February was not just the month of Ainsley's birthday but it was also the month of one of her favourite holidays: Valentine's Day. What? Valentine's Day is not a holiday? What blasphemy is this? Ainsley refuses to believe such nonsense! What makes a day a holiday more than love? Valentine's Day is all about love, and is a wonderful holiday despite what any lonely single adults have to say about it. It is a day where you can get the courage to express how you feel to another and celebrate your loved ones with cute cards, chocolate or even just a kiss!
Ainsley hoped to accomplish her day with all three in one! Well, not exactly in one but all three together! It started with an after school visit to her neighbour's house. She was a sweet elderly woman who had invited Ainsley over on several occasions while Bell and Xavier were busy. Ainsley thought she could take care of herself, but Mrs. Clayton was such nice company that Ainsley didn't mind it so much. She knew a lot of amazing things but if there was one thing she knew, it was baking! Ainsley on the other hand didn't know much about baking but Mrs. Clayton had always took the time to help her when she expressed a desire to bake. Whether it had been peculiar cookies in the shape of a cat or now her desire to make chocolates for all her friends and loved ones.
"Truffles," Mrs. Clayton told Ainsley while pointing to a simple recipe in one of her cookbooks. It was a bit of an older book, and the recipes were handwritten on small cards. The recipe only called for four ingredients including butter, cream cheese, powered sugar and of course... chocolate!
"This is the very recipe I used back when I was thirteen and wanted to confess to Mr. Clayton over there," she pointed toward the living room where her husband seemed content to read a book. As Mrs. Clayton reminisced, Ainsley happily gathered the ingredients from the kitchen and brought them over to the counter. "He was quite a few years older than me and he was such a popular fellow that I never thought he'd take my confession seriously but despite all of that I wanted to put all my heart into it."
The chocolate chips had been measured by Mrs. Clayton and then placed in a pot on the oven to melt. Ainsley was watching her carefully, not just to see what she was doing but to also heard how the story ended.
"What did he say when you gave them to him?" Ainsley inquired happily as she measured out the powered sugar just as Mrs. Clayton had instructed her. It was three cups, which Ainsley measured out very carefully. She wanted this chocolate to not only have all her heart in it like Mrs. Clayton's had but she also wanted it to taste perfect!
"He made an expression I'd never seen before, and I don't think I'll ever forget it! His face was redder than the apple's in the apple tree out back," she laughed happily. "He was embarrassed! He told me that he thought a pretty girl like me would never like a simple fishermen like him." It was obviously a story Mrs. Clayton was fond of because she was smiling like a schoolgirl. Mr. Clayton seemed to have put his book down for just a moment to glance toward the kitchen. It seemed both of them were fond of that memory and it made Ainsley smile.
It was exactly what Ainsley hoped to do and when Mrs. Clayton pulled several bowls down from the cabinet placed them on the counter the child sighed happily. She could only hope that her story turned out in a favourable fashion as hers did.
By the time the two had gotten the rest of the ingredients prepared as well as mixed the butter and the powered sugar together smoothly that the chocolate was ready to be added. Mrs. Clayton poured the hot chocolate carefully into the bowl and then put it in front of Ainsley with a spatula so the child could have the pleasure of stirring her chocolate all by herself. She wasn't the best mixer nor was she keeping the counter as clean Mrs. Clayton would but she was putting all her might into it.
"Oh my, what strong arms you have Ainsley," Mrs. Clayton complimented the child. It was definitely what Ainsley needed, and before long, the chocolate was mixed.
She was disappointed when Mrs. Clayton told her that they had to let the chocolate set while in the refrigerator for an hour but the older woman cheered her up rather quickly when she pulled out a recipe for some frosting. What better way to personalize them than to have Ainsley pipe frosting onto them. Not only that, but it seemed to make the time go by much faster and before Ainsley even noticed, the frosting was done and the chocolate was ready.
"Ooh, it's cold!" Ainsley thought out loud, giggling. Her giggles caused Mrs. Clayton to laugh as well. She could remember thinking the same thing when she'd made them years ago. She wondered if Ainsley wondered how they stayed cool inside like she had and smiled at the thought. She didn't do much, deciding she should let Ainsley do the rest now that it didn't involve anything too complicated. She showed her what to do, rolling them into balls, and then she played the role as a cheerleader.
It took awhile, but thanks to Mrs. Clayton being there, the time was pleasant. She told her an interesting fact about truffles, and then a story about Cupid. It seemed fitting for the holidays, and Ainsley was so caught up in it that she almost forgot what name she was frosting onto the truffle. Sam had almost gotten several truffles in the progress and she'd nearly forgotten to write ********* name down because of it. She couldn't what would happen if that happen!
"I'm done!" She announced as she showed them to Mrs. Clayton.
Mrs. Clayton gave the truffles a long and serious loo before glancing at Ainsley. There were several hms, and although she was just teasing her Ainsley got anxious. Were they okay? She waited for judgment.
"Ohh, well done Ainsley!"
There was a short pause as she looked at the names. There were quite a few but she was able to pick out a few boys, and then a few stranger names. She always thought it was strange how some people named their children but ********* and Ixion? It seemed a little strange.
"Oh? So which of these boys are you confessing to?" She was only teasing her because it was Valentine's Day, but Ainsley's face lit up like a street lamp giving the older woman the impression that she'd shot a bulls eye. She let it go, saying nothing else and just giving a light laugh.
Later, after Ainsley helped clean up the kitchen, she took all the truffles home except two home with her. She'd made one for both Mr. and Mrs. Clayton. There was nothing left to do now but to deliver these, although some of them would be harder to give away than others. Bell, Cora and Xavier would be easy since they'd be at home; Istas, Lissy, Peter, Ridley, and Sam would be able to receive their gifts at school; and Ainsley would make a trip to the library to deliver the truffles to Mr. Darrow and hopefully see Ever as well; Senri would be home but *********> and Ixion? She wasn't sure when she'd see them again. It was unlikely she'd be able to run into ********* at the park two times in a row and although Ixion always seemed to show up when she was in danger she wasn't about to go do it just to see him.
She sighed, looking at the Ixion chocolates in particular. Hopefully the chocolate wouldn't go bad if she wasn't able to see them right away.
"Ohh, well done Ainsley!"
There was a short pause as she looked at the names. There were quite a few but she was able to pick out a few boys, and then a few stranger names. She always thought it was strange how some people named their children but ********* and Ixion? It seemed a little strange.
"Oh? So which of these boys are you confessing to?" She was only teasing her because it was Valentine's Day, but Ainsley's face lit up like a street lamp giving the older woman the impression that she'd shot a bulls eye. She let it go, saying nothing else and just giving a light laugh.
Later, after Ainsley helped clean up the kitchen, she took all the truffles home except two home with her. She'd made one for both Mr. and Mrs. Clayton. There was nothing left to do now but to deliver these, although some of them would be harder to give away than others. Bell, Cora and Xavier would be easy since they'd be at home; Istas, Lissy, Peter, Ridley, and Sam would be able to receive their gifts at school; and Ainsley would make a trip to the library to deliver the truffles to Mr. Darrow and hopefully see Ever as well; Senri would be home but *********> and Ixion? She wasn't sure when she'd see them again. It was unlikely she'd be able to run into ********* at the park two times in a row and although Ixion always seemed to show up when she was in danger she wasn't about to go do it just to see him.
She sighed, looking at the Ixion chocolates in particular. Hopefully the chocolate wouldn't go bad if she wasn't able to see them right away.
