The sweet aroma of chocolate swept around the house as Alex rolled cookie dough onto a plate covered in aluminum. She felt her stomach growl as she placed each sugary piece as carefully as she could. If she didn't stop herself, she would have eaten all of the cookie dough. Not wanting to get sick, she restrained herself.
Once every bit was perfectly placed, she opened the oven and set the timer to the right. She stood in front of it when she felt a hand on her shoulder. A shiver ran down her spine as a voice whispered into her ear.
"What are you doing, love?"
"Making cookies," Alex gave her husband a soft smile before leaning up to kiss him. "How was work?"
"So boring," Allen fixed one of the buttons on his cardigan. "I swear Rod would not shut up about Michelle. I wish he'd ask her out already so he could stop gushing about her so much."
"Sounds like you were doing something boring."
"I rather do you instead," he pulled her closer to him and placed his mouth on hers, feeling her relax into his arms. Feeling frisky, he scooped her up in his arms and started to make his way to their bedroom.
"W-w-wait a minute," she pulled back from his touch. "I gotta stay and wait for the cookies to bake!"
"Oh, we'll be quick," he reassured her with a light look. "You have to give them time to cook. We shouldn't take very long. Trust me a little, would you?"
"But-"
"It'll be fine, honey. We'll keep the door open so that we can hear the oven, alright?"
"Oh, alright," she wrapped her arms around his neck, and placed her lips against his. "We won't take that long."
Alex scowled as she waved her hands in front of her to blow away smoke as she slid the tray out of the oven. They used to be piles of cookie dough, but were now hardened blackened hockey pucks. She set them on the table, letting a small sigh escape. She had planned on passing her baked goods to the children. But not this.
"Guess we shouldn't have taken two hours, huh, honey?" Allen had to hold back his laughter as she poked one of the ruined cookies with a fingertip. "And I thought we had better control over ourselves than that."
"This is a disaster," she placed her hands over her eyes as if it would make the tray disappear from her sight. "I can't give Hina, Niko, and Toni this. And I promised them I would bake for them today. I should have been more careful."
"It's not a complete mess," Allen told Alex as he picked up a tube of blue cake icing. He brought it down to each "cookie" and wrote two little As and a heart on each one. "Even if they aren't perfect, you made each and every one with love. And I know we'll love each other forever."
"Thank you," she blushed as she stepped over to the fridge for more cookie dough. "I'll always love you, my dear. But if you ruin this batch of cookies, you'll sleep in the barn tonight. Alone."