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~Around 9 am the next morning~
I woke up due to the sound of my alarm ringing. I turned it off before I sat up. I yawned tiredly as I stretched my body before I stood up from the bed.
I went into the bathroom and did my business there before I came out with a short towel wrapped around my wet body. I entered my huge closet before picking out something casual to wear.
Today is Friday but I decided not to go to the hospital. I wanted to spend the whole day with Molly since today is a public holiday, and make up for my wrongdoings so she would probably forgive me and stop giving me the silent treatment.
Last night, despite my pleas, she refused to talk to me and locked herself in her room. When I figured she wouldn't listen to me, I decided to wait till today with the thoughts that she might have calmed down by now.
Since she didn't come to greet me like she usually do every morning, that only means that she must still be mad at me.
I sighed as I took out a pair of shorts and a tank top. Then I put them on. I came out of my room and was about to head to Molly's room when I heard voices coming from the kitchen.
I got curious and entered the kitchen only to see Molly and nanny Abigail mixing flour. Molly stood on a kitchen stool since she couldn't reach the counter herself.
She had a very serious expression like she was doing something really important. She had flour all over her face and hair. I had to hold back myself if not, I would have bursted out in laughter at how funny she looked.
"Good morning Miss." Abigail was the first to see me.
"Good morning mommy." Molly greeted chwerfully when she noticed my presence.
Shocking. I thought she was mad at me.
"Morning." I answered both their greetings.
"What are you guys doing this early?" I asked.
"We wanted to bake cookies." Molly answered as she kept mixing the flour with all her might. I chuckled before I collected the bowl from her and started mixing them my self.
"If you wanted cookies, you could have just told me. I would have bought them for you." I said.
"I heard that home baked cookies tasted better. Besides, I'm not the one that wants to eat it." She said.
"Who are you baking it for?" I asked.
"Our next door neighbour." She answered curtly.
"Ryan??"
"Yes, him."
"Why?" I asked in surprise.
"To apologize for what happened yesterday. And you are the one that will do it." She said.
"Why me?" I asked.
"You were the one that attacked him not me. You are the one that have to take responsibility for your mistakes and apologize to him." She said.
"Molly, I don't think that's a good idea." I said. It would be really embarrassing to see him after how I treated him yesterday.
"Why not? You don't want to?" She asked, arms akimbo.
"It's not that I don't want to. I just....."
"Then just apologize to him." She said making me go quiet immediately. Seeing my hesitation, she sighed and said;
"It's fine if you don't want to?"
"Really??" I asked, giving her a suspicious look.
"Yes. Just know that if you don't apologize to him, I'm never gonna talk to you again." She threatened.
"You can't to that." I said.
"I can and I will. Just try me." She said, mimicking my words from last night.
I turned to stare at nanny Abigail, hoping she would help me with my dilemma but she turned her face away.
"You have to give the kid what she wants. After all, you know how stubborn she is and who she got that trait from." She said.
Is she seriously saying that I am stubborn. I gave her a wierd look which made her chuckle.
"So, are you going to do it or not?" Molly asked, making me break my intense gaze.
"Fine, I'll do it. Happy now?" I asked.
"Also be polite and sincere, I don't want him to think that someone forced you to do so." She said.
"Yeah.. yeah. I've heard you." I said so she would finally stop nagging.
"Good. Now I have to go find a suitable box to pack the cookies." She said before she left the kitchen.
"She's one hell of a kid, isn't she?" Nanny Abigail said making me drift my attention from the flour I was mixing to her.
"Yes, she is." I answered with a small smile. Molly is really a handful when she is giving orders.
"Thanks a lot." I said, out of the blue.
"For what?" She asked in surprise.
"For helping me calm her down yesterday." I answered.
"No need to thank me because I did nothing."
"I know that it's all because of you that she was able to cool off this morning. It's quite embarrassing that I, her mother don't even know much things about her but you do. I want to use this opportunity to also apologize for all I said yesterday." I muttered.
