"Whatcha ladies doin'? Whatcha makin'? Is it ready yet? Can I help? Can I have some?" I ask, bouncing into the kitchen like an overeager, curious child. My style is "annoying as hell" in this case, but I am pretty sure they know I'm teasing. It seems as though Myka is mixing some batter together and H.G. is greasing a pan. The two of them widen their eyes and glare at me.

"Slow down, Pete." Myka just smiles and pushes back the bridge of her glasses against her nose. She resumes stirring some batter in a large stainless steel bowl. "We're baking a cake." I peer into the bowl she's holding and glance in. The batter looks green and kind of grainy, probably homemade.

"May I lick the spatula? You know, when you're done stirring and stuff." I'm sticking my tongue out at them, totally eager to get in on this cake action. Sure, it might be weird looking cake mix, but it is cake and it is cake batter.

"Tongue back in your mouth, Pete." H.G. informs me. She goes to check the oven temperature and clean her hands. Myka walks over to the greased pan and pours in the batter, which H.G. then levels out by shaking the pan. "Have you never baked something before?"

"Of course I -"

I blush for a second, embarrassed that the question isn't pointed at me, but rather at Myka who is standing directly next to her.

"No, baking isn't really my thing." Myka says without a pause. She seems to perfectly know H.G.'s tones and movements, exactly when something is just for her and something is for everyone else.

H.G. and Myka are so in tune with one another, it frightens me sometimes. The two of them can zone out the entire world and solely exist in their own little bubble. Every time I watch them interact, it's, I don't know, just so cool. The way they work together, how they talk to one another. They are on a whole other level of discourse. Amanda and I never had that together.

While the ladies are making googly eyes at each other, I walk over towards the cookies. Claudia was in the kitchen earlier and made a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies, hoping that they would last through the weekend. It's Thursday, so we shall see if they do, in fact, make it that long. I pour myself a glass of milk and watch Myka put the cake pan into the oven.

H.G. is putting a few items in a picnic basket, just folding up napkins and a small blanket. Myka adds some cutlery to H.G.'s pile of linens and a few plates. My eyes keep drifting over to the neglected bowl and spatula, and then back towards Myka. Finally she gets the hints and passes me the items covered in batter.

"Going on a picnic?" I ask as I lick the spatula.

"Yeah, only a short one in the park with Myka once this cake is done."

"I didn't know you were all into the domestic goddess thing, H.G."

She lifts her head with a distant smile. "I'm full of surprises, Pete. Besides, it's merely another form of chemistry."

My attention shifts back towards my other partner who is washing a couple of dishes by hand now that the bowl appears pristine from my own cleaning. "So, Mykes, what's the occasion?"

"Huh?"

"The cake. The picnic. It's not your birthday or something and I totally forgot it. Is it?"

Myka removes the towel from her shoulder and wipes her hands. "No, it's not my birthday, Pete." she calmly says.

H.G. then moves behind her, wrapping an arm around Myka's waist. "It's Christina's birthday." She takes a deep breath, kisses Myka's neck and looks at me with the biggest smile I've ever seen.