Chapter 5 #3
“Yup,” Liv says to Daisy, nodding like she has nailed exactly the right frosting technique. “That’s plenty. Good job. Now let’s use our spreaders to make the frosting smooth.”
She demonstrates again with hers.
Daisy does her best, but she can’t really hold the spreader the way Liv does.
“Do you want help?” Liv asks her instead of grabbing the spreader and doing it for her.
But Daisy shakes her head and keeps at it. The cupcake is far from perfect, but it’s hers. We both watch for a while as she slowly and painstakingly smears frosting all over her cupcake and her hands.
“You did it,” Liv says at last. “It’s completely frosted. Now we can add sprinkles. First I’ll put sprinkles in the bowl. Then we’ll dip our cupcakes in and roll them around. Then they’ll be finished.”
“No,” Daisy says, frowning and turning back to her cupcake as she wields the spreader.
She likes frosting her cupcake, and that’s fine. She’s really focused on it. I wouldn’t have thought she could stay interested for this long.
“No?” Liv asks.
But Daisy ignores her and keeps playing with the frosting.
I wait for Liv to give up on Daisy, or get frustrated.
“Okay,” Liv says, in a suit-yourself tone. “I guess I’ll just do sprinkles by myself.”
She pours sprinkles into the empty bowl, and Daisy looks up from her own creation at the sound of the little bits of colorful sugar raining onto the plastic.
Liv ignores her completely and gives the bowl a gentle shake.
The next thing I know, Daisy has slid off her chair and moved right beside Liv to watch what she’s doing.
The corners of Liv’s mouth tuck up a little, like she’s really happy that Daisy came over, and my heart gives another painful tug.
“Oh, yes, the sprinkles are ready,” Liv says quietly to herself, setting the bowl on the table again and grabbing her cupcake by the base. “They’re going to look amazing on my cupcake.”
Daisy puts one frosting-covered hand on the back of Liv’s chair and leans in even more intently. Liv nods to herself, clearly not worried about my daughter’s messy fingers on her chair.
Daisy and I both watch intently as Liv sticks her cupcake into the sprinkles and rolls it around gently, just like she said she would.
When she plucks it out and holds it up, we can see that it has a perfect coating of sprinkles. It’s actually pretty impressive.
“Me,” Daisy says, hurrying back to her own cupcake. “Me.”
“Yes,” Liv says. “It’s your turn now.”
She puts more sprinkles into the bowl while Daisy carefully picks up her cupcake and carries it over to Liv.
“Lap,” Daisy says imperiously.
Liv smiles and lifts Daisy onto her lap, both of them acting like this is an everyday thing, when I know it’s anything but. There are people that have been in her life for years that Daisy wouldn’t do this with.
Daisy clutches her cupcake with both hands, her eyes already locked onto the bowl of sprinkles. I’m glad they’re both so focused. It means that no one notices me getting a little emotional over here while I watch my daughter bravely trying something different with a new friend.
“Now you want to put it in there and leave it in,” Liv reminds Daisy as she grabs the bowl and brings it close. “That way you can roll it around to get sprinkles on the sides.”
Daisy dunks her cupcake in and pulls it out right away, with a happy flourish.
I chuckle out loud at the sight. She may not have mastered the technique, but her cupcake has sprinkles on top. And so do her little hands up to the wrists. She may be messy, but she’s wearing the most victorious expression on her face.
“Amazing,” Liv tells her. “You did it, Daisy. What a beautiful cupcake.”
Daisy leans in and presses her forehead to Liv’s. That’s an expression of true camaraderie in Daisy’s book, and it’s normally reserved just for me.
It’s pretty wild to see her bond like this with Liv, and I’m not really sure what to make of it.
But I know for sure that she’s getting frosting and sprinkles everywhere, and even if Liv is okay cleaning up after us, I don’t feel right about it. She takes care of other people all day.
“Okay, Daisy,” I say. “What do we say to Liv?”
“No,” Daisy howls at me, wrapping her arms around Liv’s neck like she’s never going to let go, and getting even more frosting on her in the process.
But Liv doesn’t even flinch.
“It’s time for your bath,” I tell her. “And then you can choose two books.”
“No, no,” she repeats.
“I have to get my bath and go to bed too,” Liv announces. “I have to work at the diner tomorrow.”
“Daisy?” Daisy asks.
“I only make daisies for my very favorite customers,” Liv tells her, shaking her head. “Like you.”
That makes Daisy grin, and Liv takes full advantage of this improvement in Daisy’s mood to lift her down to the floor and take her hand. She picks up Daisy’s plate with her sprinkle cupcake, and the remains of the daisy one.
“Next time I make more treats,” Liv says, walking us to the door, “would you like to help?”
“Yes,” Daisy says, nodding.
“Okay,” Liv tells her. “I’m going to come downstairs and knock on your door when I’m ready for help, Daisy.”
Daisy is apparently satisfied with this because she lets herself be handed off to me, along with the plate of treats.
“I’ll bring your plate back, Liv,” I say.
“No rush,” she tells me, waving me off. “See you later.”
“Bye,” Daisy says. “Lovey.”
“Bye, Daisy,” Liv calls to us as we head slowly down the stairs.
I try to tell myself it’s not a big deal, but my heart and mind are reeling so hard that I don’t even say goodbye.
Liv might think that lovey is just Daisy’s best attempt at her name.
But I know it’s Daisy’s word for I love you.