Chapter 116 Cookies and milk
Hannah
Time passes in a blur I don’t really track.
At some point, Sienna grabs my phone out of my hand when I try to recheck that notification again.
“No,” she says firmly, holding it out of reach. “We are not spiraling today.”
“I wasn’t spiraling,” I mutter weakly.
She raises a brow.
I sigh.
“Okay, maybe a little.”
“Exactly. So now we bake.”
“You don’t know how to bake.”
“I have instincts,” she says confidently.
“That’s not reassuring.”
She ignores me completely and starts pulling things out of the kitchen like she owns the place.
“Flour,” she says. “Sugar. Butter. Eggs.”
She pauses, looking around.
“Where’s the rest?”
Lisa appears like she always does; quiet, efficient.
“Here, ma’am,” she says, already placing things on the counter.
I smile faintly.
“Thank you, Lisa.”
Sienna beams.
“See? We have help. We’ll be fine.”
I snort.
“Famous last words.”
Five minutes later, I have my phone propped up against something, a YouTube tutorial playing.
“Okay,” I say, pointing. “It says we need to…”
“I don’t need that,” Sienna cuts in.
I look at her.
“You absolutely do.”
“I don’t,” she insists, already grabbing a bowl.
“You’re going to mess this up.”
“I won’t.”
“You will.”
She glares at me.
“Watch me.”
I cross my arms.
“Fine. I’ll watch.”
Two minutes later…
“Okay wait,” she says. “How much flour did it say again?”
I burst out laughing.
She throws a look at me.
“Don’t start.”
“I told you!”
“Shut up and check.”
I grin, glancing at the video again.
“Two cups.”
“Two cups,” she repeats, pouring.
Too much.
“Stop…” I reach out. “That’s not…okay, that’s definitely more than two cups.”
She pauses.
Looks at the bowl.
Then at me.
“…It’ll be fine.”
“It won’t.”
Lisa quietly swaps out the measuring cup beside us without a word.
I catch it.
Sienna pretends not to.
We work like that for a while.
A mix of chaos and actual progress.
I’m clumsy at first.
Spilling flour.
Cracking an egg badly.
Getting batter on my fingers.
“Careful,” Sienna says, guiding my hand. “Like this.”
She shows me slowly.
Patient in a way she usually isn’t.
I follow.
Try again.
Better this time.
“See?” she says. “You’re learning.”
“I’m improving despite you,” I shoot back.
She gasps dramatically.
“Ungrateful.”
Music starts playing from somewhere, my playlist, I think.
Soft at first.
Then louder.
Soon we’re moving around the kitchen with it.
Talking.
Laughing.
Telling stories.
She tells me about something ridiculous that happened at work.
I tell her about Momo knocking over something earlier.
At some point, flour ends up on her cheek.
I point it out.
She tries to wipe it and makes it worse.
I laugh so hard I nearly drop the bowl.
“Don’t laugh!” she protests, laughing too.
Eventually…
Somehow…
We finish.
The tray goes into the oven.
We both step back like we’ve accomplished something monumental.
“I can’t believe that worked,” I say.
“It was always going to work,” she replies confidently.
I give her a look.
She grins.
The maids come in shortly after, starting to clean up the mess we made.
Sienna glances around.
“Is this weird?” she whispers. “Having people clean up after us?”
I shrug lightly.
“They’re used to it.”
“I still feel bad.”
“Don’t,” I say, nudging her. “Come on.”
I grab her hand and pull her toward the living room.
We practically collapse onto the couch.
“Tired,” she declares.
“Same,” I murmur, sinking into the cushions.
We sit there, legs stretched out, just… existing.
Talking again.
Easier now.
Lighter.
She starts telling me about her new boytoy.
And I immediately sit up a little.
“New what?”
She grins wickedly.
“You heard me.”
“Since when?”
“Recently.”
“Details,” I demand.
“Oh, he’s fine,” she says, stretching lazily. “Very fine.”
I roll my eyes.
“You’re impossible.”
“And you love me.”
I sigh.
“Unfortunately.”
She laughs.
Then…
A beep.
We both freeze.
“The cookies!”
We scramble up and rush back to the kitchen.
Lisa is already there, pulling them out.
They smell…
Amazing.
“Oh my God,” I breathe.
“I told you,” Sienna says smugly.
We grab some, along with yogurt and milk, and head back upstairs.
To my room this time.
We sit on the bed, legs crossed, passing the plate between us.
They’re warm.
Soft.
Sweet.
“Okay,” I say after a bite. “These are actually good.”
“Of course they are.”
“I’m surprised.”
“I’m offended.”
We laugh.
Eat.
Talk.
Laze around.
Time slips again.
Before I know it, the sky outside is darker.
Evening creeping in.
Sienna glances at the time.
“I should go.”
I pout slightly.
“Already?”
“Yes, already,” she says, standing. “Some of us have responsibilities.”
“Barely.”
She throws a pillow at me.
I laugh and get up too.
We head downstairs together.
I signal to the driver.
“Take her home safely,” I say.
Sienna immediately protests.
“I can get home myself…”
“No,” I cut in. “Just go.”
She sighs.
“Fine. Bossy.”
We hug.
Tight.
Warm.
“Call me if anything happens,” she murmurs.
“I will.”
“Promise.”
“I promise.”
She pulls back, studying me for a second.
Then nods.
“Good.”
She gets into the car.
I watch as it drives off.
Until it disappears.
Then I turn and head back inside.
The house feels quieter again.
But not in a bad way.
Not like earlier.
I feed Momo, scratching behind his ears as he eats.
“Just us again,” I murmur.
He wags his tail.
I smile faintly.
Then head upstairs.
Open my laptop.
And for the first time in a while,I go back to it.
My writing.
Old drafts.
Half-finished ideas.
Words I never completed.
I scroll.
Pause.
Then start typing.
It’s slow at first.
Then easier.
Like something unlocking.
Time passes.
Maybe an hour.
Maybe more.
I’m just getting into it when…
A knock.
I look up.
“Come in.”
The door opens.
Lisa steps in.
But something about her…
Feels off.
She’s… stiff. I mean, she’s always stiff but she’s stiffer somehow.
Uncertain.
I frown slightly.
“Lisa?”
She hesitates.
Then says carefully,
“We have an unexpected visitor, ma’am.”
My stomach drops.
“Your presence is required downstairs.”
My fingers still on the keyboard.
My heart starting to pound.
Slow.
Heavy.
“Who is it?” I ask.
She doesn’t answer.
And somehow…
That makes it worse.