attention.
Jesse returned about an hour later with a cake much larger than Elise had anticipated. It also had Superman on the front, giving way to the fact that it was custom made, and therefore quite expensive.
Elise couldn’t believe her eyes. She stared down at it, trying her best to come up with a subtle response. “Thanks,” she finally found it in herself to say, meeting eyes with him. “Isaiah’s going to love it. How much was it? I can write you a check, but would you do me a favor and wait to cash it until next Tuesday?”
Jesse seemed proud that he’d managed to get this right. He inspected the check Elise handed to him before attempting to give it back to her.
“Don’t even think about it,” Elise said as she moved away from him. “I’m paying you for it and that’s final.”
“Well alright then,” Jesse said with a sly grin. “Then you owe me ten more bucks.”
Elise’s shoulders dropped. There was no way she was about to tell Jesse that she found that simply astronomical. After all, most mothers didn’t so much as blink at the notion of spending fifty bucks on their kid’s birthday cake. “Actually,” she spoke up, taking the check back from him. “I’ll pay you in cash later, if that’s alright."
Jesse nodded in quiet satisfaction before heading into the backyard to join Isaiah and his friends.
Elise took a moment to inspect the grocery bags. Not only had Jesse gotten the exact cake Isaiah wanted most, but he also bought ice cream to go along with it. The children, and their mothers, were all in heaven as they devoured the delectable treat later on in the evening.
“Elise, this cake is fantastic,” Jessica spoke up, wiping some frosting from Ava’s mouth. “Do you mind if I ask where you got it?”
Elise nodded at Jesse, who was seated in the corner of the table not really doing much talking. She didn’t bother to introduce him.
“I got it at Vons,” Jesse spoke up. “They have a pretty nice bakery.”
“Oh,” Jessica said. She looked from Isaiah, to Elise, then back over at Jesse. “Are you Isaiah’s father?”
All the mothers grew painfully quiet as they awaited a response. Elise’s heart raced, but she was quick to diffuse the situation. “He’s a family friend,” she spoke up.
Jesse looked annoyed at her response, but when he noticed the mothers staring at him, he plastered a fake smile on his face before shoveling another bite of cake into his mouth.
When everyone was done eating, Elise and Deanna cleaned up the plates and crumbs, clearing a spot for Isaiah to open his gifts. He took a seat in the chair his mother presented him with, which was decorated with balloons and streamers.
Elise handed Isaiah his presents one by one while Deanna made a note of what everything was and who it was from.
Jesse sat in silence as he watched his son tear into each gift, doing his part in appearing interested. When Isaiah got to his last one, however, he pulled himself to his feet and walked into the front yard towards his car.
Elise eyed him inconspicuously, realizing that she hadn’t seen him walk in with a gift. “Did he leave?” she hissed, meeting eyes with Deanna.
Deanna shrugged. She looked just as confused as Elise was.
The back gate opened a few seconds later, and Elise looked up just as Jesse wheeled a shiny scooter into the backyard. It was easily one of the most expensive ones on the market.
“Mommy, look!” Isaiah exclaimed. He ran over to inspect it, immediately climbing onto it. “It’s just what I wanted!”
Deanna looked over at Elise, silently bracing for her reaction. Instead of giving one, she calmly stood up and walked back inside.
Jesse looked over at Deanna for some explanation for Elise’s behavior, but she only shrugged and looked down at her hands. She didn’t want to get in the middle of another one of their disputes.
Elise
Jesse returned about an hour later with a cake much larger than Elise had anticipated. It also had Superman on the front, giving way to the fact that it was custom made, and therefore quite expensive.
Elise couldn’t believe her eyes. She stared down at it, trying her best to come up with a subtle response. “Thanks,” she finally found it in herself to say, meeting eyes with him. “Isaiah’s going to love it. How much was it? I can write you a check, but would you do me a favor and wait to cash it until next Tuesday?”
Jesse seemed proud that he’d managed to get this right. He inspected the check Elise handed to him before attempting to give it back to her.
“Don’t even think about it,” Elise said as she moved away from him. “I’m paying you for it and that’s final.”
“Well alright then,” Jesse said with a sly grin. “Then you owe me ten more bucks.”
Elise’s shoulders dropped. There was no way she was about to tell Jesse that she found that simply astronomical. After all, most mothers didn’t so much as blink at the notion of spending fifty bucks on their kid’s birthday cake. “Actually,” she spoke up, taking the check back from him. “I’ll pay you in cash later, if that’s alright."
Jesse nodded in quiet satisfaction before heading into the backyard to join Isaiah and his friends.
Elise took a moment to inspect the grocery bags. Not only had Jesse gotten the exact cake Isaiah wanted most, but he also bought ice cream to go along with it. The children, and their mothers, were all in heaven as they devoured the delectable treat later on in the evening.
“Elise, this cake is fantastic,” Jessica spoke up, wiping some frosting from Ava’s mouth. “Do you mind if I ask where you got it?”
Elise nodded at Jesse, who was seated in the corner of the table not really doing much talking. She didn’t bother to introduce him.
“I got it at Vons,” Jesse spoke up. “They have a pretty nice bakery.”
“Oh,” Jessica said. She looked from Isaiah, to Elise, then back over at Jesse. “Are you Isaiah’s father?”
All the mothers grew painfully quiet as they awaited a response. Elise’s heart raced, but she was quick to diffuse the situation. “He’s a family friend,” she spoke up.
Jesse looked annoyed at her response, but when he noticed the mothers staring at him, he plastered a fake smile on his face before shoveling another bite of cake into his mouth.
When everyone was done eating, Elise and Deanna cleaned up the plates and crumbs, clearing a spot for Isaiah to open his gifts. He took a seat in the chair his mother presented him with, which was decorated with balloons and streamers.
Elise handed Isaiah his presents one by one while Deanna made a note of what everything was and who it was from.
Jesse sat in silence as he watched his son tear into each gift, doing his part in appearing interested. When Isaiah got to his last one, however, he pulled himself to his feet and walked into the front yard towards his car.
Elise eyed him inconspicuously, realizing that she hadn’t seen him walk in with a gift. “Did he leave?” she hissed, meeting eyes with Deanna.
Deanna shrugged. She looked just as confused as Elise was.
The back gate opened a few seconds later, and Elise looked up just as Jesse wheeled a shiny scooter into the backyard. It was easily one of the most expensive ones on the market.
“Mommy, look!” Isaiah exclaimed. He ran over to inspect it, immediately climbing onto it. “It’s just what I wanted!”
Deanna looked over at Elise, silently bracing for her reaction. Instead of giving one, she calmly stood up and walked back inside.
Jesse looked over at Deanna for some explanation for Elise’s behavior, but she only shrugged and looked down at her hands. She didn’t want to get in the middle of another one of their disputes.
Elise
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