Luca and Rainie were baking cookies in the kitchen, while Aunt Neile was tidying up the living room.
The villa's telephone rang. Aunt Neile answered the call with a puzzled look on her face. After all, people nowadays
used smartphones, and there was hardly anyone who would call the villa's landline number. The telephone was
basically a decoration in the house. Besides, it was the first time the telephone rang after she started working here.
"Hello, this is theCrawford family." Aunt Neile picked up the receiver.
“Is Luca there?” Luke's voice came from the other end of the line.
Aunt Neile was startled for a moment, and she replied, "Mr. Crawford? You're looking for Ms. Craw, right?"
"Is she in the villa?" Luke asked.
"Yes. Ms. Craw is in the kitchen. She's baking cookies with Ms. Rainie. Do you need me to inform her to pick up your
call?" Aunt Neile asked.
"Never mind. If she's at the villa, then it's fine," said Luke. He called Luca after the meeting ended, but no one was
answering the call.
Hence, he called Aunt Neile, but she did not answer the call either.
He had no choice but to dial the villa's landline number.
"Okay, Mr. Crawford," Aunt Neile was confused. Luke called to ask about Luca, but he did not ask her to answer the
call. That was weird.
Luke added, "Aunt Neile, bring your phone with you when you're doing house chores. I need you to pick up my calls
if anything happens."
"Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Crawford." Aunt Neile knew Luke had tried to call her when he told her that, but she had been
carrying her phone with her. She did not hear her phone ring, though. She took her phone out of her pocket and
realized she had no idea when her phone had been switched to airplane mode.
"My kids must've touched my phone and switched it to airplane mode. That's why I didn't hear the phone ringing.
I'm sorry," explained Aunt Neile.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"It's okay. I'll be back in a few days. Take good care of them." Luke hung up the call after that.
Aunt Neile listened to the busy tone coming from the other end of the line. She hung up the call even though she
thought it was strange. Then, she turned off airplane mode on her phone. She could not help but mutter to herself,
"It looks like I can't let the kids mess with my phone anymore. Otherwise, they'll turn on the airplane mode again
and I'll miss Mr. Crawford's calls. I'll be fired sooner or later if that happens again."
Luca walked out of the kitchen and heard Aunt Neile muttering to herself. She asked with curiosity, "Aunt Neile,
what are you saying?"
Aunt Neile put her phone back into her pocket and replied, "Nothing. Mr. Crawford called the landline just now. That
was when I realized my grandson had turned on the airplane mode and Mr. Crawford couldn't reach me just now."
Luca's face was slightly red when she heard it was Luke who called. Then, she recalled what Rainie told her.
"What did Mr. Crawford says?" Luca asked.
"Nothing. He just asked if you're in the villa. He didn't say anything and hung up the call when he found out that Ms.
Rainie and you were baking in the kitchen." Aunt Neile expressed this in her own words.
Luca raised her brows. Luke called just to find out if she was in the villa?
Was he looking for her or not, then?
Luca could not guess it and asked, "Aunt Neile, where did you put the icing sugar for the cookies? I need it."
"The icing sugar... Let me get it for you. The previous bag was finished, but I haven't been using it lately. That's why
I didn't take a new one out." Aunt Neile put down the vacuum and marched into the kitchen. She took a bag of icing
sugar out of the shelf.
Aunt Neile smiled when she saw that Rainie's hands were covered with flour. She said, "Way to go, Ms. Rainie."
"Aunt Neile, I'll give you some cookies later." Rainie smiled and looked at Luca.
"Sure. Ms. Rainie's cookies must be good." Aunt Neile agreed with her, then she turned to look at Luca. "Ms. Craw,
I'm going out to continue with the house chores if there's nothing else that you need."
"Okay." Luca opened the seal of the icing sugar pack and poured some on the scale. Then, she mixed it with the
butter.
Rainie was standing beside her, watching her.
Half an hour later, the aroma of cookies filled the air.
Rainie carried the cookies on a plate and walked out of the kitchen. She said, "Aunt Neile, the cookies are done.
Come on here and try them."
Aunt Neile gave her a response, walked into the washroom to wash her hands, and came out again. She picked up
one of the cookies and took a bite, "Ms. Rainie, this is so good!"
Rainie heard her compliment and gave her a cheerful smile. She said, "Ms. Luca made these. I was just helping
out."
Luca walked out of the kitchen and heard Rainie saying that. She chimed in, "You helped to bake the cookies too,
which means you made these cookies as well."
After that, Luca took the scarf out and put it on her neck. Then, she put on her coat.
Rainie saw her and asked with curiosity, "Ms. Luca, where are you going?"
"I'm going to pick Lanie and Tommy up. Rainie, stay at home and be good," Luca reminded her like she was her
mother.
"Okay. I'll listen to Aunt Neile." Rainie nodded.
Luca smiled and nodded at Aunt Neile. Then, she went out and headed to her car to bring Lanie and Tommy back
home.
40 minutes later, Luca brought Lanie and Tommy home.
Tommy's nose was so sensitive that he could smell the aroma of the cookies in the air right when he stepped into
the villa. His eyes brightened up as he looked at Luca. “Ms. Luca, you baked cookies?"
"Yes. Rainie and I baked the cookies together. Well, you must be hungry. The cookies are in the kitchen. Go get
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmsome," said Luca as she hung their coats on the hanger. Then, she took off her coat and hung it.
Tommy sprinted to the kitchen, cheering happily.
This was the happiest moment of his day.
Lanie shook his head helplessly when he looked at how gluttonous Tommy was, then he turned to look at Luca.
Luca was curious and asked Lanie when she noticed that he did not follow Tommy to the kitchen, “Lanie, why aren't
you going to eat the cookies?"
"Ms. Luca, you must've baked a lot of cookies. Tommy won't be able to finish all of them now. I'm not in a hurry,"
explained Lanie.
Luca smiled and stroked his head. "Just go and have some cookies. Don't eat too many, though. Otherwise, you'll be
too stuffed for dinner."
Lanie was still not heading to the kitchen. He frowned and asked, "Ms. Luca, if Tommy keeps on eating like this, will
he become fat in the future?"
"I don't think so..." Luca smiled and replied. Luca and Luke were not overweight. Besides, everyone in Luke's family
was fit and slim, and the same went for Luca's family. Hence, Tommy probably did not have those genes.
Tommy was a little chubby now. However, he would look slimmer if he did more exercises.
Luca thought that Tommy must be the kind who liked exercising since he was so active. That was why that should
not be a problem.
"I'm really worried that Tommy will become a fat boy in the future," Lanie said, feeling worried for Tommy.
"Then, as his elder brother, you'll have to remind him not to eat too much," replied Luca. She held Lanie's hand and
brought him to the kitchen.
Tommy was already standing beside the shelves, eating the cookies. He waved at Luca and Lanie when he saw
them coming in. "Lanie, the cookies are so good. Come on. Have a bite."
Lanie nodded and walked toward Tommy. Then, he asked, "Tommy, how many have you eaten?"