Perfect Preparation

Chapter 84: Crushing

After dropping his draft off to his editors, Mallix and James got into the car starting back home. "How's everything been going?" Mallix tried making small talk.

"It's been good, I managed to fix that problem I was having with my light a few weeks ago." The air was tight as the brothers conversation died before it could even begin.

Letting the cold air from the vents fill the car, Mallix noticed something odd about the scent making its way around. He sniffed it closely analyzing it.

"Are you...are you wearing cologne?" He paused to ask his brother at a red light.

James face instantly tensed up looking at his brothers curious face. "Yeah."

"You've never worn cologne before" he teased dropping the back windows down trying to let the strong smell of man leave the vehicle.

"Well I've been trying out new things, is it bad?" He worrily asked grabbing a piece of his shirt and putting it to his nose to test. But by this point he was blind sighted to how much he put on. "I don't think it smells that bad."

"No twerp you put on way too much, you've got to know when to stop." Mallix coughed rolling his window down for some well deserved fresh air.

"Why'd you start now? I mean it's a good change, but man you could've used that back in high school. You used to stink back then!" He covered his nose looking towards his younger brother who gave him a death glare.

"I told you to stop calling me twerp!" James insisted throwing his hands in the air.

"And I don't care, twerp!"

The brothers got into another argument the rest of the ride home. Luckily for Lain, Kaila, and Nina they weren't in the car to hear how insulting the two of them can be.

Pulling up into the driveway of his home, Mallix opened the garage parking their car before going to open the front door. Him and James weren't on speaking terms for the time, from their chaotic ride.

After throwing his briefcase down on the kitchen counter Mallix and James walked around the house following the sound of childish fun.

"Hey, I'm home." Mallix peaked into Kaila's play room seeing all three of the girls sitting there together.

"Daddy!" Kaila squealed in excitement before James appeared out from behind his older brother. Instantly Kaila's excited demeanor dropped and she ran back into Lain's lap, hiding away into the crook of the woman's neck.

"Hi," he shyly told the group.

Lain looked to her husband for clarity on James presence in their home. "He has to talk to us about schedule changes for the next few weeks."

Nodding in agreement Lain passed Kaila over to Nina who instantly accepted the small girl into her lap letting her hide out again.

"Let's go, we can talk about this in our office." Lain began to lead the way along with Mallix, but James stayed lingering in the doorway of the nursery looking at the remaining women in the room.

"James!" Mallix called putting catching his brothers attention, he coughed before taking his leave behind the couple.

"He's scary," Kaila mumbled into Nina's neck once they were all finally gone.

"He is, isn't he. But you never know, there could just be a soft heart hidden under all of that." She looked longingly at Kaila. A hint of red gleamed off her face.

"You like him!" She sneered at the tall woman who shushed her and held Kaila's head close to her body.

"No, it's complicated darling." She tried to do her best at giving the little one a descent answer, but curiosity was getting the better of her.

"Why?"

"Because things between your mommy and daddy, your Uncle James, and me aren't on the best terms."

"Why?"

"Because there was plenty of drama in high school and college. Once James left the picture everything just fell back into harmony."

"Why?"

"He just didn't agree with many things and wanted to do things differently than us."

"Why?" This time sending Nina into a laughing fit putting her fingers up to Kaila's lips.

"Alright you curious girl, how about instead of asking away at my life, you and I can go bake some cookies."

Nina had her at cookies, squealing with joy in her voice and energy running through her Kaila jumped up grabbing hold of Nina's hand as they walked downstairs together.

As they brushed past the second floor Nina lifted Kaila up onto her hip and helped her rest an ear against her shoulder and covering the other with her free hand. The words spewing out of that floor weren't meant for any little girl to be hearing.

Finally downstairs Nina shut the baby gate making sure Kaila couldn't get anywhere near that action again. Inside the kitchen Nina sat Kaila down onto the counter while she grabbed the ingredients from the covers.

"You ready little chef?" The tall woman asked putting an apron over Kaila's outfit and white chefs hat upon her head.

Nodding happily Kaila grabbed hold of the pre-measured ingredients, thanks to Nina, and began dumping the contents into a mixing bowl.

After spilling some batter all over the kitchen counter and onto herself, Kaila grabbed handfuls of the raw dough rolling it into a form somewhat resembling a sphere.

"Perfect job darling!" Nina clapped her hands, praising the young girl in front of her.

Kaila smiled placing her finished cookie onto a pan and continued to the next. Unlike the previous cookies she had began making the dough into shapes.

Two of her most notable works were cookies in the shape of hearts, and one in the shape of a diamond.

"Those are pretty cookies, who are they for?" Nina asked placing the final cookie onto the pan.

"The hearts for mommy and daddy! And the diamond yours!" She stated with pride in her voice.

"I get a diamond one, thank you. I love diamonds." Nina smiles hugging Kaila, carefully trying not to get flour from her hands onto her clothes. Although Kaila returned the hug not caring about it.

She sighed pulling out of the hug seeing two white dust marks in the form of handprints on her shirt. Quickly putting the cookies into the oven, Nina washed her hands before grabbing Kaila to do the same to hers.

"Alright go play while we wait for these to bake." Nina set her down, taking the apron off from over her head before Kaila scurried away down the hall and into the living room.
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Let me know what you think happened in the past. Thanks Lexx signing off