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A sigh of frustration left you, your gaze fixated down on the disfigured clump of half-cooked dough laid out on the kitchen counter. It looked like a baking show nightmare. This was your third attempt at baking a cake for you and Buck’s anniversary, and clearly, it was not going well at all.
Sure, cooking, in general, had never been your strong suit, nor something you really enjoyed doing. Your father liked to joke that everyone should ‘take cover’’ when you stepped into the kitchen, due to a time you forgot to put water in with the pasta.
But you figured baking a simple strawberry cake couldn’t be that hard, especially when you just wanted to do something nice and more personal for you and Buck’s two-month anniversary.
Yet somehow, it seemed an impossible task. The instructions might as well be gibberish, the oven seemed determined not to cook it properly, and with Buck getting home in three hours, you were screwed.
Fuck, just what am I supposed to do now? Maybe I’ll just pick up a nice cake from that bakery downtown. Not as special, but at least it’ll be something...
Shoulders slumping, you started clearing away the many dirty dishes and utensils you dirtied in your failed tries. No sense in leaving Buck’s kitchen a mess too.
You placed the biggest silver mixing bowl in the sink under a stream of hot running water, watching it fill up until there was a small knock at the front door.
Frowning, you stole a glance at the clock on the wall, knowing it was much too early for Buck to be off his Saturday shift.
Maybe Albert, his old roommate, was stopping by? He’d stopped living here awhile ago, but Buck seemed to always be finding stuff he’d forgotten.
You hoped it was him because you’d yet to meet any of Buck’s other friends or family at this stage in your relationship, but he always discussed them very fondly.
“I’m coming, just a sec!” You called out, quickly rinsing your hands before you headed out the kitchen and over to the door.
Apprehension fluttered in your stomach as you pulled it open, peering out to see the bright, smiling of your boyfriend’s older sister, Maddie Buckley.
Surprise overtook you, blinking once as you took in the beautiful mahogany-haired and chocolate-eyed woman in front of you.
She was even prettier than you’ve seen in pictures around Buck’s apartment and exuded a vibe of kindness and sincerity. She stood a few inches shorter than you, wearing an orange floral dress with white sandals.
Buck had spoken to you in great detail about how much he loved his sister and their close relationship, and so you’d already imagined how your first time meeting her would go.
An utter mess covered in flour was not how you pictured it. God, what she must think of you right now.
“Hello, you must be ___, I’m Maddie, Buck’s older sister. It’s very nice to meet you.” She said kindly, her eyes flickering over you once.
Ignoring the mortification over your appearance, you quickly replied, “Oh yes, Buck talks about you all the time, it’s lovely to meet you too.”
“Believe me he does the same for you,” she smiled, adding after a moment of pause, “I’m so sorry to drop by unexpectedly, but I left my daughter's diaper bag over here last night.”
“Ah right,” you said, slowly understanding, “I remember seeing it on the couch actually.”
You stepped to the side, opening the door wider to allow her to step inside. She did so, moving towards it with ease, but slowly stopping and tilting her head questioningly to the kitchen.
“Have you been baking pastries? I smell strawberries.”
You cringed internally, remembering how Buck had gushed over Maddie’s talented cooking. She was a great chef, and you were not so much. You doubted she was the type to judge, but still not a great first impression.
“Kinda,” you admitted sheepishly, “I was trying to bake a cake for our anniversary, but it hasn’t been going so well.”
She turned towards you at that, a bubbling determination that surprised you growing in her chocolate eyes. “Do you need some help? I love to bake and it’s no trouble at all.”
“Oh no, that’s very kind,” you said, shaking your head, “but I couldn’t ask that of you.”
“You could, and you should.” She insisted, “Seriously, I don’t mind. My husband is at work and my daughter’s visiting her grandma so I’ve got time.”
The look on her face reminded you of Buck, the way she wasn’t taking no for an answer, and you could tell she just genuinely wanted to help you out.
You bit your lower lip, mulling it over and knowing she was really your only hope here if you didn’t want to have buy a cake elsewhere. Besides, it was really sweet of her to offer, and the chance to talk to someone so close to your boyfriend was too good to pass up.