"You don't have to because you were right. I couldn't even do my job well and that happened, I should have been there with her. I'ms o sorry Miss Natasha." She said.
"Don't say that. I am the one that's supposed to be apologizing. I know that taking care of the house and watching Molly at the same time is too much work for one person but I was still harsh on you like you meant for it it happen. Please accept my apologies." I said.
"I can't do that mi...."
"Just accept it so that I can feel less awkward around you." I said, cutting her off.
"Okay, if you say so." She said.
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I held the box of cookies in my shaky hands. I was currently in front of Ryan's house. It was final time for me to apologize to the person I wronged the most but each time I want to press on the doorbell, I'd just chicken out.
"I can't do this." I muttered after trying to press on the door bell for the fifth time and was about to leave when the gate suddenly opened and Ryan emerged.
"What are you doing here?" He asked immediately he saw me.
My words got caught in my throat. I suddenly didn't know what to say.
"Say something Natasha, anyting!!!" I screamed at my myself.
"Oh wait, don't tell me you want to attack me again." He said as he changed his posture into a protective stance.
I couldn't help but blush in embarrassment. I seriously don't know what made me attack him yesterday.
"Can I come in?" I was finally able to say.
He stared at me suspiciously before he opened the gate wider, indicating for me to enter. I entered his house and couldn't stop myself from gawking. This apartment literally screams money.
Luxurious and fancy furniture filled the large living room making it glitter. It was very big and it seemed like I was in paradise.
"Beautiful isn't it?" Ryan's deep voice uttered close to my ear making me jump in shock. When did he get so close?
"Yeah." I answered when I finally regained my composure.
"So.. we are inside now, what can I do for you?" He asked again.
"Here." I said, giving him the box filled with the baked cookies.
"What is this?" He asked.
"Cookies, for you." I answered.
"Why are you giving me this? Did you spike it? Is it because of what happened yesterday? Like I told you, it isn't what you...."
"I wanted to apologize." I said, cutting his rants off.
He stared at me in shock, like I had spoken a foriegn language.
"Am I starting to hear things or what??" He was really surprised.
"I did really wrong yesterday. I attacked you without trying to find out what really happened. I have been feeling really guilty for what I did so as a token of my sincerity, I'm giving you those home baked cookies." I said.
He stared at me in surprise.
"Are you really apologizing to me or is this a prank?" He asked.
"I am really sorry and I also wanted to say thank you." I added.
"For what?"
"For chasing away the bully from yesterday." I answered.
"Oh.. that's nothing. I just hope Molly's okay?" He asked.
"Yes she is. I know that we didn't start our relationship in good terms and I have been really cold to you since I met you. Since you are going to be my next door neighbour for a while, I want us to start all over again. As good neighbours?" I asked as I stretched my hand towards him for a handshake..
"Tha kfully you came to your senses soon enough. Good neighbors." He muttered with a handsome smile on his face before he took my hands in his.
"Thanks for understanding." I said.
"No problem. So glad that the past is finally behind us." He answered before he finally let go of my hands.
"I'll be taking my leave now. Make sure to eat the cookies because Molly was the one that made them." I said.
"Will do." He answered.
I smiled before I left his house. I never knew that making peace with someone would be so liberating. I still don't get why I was pushing him away when he didn't do anything wrong to me.
Well, what's done is done. So glad that things are settled right now.
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Ryan stared at Natasha's departing figure in surprise. It was very shocking that she would be the one to make peace with him by herself. He thought he would be the one to try to get her to stop avoiding him.
"She just made things easier for me." He thought to himself as he smiled happily.
He turned his attention to the cookies and opened the box. The sweet and savory smell get to this nose and he couldn't help taking a bite.
He chuckled immediately he tasted it.
"How could they make a cookie that taste this bad?" He asked himself but still kept on eating it.
He didn't mind how bad it tasted since Molly was the one that baked it.
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