Chocolate kisses

“Grammy, Grammy I wanna turn to stir!”

“Ok, Caden OK, just wait for your turn.” Sophie was sure Caden was going to just make a mess.

“All right you two, settle down or the bowl could end up on the floor and then no cake for mommy.” Wendy was loving every minute of her grandchildren’s visit. It wasn’t often her daughter-in-law let her have the two of them for longer than an hour. It was Julie’s birthday and Wendy had offered to babysit while Julie and her son, Michel went to a spa for a couples treatment.

Wendy couldn’t help but smile as the children continued to chatter about everything and anything that came into their little heads. She had measured the ingredient ahead of time so the children could take turns stirring and putting in each ingredient.

“Ok Sophie, let Caden stir while you put in the next item.”

As Sophie released her tight grip on the mixing spoon Caden reached for it as quickly as he could, causing the spoon to flip sending the cake batter up into the air in gooey droplets.

“Ahhh! Caden your making a mess!” Wendy couldn’t help but smile. Inside she was laughing.

“It’s ok Sophie, we can clean up later.”

“I wanna stir. I get to stir now.” Caden pulled at the bowl full of batter trying to get it in front of him so he could stir.

“Stop it or you’re gonna spill it all!” Sophie was adamant her little brother was not old enough to do this from the start. This situation only proved she was right, in her eyes.

“It’s ok Sophie, let him try. He won’t learn if you don’t let him try.

“He’s gonna spill it, I just know it. He spills everything and Mommy gets mad.”

“It is ok, I am prepared to deal with any mess and I am not going to get mad. We will keep going and if the cake has to be smaller because we don’t have enough batter then that’s what will happen. It’s no big deal.”

Sophie’s eye grew wider, “Smaller cake? No! It has to be big enough for everyone to get a piece!”

Chuckling, Wendy assured Sophie that everyone would get a piece. They continued to mix the cake and pour it into the pan. While it baked in the oven they cleaned up the kitchen. Wendy showed them how to wipe the batter off the counter without spreading it around more and then she got them to help wash the utensils and bowl they had used. The kids were more interested in blowing bubbles off their hands than scrubbing dishes, but it was worth the time and effort for Wendy.

The whole house was starting to smell like chocolate cake and the kids were anxiously watching through the oven door as the cake rose and became a shiny solid surface. When the timer went off the children started jumping up and down in anticipation.

“Ok, ok stand back so I can bring it out of the oven safely.” Wendy made sure the kids were well distanced from the oven before she opened it and carefully removed the cake. She placed it on the counter and told the kids they had to wait until it cooled before they could put icing on it.

“Can we put it in the freezer? That will cool it faster. Mommy does that will Caden’s soup.”

“I don’t think the cake would fit honey, but good idea though.” Wendy patted Sophie on the shoulder. “It will cool while we make the icing.”

“You make icing?” Said Sophie “Mommy doesn’t, she gets the can one at the store.”

“I have used those too, but today I think we should make the icing.” Wendy began pulling out ingredient and placing things on the counter.

“I wanna stir, I wanna stir!” Caden was jumping up and down and doing his best to stay in front of his sister.

“Ok Caden you can stir first. Get the chair again and we will get things started.”

It wasn’t long and the kitchen was a mess again with sticky icing on the counter and somehow almost as much icing went into their mouths as went on the cake. They were setting the table and cleaning the kitchen when the front door opened. “Something smells great!”

“Mommy, Daddy!” Caden ran for the foyer and jumped about waiting for his parent to remove their shoes, “Mommy guess what I did? Sophie too.” He grabbed at her hand and started pulling her into the kitchen. “come see!”

“Ok Caden settle down. Were you good for Grammy?”

Sophie couldn’t hold it in any longer. “We made your birthday cake!”

“I wanted to tell Mommy!” Caden looked like someone had let the air out of him as he sagged his shoulders and his smile turned into a big frown. His father reached down and scooped him up.

“Don’t worry buddy we could smell the cake from the front door. It smells great.”

“Grammy let us make icing too.” He said with a quick change in his mood.

“And we even cleaned up too” Sophie was proud as punch that she had gotten to one up her brother and was anxious to keep telling everything before her brother could. “Come sit down, we have the table ready. Then we can sing for you and we can eat the cake. It’s big enough for all of us!”

“You all clearly want to eat cake.” Julie was smiling as she sat down at the table and was looking around. “You kids did a good job, but I bet Grammy did most of it.”

Sophie and Caden in unison, protested and began trying to say all that they had done. They listed off things and talked over each other till they had nothing left to say.

“They were really good at taking turns and listening. They only had me guiding them.” Wendy was very proud of her grandchildren.

When the cake was brought out with a lit candle on top they all began singing happy birthday and clapped when Julie blew out the candle.

They all soon were enjoying the chocolate cake and both kids had icing on their cheeks as well as around their mouths.

“Thank you so much for the cake and the kids obviously loved being here. You helped make my day very special.” Julie was pushing her half eaten piece of cake away from herself and standing ready to leave.

“Didn’t you like your cake Mommy?” Sophie looked up at her mom with a sad look creeping in, as though seeing her mother had only eaten part of her cake was the worst thing ever.

“Oh sweetie, it is wonderful and I love it but I am full from dinner with your Daddy and I just can’t eat another bite.”

“Oh, ok.” Sophie was happy with the explanation and knew by her mother’s stance that it was time to go. She got up from her place and walked over to her Grammy and planted a big sticky kiss on her cheek. “Oopsy, I gave you a chocolate kiss.”

Wendy laughed as she was sure she had plenty of chocolate icing on her cheek. “I will take your chocolate kisses anytime.”

“Me too?” Caden asked as he ran around the table to her side.

“Absolutely” And she leaned over to let him kiss her other cheek leaving even more chocolate icing on her. “Chocolate kisses from you two are the best ever.”

As Wendy was tidying up later after everyone had left she thought back on how the evening had gone. She smiled to herself and remembered a time when her son had given chocolate kisses to her husband. He was about Sophie’s age and her husband had said the chocolate kisses from his son made the day extra special. She missed her husband who had passed 2 years earlier. He would have wanted his share of those chocolate kisses too. His presence was the only missing piece from a perfect day that ended with chocolate kisses.