“Well, if you’re sure… Forewarning though, it’s a pretty big disaster.”
“I’m sure it’s not that bad,” she assured, heading over to the kitchen with you following behind her.
“You’ll see,” you mumbled.
Sure enough, as she approached the kitchen island where your sad attempt at a cake laid, you could see the confusion take over her features. You were sure she hadn’t thought it would actually be this bad.
“Yeah, and believe it or not, that’s the best one yet. There isn’t too much flour left either, and only half a carton left of strawberries. Buck’ll be home in about three hours, so it’s a race against the clock really.”
The dejection in your tone was evident, and you figured she would also throw in the towel at that news. She didn’t say anything though, instead inspecting it for a moment, and then looking at you with an excited grin.
“Don’t worry, we can totally fix this.”
With that she started moving about the kitchen, organizing the chaos as she pulled things out of shelves and cabinets. It was clear she’d cooked in Buck’s kitchen many times.
“Really?” You said skeptically, watching her in surprise. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. We may not be able to make the exact recipe you had in mind, nor as much, but we’ll get it done. Trust me.” She said confidently, tossing you a wink.
Her demeanor had determination flowing through you, and tossing off your resignation, you nodded enthusiastically, “Alright, just tell me what to do!”
“Will you bring me those strawberries, please? Oh, and do y’all have any whip cream?”
“Yes, and yes.”
“Perfect.”
Two hours later, you and Maddie sat at the kitchen table together looking proudly at the amazing strawberry shortcake the two of you - mostly Maddie - had whipped up.
She’d been amazing, giving you easy-to-follow instructions and baking up something wonderful that she assured you Buck would love.
He’d never mentioned it to you, but apparently, it was a childhood favorite, and thus you were even more excited for him to see it. You’d watched Maddie’s actions carefully as well, and with some practice, you were sure you could recreate it.
Not only did you have fun baking for the first time in your life, Maddie was an utter joy to be around. She told you more about herself and her husband Chimney, shared some photos of their daughter, and just all around made you feel welcome.
You grew up with all brothers, so you couldn’t say for sure, but Maddie made you feel as comfortable as you imagined an actual sister would.
“Thank you so much, Maddie. You’re truly a lifesaver,” you breathed out, leaning back in the chair. “I don’t know how I could ever thank you.”
She gave a short laugh, brushing the hair out of her face as she replied, “No need to thank me, really. I mean you’re the one whose been making my only brother so happy these past few months… I should be thanking you for that.”
Heat flared under your cheeks at that, eyes widening slightly at her words. It wasn’t like Buck hadn’t told you plenty of times how happy he was to be dating you, but to hear it from his sister was another thing altogether.
“How can you be so sure of that?” You protested lightly, “I mean you’ve only just met me.”
Maddie hummed at that, her eyes thoughtful as she picked her next words carefully.
“To be frank, he really does talk about you all the time. Buck is just so incredibly happy to be with you, and I’ve never really seen him in a relationship like that. When he speaks about you, I can see how comfortable you make him and how connected the two of you are. I hope I’m not being too forward, but I see the two of you going the mile.”
“Oh Maddie, I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear you say that, thank you.” You whispered, heart warmed at everything she’d said.
“Of course sweetie. Now, I should probably get out of here before Buck gets back.” She hummed, standing up and heading over to the couch to grab the diaper bag she’d initially came for.
“Right, I’ve got to clean the place up too,” you replied, following her over, “you know it’s been very nice hanging out together, I hope we can see each other again.”
“You too, ___. I’ll mention to Buck that he should invite you over for dinner soon, that way you can meet Chimney and Jee-Yun.” She said, smiling as she pulled you in for a quick half hug before the both of you moved over to the door.
You brightened at that as you pulled it open for her, “I’d love to. Buck says Chimney is one of his closest friends, though I’m curious... Why do y’all call him Chimney?”
Maddie snickered at that as she threw the diaper bag over her shoulder before heading out the door, “Now, that’s a story for another time.”