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KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
Oh they were here!
Twila eagerly smiled to herself hearing the calamity of the small fist of her beloved friend banging at her home door. She happily pranced her way over from the kitchen and greeted the colorful pair at her bleached steps. Ballyhoo and Big Top were both beaming at her, the teal ringmaster carrying a potted plant in his hands. “Here a little early hm?” She teased the two, Bally chuckled. “Wanted to make sure I got here before the rain did!” He poised. Rain? She glanced behind them to look up at the sky, oh, a bit cloudy. “But I guess if you don’t want us Twi we can just go!” Big Top dramatically puffed, giving her a cheeky grin. “No no, please come in.” She giggled, ushering the two in, closing the door as they walked inside, Bally walked over to the blue L shaped countertop entrancing the kitchen, going on the tips of his feet to place the potted flower on the counter, rubbing his hands together in content as he turned to face Twila, who was approaching him at the mouth of the kitchen. “Brighton won’t be here until another hour or so, make yourselves comfortable please.” She brushed her arm across Ballyhoo’s shoulder as she walked to the stove. Peering inside at the baked goods slowly cooking. “Oouh! What’s on the menu chef?” Bally asked, turning over to face him as she heard him shuffling up one of her counter stools sitting down and placing his face on his hands. Big Top’s eyes scanned the stove meticulously. “Oh oh! I hope it’s what I think it is!!” He said excitedly. “If what you’re thinking is my Star sugar cookies then you would be correct.” She smirked, turning back over to watch the cookies rise in the heated space. Big Top chittered. “Please please say we’re getting coco too!!” He begged. “Not until Brighton gets here dear, you know the rules.” She knocked him down a peg, Big whined. “So unfair!” He complained playfully, Twila intensely stared in the oven, almost done.. Bally patted his top. “Don’t be too sad bud! Maybe there’s still some leftover eggnog in the upstairs fridge, why don’t you go check?” Big got up from his friend’s head. Almost.. “Wouldn’t hurt to look! I’ve been dying for some eggnog too!” He mischievously grinned. Done! “You’re dying for anything to scarf down.” Bally joked, Big blew him a raspberry. Twila grabbed her oven mits. “No eggnog for you then blue boy!” He teased back, zooming upstairs. As he did, Twila pulled out the pan of cookies, placing them on the counter in front of Ballyhoo. They were a nice peachy tan sprinkled with sugar crystals, a blue star in the middle of them, and they smelled magnificent. Bally looked in awe at the delicious looking baked treat. “Now we leave them out to sit so they can get a little less hot.” Twila quipped to the stout ringmaster, as she let him stare, she put the oven mits back to hang on the fridge, she let her eyes wander over to the flower Ballyhoo had brought inside. She walked over and held it. An ice flower, one of her favorites, he knew it too, how sweet of him. The kind gesture made her heart melt. He broke his gaze from the cookies to look at her. “These gotta be your best batch yet!” He proclaimed, Twila’s head shot over to Bally, slightly taken aback she lost her words as he smiled at her, waiting for her response. She blushed from the sudden compliment. “Oh stars… I’m not sure, we haven’t even tried them dear!” She humbled, avoiding eye contact with him. “I’m telling ya’ Twi! I can tell by just lookin’ at them!” He gestured enthusiastically to the cookies. “I know for a fact!” He looked at them again. “Y’know… they look a little different from the usual, maybe that’s why!” Twila raised her brow. “Well I hope not, I didn’t do anything different with them.” She looked puzzled. “Not in a bad way! A good one!”
“How do they look different?” Bally motioned her over to inspect with him. She walked over, there they were both eyeing the sweet smelling cookies. She got flustered being so close to him, occasionally glancing over to stare at him rather than the sweets in front of them.
“Hmm… maybe it isn’t the actual look of ‘em I’m getting it from.”
“Getting what from?”
“That feeling, like there’s something special about these!”
She looked up at him and back down at the treats. She thought for a moment. Before she could speak again Big Top whizzed back into the kitchen with a jug of eggnog in his nubs, presenting it to the two as he took a large chug of it. Making a satisfied sigh as he finished the gulp. Bally and Twila giggled at the silly hat, who after his drink took notice of the cookies, his face lighting up in excitement. “Oh yea!” He reached for one, exclaiming as Twi swatted his mit away. “Nuh uh! These are too hot! You’re going to hurt yourself.” She insisted. “But they smell SOOO GOOD!!! C’mon they have to be a least a little cool by now!” Big bargained. “Would it really kill you to be patient for a little longer?” She remarked.
”It might!!!!”
She was caught off guard as she heard Ballyhoo laugh at the exchange, she really liked his laugh, sure she’d hear it all the time, but it never got old.
As the time passed and Brighton eventually came around, the four friends got settled in, drinking hot chocolate and eating cookies as they chatted together. These were the times that Twila enjoyed the most, being with her friends, having fun, sure she loved her job, she loved partying, and they did it practically all the time, but the moments she always enjoyed the most were the moments she spent with just them. Big Top consumed every cookie he could get his grubby nubs on, while Brighton made his sister another cup of coco. Things had never been so good.
