Page 72 of That First Flight

I don’t move from where I’m standing as I watch her walk out the door.

I already can’t fucking wait for her to get home.

“I almost forgot, I got you something,” I tell Mackenzie while we wait for the timer on the oven to ring.

After our firstHarry Pottermovie ended, she was craving a sweet snack. I can’t make much and also don’t know how, but Peyton gave me her recipe a while back for her chocolate chip cookies.

After scouring my pantry, I realized I had all the ingredients to make them and she was so excited to give it a try with me. With her baking abilities and me being able to work the oven for her, we made the best batch of cookies our duo could make.

I rounded the kitchen island, and grabbed a box from when I was at the store the other day. “Here. It’s not the color I wanted to get you, but it’s all they had.”

“You got me something?”

“Open it up and see for yourself.”

Mackenzie tears the box apart like it’s Christmas morning and we’re sitting around a tree opening gifts. She doesn’t realize what it is until she opens the box inside of it, revealing a sage green polaroid camera.

“You got me a camera, Ollie?” She beams with so much excitement that it makes my heart explode.

“I remember how much you loved my camera, and I thought this would be the perfect starter camera for you.”

Mackenzie lifts the small device up, examining every square inch of it and testing the buttons before she finally turns it on. She whips out the directions to see how to insert the instant film.

Once she figures it out, she shoots it directly at me and I give her my best kissy face, and hold up the peace sign for her. She laughs wildly at my silly face as she watches it process.

“You really got me a camera? What for?”

“Just because. You’re doing really well in school so far and I’m really proud of the transition you’ve made here and making so many new friends.”

And because I wanted to see her face light up the way it is right now.

Mackenzie lifts the instant film to see if it’s done at the same time the oven time announces that the cookies are ready. She hovers over me as I take them out, snapping a photo of the tray of fresh baked goods.

“You’re a natural with the camera,” I laugh.

“I learned from the best.”

I can’t help but chuckle at that comment because I’ve barely taught her anything in those five minutes in the mountains she held my camera. But I’ll let her have that.

I plate each of us a few cookies and we sit on the island together.

“Where did you find this amazing recipe?” Mackenzie hums in appreciation as she takes a bite of the cookie.

“Peyton. These happen to be one of her most popular recipes in the family.”

She pauses mid-bite as if something just crossed her mind. I watch intently as her gaze falls to the counter where she places the cookie down. Her smile is quickly replaced with a frown.

Fuck, I hate seeing her upset.

Did I say something wrong?

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she whispers.

“You know you can talk to me about anything right?”

Another pause before she lifts her head, green eyes glisten as they stare at me.

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