A Day Before The Bake Dale

A Day Before The Bake Dale
At exactly five in the morning, I leaned over and kissed Elias awake.

He stirred beneath the blankets.

"Hmm?"

I kissed his cheek.

"Wake up, sleepyhead."

One eye opened.

"What time is it?"

"Five."

He stared at me.

"Five in the morning?"

"Yes."

"Crane."

I laughed.

"We have work to do."

He pulled the blanket over his face.

"I knew I shouldn't have trusted you when you said we could sleep early."

"You agreed."

"I was tired."

"So was I."

He slowly emerged from beneath the blanket and rubbed his eyes.

"Coffee?"

"Definitely."

It was the twenty-second of December and our community bake sale day for charity.
We had already spent part of the previous day baking with my mother, but some things couldn't be prepared too far ahead.

Today we needed to make fresh cinnamon rolls, fruit-filled turnovers, and cream-filled cupcakes.

My mother had explained that those items would taste better if we made them closer to the sale.

We walked into the kitchen.

The house was quiet.

Mom was already awake.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Mom."

Elias smiled.

"Morning, Mrs. Xander."

She laughed.

"I told you to call me Mom."

He hesitated for half a second.

"Good morning, Mom."

She smiled.

"That's better."

I caught Elias smiling.

He had become so comfortable around my family that moments like that no longer surprised me.

Mom handed us our first tasks.

Elias worked on the dough while I prepared the filling.

"Don't put too much on," Mom warned.

"I'm not."

"You always say that."

Elias laughed.

"He's been doing it since he was little."

"Traitor," I said.

Mom laughed.

By seven, the house had become much noisier.

Dad came downstairs with Colton and one of Colton's friends.

They were heading to church early to help set up our stand.

"Don't forget the tables," Mom reminded Dad.

"I won't."

"And the signs."

"Already packed."

Colton grabbed something from the counter.

"Can I take this?"

"No," Mom said immediately.

He stopped.

"Why?"

"Because that's for the sale."

"I'm hungry."

"Eat something there."

He sighed.

His friend laughed.

Dad shook his head.

"We'll see you later."

"Be careful," Mom said.

They left.

The kitchen became ours again.

For the next few hours, we worked almost continuously.

Flour covered the counter.

Sugar got everywhere.

At one point, Elias looked at me and laughed.

"You have flour on your face."

"So do you."

"Where?"

I pointed.

He wiped his cheek.

"Here?"

"No."

He wiped the other side.

"Here?"

I laughed.

"You're making it worse."

Mom looked over.

"You two are worse than children."

Elias grinned.

"He's the problem."

I pointed at him.

"You started it."

Mom shook her head.

"Just keep baking."

We eventually finished the last batch.

I looked around the kitchen.

There were trays everywhere.

Cinnamon rolls.

Turnovers.

Cupcakes.

Everything was ready.

Mom looked satisfied.

"Good work."

She turned toward Elias.

"Now go and take your bath."

Elias blinked.

"Me?"

"Yes."

I laughed.

"You're covered in flour."

He looked down at his shirt.

"I am."

Mom told him the shelf to find a fresh towel.

"Go."

"Yes, Mom."

He disappeared upstairs.

I stayed behind and helped Mom clean.

We washed bowls.

Wiped counters.

Swept the floor.

Packed the baked goods carefully.

While we worked, Mom looked at me.

"I'm glad he's here."

I knew immediately who she meant.

"Elias?"

She nodded.

"He fits in."

I smiled.

"He does."

She wiped the counter.

"He's a good young man."

"He is."

She looked at me.

"You look happy."

I paused.

"I am."

She smiled.

"Good."

I didn't need to say anything else.

When we finished, I went upstairs to take my own bath.

By the time I came downstairs, Dad and Colton were back.

Everyone settled around the kitchen table.

Mom had prepared hash browns for breakfast.

Colton looked exhausted.

"You survived."

He looked at me.

"Barely."

His friend was already gone.

"He went home," Colton explained.

Dad laughed.

"We've been setting up since seven."

"How does everything look?"

"Good."

We ate together.

Elias sat beside me, and Mom kept passing him more food.

"Eat."

"I'm eating."

"That's not enough."

He smiled.

"Yes, Mom."

I laughed.

Colton looked at us.

"You've officially been adopted."

Elias grinned.

"I think so."

Dad smiled.

After breakfast, we loaded the truck.

The baked goods went into carefully arranged containers.

Tables, boxes, signs, and other supplies were packed around them.

Mom checked everything twice.

"Are we ready?"

Dad nodded.

"Ready."

We headed outside.

The morning air was cold.

Mom and Colton climbed into the truck with Dad.

Mom rolled down the window.

"We'll see you at church."

"Okay."

She looked at me.

"Don't keep Elias too long."

Elias laughed.

"I won't." I replied to her.

The truck pulled away.

I locked the front door.

Then I turned toward Elias.

"Ready?"

He nodded.

We started walking.

The church wasn't far from the house, so we'd decided to walk.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then Elias slipped his hand into mine.

"You know," he said, "I think I've officially become part of the Xander family."

I smiled.

"You have."

He looked at me.

"I like it."

"So do I."

We continued toward the church together.

Behind us, the house was quiet again.

Ahead of us, the church grounds were already beginning to fill with people preparing for the Christmas bake sale.

And as I walked beside the man I loved, I realized that this was no longer something I had to explain.

Elias belonged with us.

He belonged at our table.

In our kitchen.

At our family gatherings.

And, somehow, in all the holiday seasons that were still waiting for us.