Camp Little Willow

Chapter 15

I don't think I've stopped smiling all day. Little snippets of conversation from last night keep coming back to me at random points throughout the day. Is this what dating is like? Happy thoughts that creep up on you and smiles that don't stop?

In the afternoon we take the littles to the cooking room that sits between the Great Mess Hall and the Kids Camp. As we set the littles the task of finding all the equipment we'll need, my phone buzzes in my pocket. Huh, this must be another one of the few areas I get service.

I slide my phone from my shorts and tap the screen on. I can't help but grin when I see his name.

     Hey, Cassie, are you free again tonight?

Zoe slides up beside me, also grinning. "It's him, isn't it?"

I nod. "What's the earliest I can leave you and the girls tonight?"

"Dinner time. I can handle them with Tabitha and Aisling, after that we'll just tell the others you're not feeling great." Zoe clasps her hands together. "I am so happy for you!" I laugh At Zoe's enthusiasm and text Ryan back.

We split the littles into pairs, each counsellor sitting with one while Zack calls out the instructions for butterfly cupcakes. I sit with Nellie and Harry as they weigh out the flour. Harry pours while Nellie sieves and reads the scales.

"Aaand stop," Nellie tells Harry. I smile at her, I didn't think she'd have the courage to speak up, but she seems oddly at ease with Harry and me.

While the cupcakes are in the oven the littles start making the buttercream, taking it in turns to beat the butter and icing sugar together.

"What colour shall we make the buttercream?" I ask the two of them.

"Purple!" Nellie grins without any hesitation, looking to Harry for his approval.

"It's my second favourite colour." Harry nods his head.

I line the four food colouring bottles we have up. No purple "Do you know how we make purple?"

"Blue and red! We learnt that at school," Harry exclaims.

"We learnt that too," Nellie tells him as she grabs the red food colouring.

Once our buttercream is purple enough, I throw some of the spare flour onto the table and we take it in turns to draw something for the other two to guess. I draw a boat, Nellie draws a sloth and Harry draws a character from a TV show I've never heard of, but Nellie has. They talk about it for the next few minutes before the timer pings.

When the cakes have cooled, we slice the tops off, fill them with purple buttercream and then cut the top into two wings and place them carefully on each side of the buttercream.

"They're the most beautiful butterflies I've ever seen," I tell Harry and Nellie as they line their cupcakes up.

"Did you know, there's a place near my house where you can go and see the butterflies, and sometimes they land on you!" Harry announces, and Nellie's face lights up. They keep their conversation about butterflies going as we clean the table and wash the equipment.

"I've never seen Nellie talk so much, especially to one of the other littles," Zoe whispers as we place the cupcakes into storage boxes carefully.

"It's nice to see." I smile over at the pair just as Harry says something that makes Nellie laugh.

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