As the night winded down, and Big Top eventually hit his food coma, the excitement of the room lulled down as Brighton too started to slowly daze off. Bally cleaned up the mess from the gathering, while Twila went up to her room to get ready to raise the moon. She held her wand firmly in her hand, from her crescent shaped window, staring up at the blank dark sky— her canvas. She dotted the black background with shiny lights across its vacant glow. Stars. All onto the sky until it was light up by beautiful white specks. Perfect. She admired her work, how much she loved the night sky, it’d been some time since she’d gone up there to visit. Her mind adjusted as she heard footsteps coming to her doorframe, she turned to see her stout teal friend smiling back at her without his trusty hat pal on his head. “Dishes are clean, now all that needs to be done is get that sleepy head back home.” Bally said, walking into the room, she turned back over to look outside. “Which sleepy head are you referring to exactly?” She played, her friend chuckled. “The one that’s my problem, not yours.” He shot back. There was a moment of silence between them as she let the night sky envelop her view, snapping out of it as she heard Bally getting up to sit beside her on the windowsill. He said nothing as he also stared up at the sky with her. They both admired the stars. “Like I said, one of your best.” He remarked, fixating over at her. She blushed. “I don’t see how, it feels like I’ve gotten a little… sloppy..” She trailed off, glancing over at the night. “What makes you say that?” Bally pried. “I suppose my head just hasn’t been in the right place…”
“Why not?”
She paused, looking down. Her eyes had trouble finding somewhere to lay. “The princess— Peach, she visited not too long ago.” She started, Bally leaned in. “…she… wants to take some parts of Partyland…”
Bally’s eyes grew wide. “Take parts of Partyland? Why would she wanna do that?” His face scrunched in confusion. “She… wants to take some of the work off of our shoulders… considering she has a whole kingdom who could help us… I see why she thinks it would be a good idea…” Twila rubbed her shoulder anxiously. “…but I’m not sure… I’m not sure how I feel about it… I don’t want to let go of any of my realm… but she’s not wrong. I… I can’t do this forever, I know that. As much as I wish I could, things are a lot different from how they use to be.” She held herself. “I think that’s what hurts the most.” Bally’s furled expression went soft, he thought for a moment. “I see why you’re scared Twi. This is scary, losing apart of something you care about..” She looked over at him. “But this is still your land! You and Brighton’s! That’s something the princess can’t change!” He held her arms and rubbed them comfortingly, she tensed, her face flushed from his touch. “No matter what decision you make Twila, I’ll support you, that I can promise.” He comforted, his words mushed into her head as his sweet face enthralled her, everything about him made her feel so warm, so safe. He was such a sweetheart, it’s like he always knew the right thing to say to make her swoon. Her lip quivered into a half smile, her face heating up from the feelings he made her feel. She hugged him tightly. “..thank you..” She muttered out, grasping at his collar and side. She felt as his large hands slowly wrapped around her as well, his head resting on her shoulder. They shared the moment together, finally releasing from their embrace, she tried finding her words again. “..I think I know what is is now.” She began. “Hm?” Bally cocked his head. “About the cookies, why they felt different.”
“Oh! What is it?” He asked eagerly.
“I think, this time… I made them with love.” She flustered, fiddling with her hands. “Made ‘em with love?” Bally smirked and raised his brow. “The love I have for my friends— my people...” She looked back at the window and down on the town below her, seeing the moon’s light shine on shingled roofs as lights from homes started to dim. Bally stared with her. “They are the reason my life has purpose, why I exist, who I am. Without it all.. I would simply not be. I realize I take that for granted, so it’s not just the cookies, it’s also the night— the stars. All made from my love, for my land..” She looked over at Bally, who was gazing in awe at the night sky. “…and my love for you..” She mustered out. Ballyhoo faced her with a blank expression, then gave her a warm smile. “Well I’m lucky to have you as a friend.” He said with genuineness, Twila’s smile faded slightly as her heart shattered slightly from his blissful comment. She was silent again, trying to find something else to say. Her thinking was interrupted by the sound of beating rain hitting the cozy home, they both looked outside to see small glimpses of downpour in the dark night. Bally hopped down from the windowsill, stretching as he yawned. “Unfortunate time for it to rain.” He stated sitting back down just underneath the window. Twila got up to sit down with him, his eyes began to droop. “Stay here for tonight Will, I think you need it.” She said softly, wrapping her arm around him. “I still gotta lock up the carnival..” He stammered out sleepily. “Rest dear, you can go one night without worrying about it.” She pulled him closer to herself, he laid his head on her lap as she caressed his head. “Yea… okay….” He closed his eyes, and he was asleep. It was surprising he didn’t fall asleep sooner. He worked so much, more than she did, more than most did. He always looked so tired, but he loved his job more than anything in the world.
..
Probably more than he loved her.
….
And she was okay with that. He was happy, that was all that mattered to her.