Cupcake

Chapter 1

"Ah shit!" She cried out, pulling her hand away from the hot pan and shaking her fingers like they were on fire. Muttering curse words she used an oven mitt to empty the pan of treats onto the counter. The vanilla cupcakes were not burned and she grinned proudly. She splattered bright pink frosting on each one and then covered them in multi-colored sprinkles, before placing them on a cake plate. Licking the remaining frosting off her fingers she smiled widely. 

It had taken years to master the cupcake. Her first batch didn't even make it to the oven before  ending up on the floor. Her next several attempts resulted in multiple burned cupcakes and one small fire. Then of course, came the actual taste of the bite-sized cakes. After learning to label her salt and sugar containers, her cupcakes were not half bad. They were actually quite good.

Of course it took five years to perfect but, who's counting? 

The true test to her cupcakes was the judging. There was only one person who's opinion mattered to her. The only person who could decide if her frosting to sprinkle ratio was correct.

"Cassie!" She yelled wiping her hands on her jeans. The pitter patter of footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. Seconds later a beautiful little girl raced into the kitchen. She was the mirror image of her mother. 

Cassandra Kennedy had the same thick curly hair as her mother but, it was pulled back into a braid, small wisps framing her perfectly oval-shaped face. She had the same splay of freckles across her cheeks and thick arched eyebrows. Her small button nose fit perfectly on her face and her skin was a warm cream. However, where Charlotte's eyes were a light brown, her daughter's were as blue as the ocean. 

Cassandra's eyes belonged to her father. She swore she could see the same sparkle she saw in his, each time her daughter smiled. It made her heart swell with joy. She would tell her daughter the same thing every time she asked about her daddy.

"When you smile, I see your daddy in you. When you cry, I see your daddy in you. When you giggle and when you scream, I see your daddy in you. You close your eyes and you know that your dad is right there with you."

Charlotte wasn't lying either. Her daughter may look very similar to her but, her father is there just as much, if not more. 

"Are they ready?" Cassie asked a wide smile on her face. Charlotte nodded, lifting the five year old into her arms and sitting her on the kitchen counter. 

"Okay, I added a little something extra this time. Tell me what you think." She told her daughter as she peeled away the wrapper and handed it to the smiling girl.

She immediately took a large bite out of the treat, resulting in pink frosting all over her face. Charlotte let out a giggle before swiping her thumb across her nose to catch some of the frosting. Licking it off her finger she grinned as her daughter scrutinized the cupcake.

"So? What's the verdict?" 

"Hmm," She began licking around her lips in an attempt to clean her face. Charlotte laughed grabbing a napkin and wiping the girl's face clean. "I give it a 8.9." She announced.

'What?" Charlotte gaped. "That's it? What's wrong with it? Last week got a 9.3!" She pouted, curling her lips into a frown. 

Cassie let out a loud giggle. "The wrapper doesn't match the frosting!" She said gesturing to the green wrapper and the pink frosting.

"What!" Charlotte let out a loud laugh. "You are crazy my little cupcake, you know that?" She grinned as she began to tickle her daughter's sides, both of them laughing loudly. 

"Did you taste the secret ingredient?" her mother asked, halting her tickle attack. Cassie shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't think so." She answered cocking her head to the side.

"You want to know what it was?" Charlotte asked. Her daughter smiled and nodded wildly.

"Yeah! Yeah! What was it?"

Charlotte smiled staring at her daughter adoringly. She leaned in and pecked her forehead with a kiss. "Love."

 I really want a cupcake...