Page 71 of Safety Net
I laughed and shook my head, overwhelmed with the options. "Surprise me?"
"You sure?"
"I trust you."
Lincoln's smile grew. You'd think I'd given him the world. I smiled back, understanding the feeling.
Lincoln joined Henrik on the other side of the counter, setting my drink supplies down before asking his friend if he needed anything.
"Grab the cake for me?" Henrik pulled out covered dishes from the refrigerator, each one more elaborate and beautiful than the next. The food set out before us drew everyone's attention.
"Now, this is for Celeste," Henrik announced as Lincoln set down a two-tier, star-shaped cake. The base icing was pink, and its corners were overflowing with delicate frosted flowers. In gentle cursive, Henrik had written,
For our brilliant songwriter, Celeste.
"Henrik," Naomi said, voice soaked in the same emotion that made my throat tighten and my eyes water. I couldn't speak just yet. Thank God Henrik had more to say.
"This is my grandfather's lucky recipe." Henrik pulled out spoons from the drawer and started handing them out to everyone. "It's lavender with rosemary and vanilla. And before we dive in—" Henrik stopped to give Ellis a warning look whenhe noticed my cousin trying to swipe a bit of icing onto his spoon. "—there's a bit of tradition we must uphold."
We all stood (or sat) at attention for Henrik's explanation.
"In my family, you bake this kind of cake when someone is starting a new chapter of their life. So, we bake it with intention. And I intended to make something that'll bring you peace, Celeste. I hope when you submit this project, no matter what happens, you'll know you did everything you could and you deserve to enjoy it."
Everyone's gaze turned to me, and there was a familiar need to perform rising in my belly. Lincoln was at my side in an instant. He slipped a spoon in my hand, keeping his fingers wrapped around mine so I was steady.
"And my intention—" Lincoln started.
"You helped make this?" I asked in a whisper.
"I did." Lincoln smiled. "Couldn't let Hen have all the fun."
"He did the flowers," Henrik said.
"They're stunning, Lincoln," Aderyn said as she leaned on the counter to get a closer look.
"Incredible," Naomi agreed and gave me a look that seemed to ask, "Do you see how much they love you? I love you, we love you?"
I blinked, trying to keep back the tears. I held onto Lincoln's hand like was the edge of a cliff.
"Who would have thought you could stay still long enough?" Jack said, ruefully admiring the design.
"Knew someone could bring it out of him." Sam nodded his approval at Henrik.
"I'm a very proud teacher," Henrik said.
"Alright, alright," Lincoln said. "Yes, I'm capable of doing a detail-oriented thing. Now, can I share?"
"Go for it." Henrik gestured that the floor was his.
"My intention," Lincoln started, voice softening when his gaze met mine. "Was that you find a way to accept you are a light. A star—which is rather on the nose, I know, but I couldn't let Henrik's design skills go to waste."
I laughed despite the lump in my throat.
"I'm not saying this because I'm in love with you," Lincoln continued more seriously.
My heart stopped. He continued talking, and I didn't think he knew what he'd just confessed. But a couple of people exchanged knowing smiles, which assured me I hadn't imagined it.
I'm a bundle of the lovely kind of nerves. The type of energy that made me restless with the need to do something like play my favorite album front to back, sing every lyric, and compose my own addition to the soundtrack.
