from that same number–the one she hadn’t saved yet.
Mr. Felix.
Her stomach sank.
She let out a loud, frustrated sigh, before picking up the phone.
*When am I picking you up?*
Her jaw tightened.
“Jesus Christ. I can’t… can’t fucking go anywhere,” she muttered under her breath, wanting to scream it into the empty room.
The last thing she wanted right now was to go out, to put on a smile, to pretend she wasn’t exhausted. She couldn’t. She just couldn’t.
2/4
Chapter 200
Part of her waited to ignore it, to leave him an read but she knew that would be rude, and the thought of resting the unisten a appealing either.
Her thumbs hovered over the screen for a moment before she typed:
“I just got home right now. I’m so stressed. I can’t go out right now, maybe next time.
She had been careful not to fix any day. Hopefully, he will get the hint and never mention it again,
Because just because he had helped her secure an interview spot didn’t mean they had to have any kind of relationship outside work. That wasn’t how
this worked.
And God–she really, really hoped she was reading this wrong. She hoped this mani wasn’t one of those men, the kind who smiled in your face but had other things in mind.
The thought alone made her skin crawl.
If he was expecting something from her… she didn’t even want to finish the thought.
Shoving it aside, she tossed her phone on the bed, deciding she wasn’t going to let it bother her.
She pushed open the door and walked into the living room.
The sight in front of her made her chuckle.
Ethan and Aiden were both at the dining table, setting plates and spoons.
Aiden was in charge of the spoons, concentrating so hard on placing each one neatly.
It smelled like something good. They didn’t just bake, they cooked?
Wonderful.
Mia leaned against the doorway for a second, just watching them.
“Good job, my two wonderful chefs,” she said, her voice light.
Aiden’s head shot up, his eyes lighting up instantly.
“You like it, Mama?” he asked, grinning wide enough to show all his teeth.
Mia’s heart softened. She walked over, ruffling his hair before leaning down to kiss his cheek.
“I’m gonna have to taste it first baby but I’m liking what I’m seeing.”
Aiden beamed proudly, puffing out his little chest.
They all sat down together, and Mia took her first bite,/Sometimes she forgot her brother can actually cook. Not just edible cooking, but real, good cooking.
She hummed appreciatively, smiling as she chewed.
Ethan smirked. “Told you. You’re lucky to have us.”
She swallowed. “Oh, I know.”
“How was work?” Ethan asked casually, like a normal question that it should be, but it was about to unlock the door to the chaos in her head.
Mia glanced up at him, holding his gaze for a moment. She didn’t even have to say anything yet…he could see it in her eyes. The mess she had to offload.
3/4
Chapter 200
Ethan’s smirk faded. His brow furrowed slightly, his voice softer now. That bad?”
Mia took a sip of water before answering. She needed the pause.
“Esther Blackwell was the director I told you about. The one who gave me the job. Esther Blackwell Ethan… and oft, she knew who I was all su
“You’re joking…. How on earth did you not recognize her?”
Mia put her fork down, frustration tightening her movements. “I swear, Ethan, she looked noth
“Who is Eter Blatwel, Mama?”
Mia froze.
She didn’t know whether to laugh at the way he pronounced it…
Panic for saying the name in front of him….
Or cry because she will have to lie to him again.
