The Sweetest Gift
The morning sun filtered through the bedroom window, casting a warm glow over the room. Gwen stretched her arms, sitting up with a determined expression. Today was Cody's birthday, and she had a plan—one that was going to make this his best birthday ever.
She had never really been the type to bake, but Cody had a serious sweet tooth, and she wanted to surprise him with a homemade cake. Something from her heart. She had spent the past week secretly watching baking tutorials, taking notes, and mentally preparing herself.
Slipping out of bed quietly so she wouldn't wake Cody, she tiptoed out of their shared room and into the kitchen. She gathered everything she needed: flour, eggs, sugar, and all the other ingredients. Taking a deep breath, she started her first attempt.
Things started off well enough. She mixed the batter, poured it into the pan, and set the oven temperature exactly as the recipe instructed. As she waited, she leaned against the counter, a proud smile on her face. This is going to be great.
However, her confidence was short-lived. The timer dinged, and she pulled the cake out—only for it to jiggle in the middle like gelatin. Confused, she poked it with a toothpick, only for it to come out covered in batter.
"No, no, no!" she groaned.
Not wanting to waste time, she threw it away and started over.
This time, she set the oven a little higher, thinking maybe the last attempt was too low. She focused intently, pacing around the kitchen. However, she got distracted by trying to make icing and lost track of time.
The smell of something burning hit her nose.
"Oh no."
She rushed to the oven, yanking the door open to find a cake that was practically charcoal. Sighing in frustration, she tossed it into the trash and started again.
Determined not to fail again, Gwen moved onto her third attempt, but as she reached for the flour, the bag slipped from her grasp, sending a massive white cloud into the air.
She coughed, waving the dust away, now looking like a ghost. "Okay… this is fine. I just need to clean up."
An hour later, with the kitchen semi-recovered, she tried once more.
This time, the cake actually baked correctly, and Gwen cheered to herself. However, when she went to take it out of the pan, the whole thing crumbled apart in her hands.
Her eye twitched. She clenched her fists, taking a deep breath. I'm not giving up. One last try.
Gwen mixed the batter, poured it into the pan, and carefully placed it in the oven. She was extra cautious.
When it came out, she breathed a sigh of relief. Finally.
Now, all that was left was the icing. She squeezed the bottle too hard, and the icing burst out, splattering all over her face and the counter.
That was the final straw.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" she screamed, hurling the icing bottle across the room.
She grabbed another bottle, squeezing it out of frustration, only to have it shoot up and splatter across her entire face.
And then—she broke.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she sank to the floor, sobbing in frustration.
Cody, woken by the commotion, stepped into the kitchen and stopped in his tracks. The place was a complete disaster—flour covered the counters, cake crumbs were everywhere, and his girlfriend was sitting on the floor, covered in frosting and crying.
"Gwen?"
She sniffled, wiping her eyes but only smearing more frosting onto her face. "I-I just wanted to make you a cake," she hiccupped. "But I ruined everything!"
Cody's heart melted. He walked over and knelt beside her, pulling her into a hug despite the mess. "Hey, it's okay," he said gently, rubbing her back. "You tried your best, and that means more than anything."
As he pulled back slightly, he noticed just how much icing was on her face. Smirking a little, he reached out, slid a finger across her cheek, and popped it into his mouth.
"Huh. That's actually really good," he said with a grin.
Despite her frustration, Gwen let out a small, wet laugh. "I guess that's something…"
As the emotions settled, Gwen suddenly paled.
"I don't… feel so good…" she mumbled.
Her stomach churned, and before she could do anything, she ran to the sink and threw up. Cody was right behind her, gently holding her hair back and rubbing her back.
Once she was done, he helped her clean up and brought her to the couch, wrapping a blanket around her. He sat beside her, spoon-feeding her some warm broth he had quickly prepared.
"You know," he said, smiling at her, "this is actually the best birthday present ever."
Gwen blinked at him, confused. "What? Me being sick?"
Cody chuckled, shaking his head. "No. You taking care of me by trying to make a cake, and now me taking care of you. That's what makes it special."
A warm feeling spread through Gwen's chest, and despite her exhaustion, she smiled softly.
"Happy birthday, Cody," she whispered.
Cody leaned in, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Thanks, Gwen. I love you."
Even through her grogginess, she smiled. "Love you too."
And despite the kitchen still being a total disaster, neither of them cared—because this moment was perfect.
Side Note: I hope you guys enjoyed this story. With it being Cody's birthday, I wanted to try and make a sweet little birthday story. This was just an interesting idea that I had in my mind. Don't forget to review and check out some of my other stories.
I don't own anything in this story. The Total Drama Franchise belongs to its respectful creators.