I was getting perplexed at Ashton’s poor driving technique when the man in question said sternly, “Audrey, do you not want to eat cake tonight?”
Ashton’s anger was palpable, and the temperature in the car seemed to drop several degrees.
Even Audrey knew not to behave in her usual daring manner in the face of her father’s anger. She retreated to the backseat and mumbled, “I do…”
Ashton met her gaze through the rearview mirror and demanded, “Then, why were you jumping around in the back when Daddy was driving? You even leaned forward to disturb me while I was driving. What if you got injured? Do you think that was the right thing to do?”
Audrey shook her head blankly and said uncertainly, “No.”
“Don’t be so stern. You’re going to scare the kids,” I whispered to him.
Instead, Ashton seemed to ignore my words as he asked Audrey, “Then, what should you do?” Evidently, no one could sway him when he got down to business, not even his wife.
Audrey was not as naive and fragile as she looked, after all. She pondered his words for a moment before returning to her seat and obediently strapping herself in.
Only then did Ashton start the engine of the car and continue driving.
The rest of the drive passed by uneventfully.
I half expected my princess to throw a tantrum once we got home. She foiled my expectations by speeding into the house excitedly as if she had forgotten the unpleasant incident in the car.
When we walked into the living room, we saw Audrey coming out of the kitchen with Ashton’s bunny-shaped cake in hand, which was missing a corner. The buttercream around her mouth tipped us off about what had happened.
She walked toward the dining table as she called out to Gregory and Shaun, “Greg, Shaun, come and eat the cake! Daddy’s cake is so yummy! I love it!”
Gregory’s sweet tooth had him running toward Audrey at her invitation.
Shaun walked over to her obediently and waited for her to “fairly” distribute the cake.
Curious about how Ashton’s virgin attempt at making dessert went, I joined the trio at the dining table.
I saw Audrey passing one-thirds of the cake to Gregory and Shaun while she kept the rest for herself, a silly grin on her face.
The sight brought a wry smile to my face, and I pinched her nose lightly as I teased, “You greedy girl! You’ll wet the bed if you eat everything alone!”
“Nuh-uh!” Audrey tilted her nose in defiance and retorted, “I won’t!”
I smiled at her antics and decided to prank her by taking her share of the cake. “Won’t you let Mommy have a bite?”
With that, I pretended to swallow the cake in one go.
Audrey pouted, though she did not refuse my request. Tears welled in her eyes.
How could I bear to tease her when she seemed this upset? I immediately put the cake in her hands and coaxed her, “There, there, Mommy’s just kidding. I don’t eat desserts. Here, have your cake!”
I stroked her soft hair comfortingly until she calmed down.
Ashton tut-tutted at my somewhat incompetent way of handling our children’s emotions. From where he stood on the staircase, he tossed out. “You’re a mom now. Which mom fights with her kid over food? If you want to try it so much, I’ll make one just for you.”
“Hey, you offered to do that yourself. I didn’t ask for it!” I shamelessly took him up on his offer, my self-control hanging by a thread after watching the children gobble down the cake.
If I knew Ashton was talented at making desserts, I should’ve snuck a few bites before leaving the house!
He smiled at me lovingly before walking into the kitchen. Rolling up his sleeves, he said, “Of course, my wife didn’t ask for this, but I’d love to make dessert for her. I want to feed you and the kids the most amazing delicacies day after day. From now on, I’m going to focus on being a househusband!”
I snorted at his bold declaration, though I held myself back from playing along too much. His ego did not need that much inflating, anyway. “That’s a deal! Gregory, Audrey, did you hear that? Daddy’s going to cook a lot of good food for us every day!”
