Chapter 8: Play Time

Shelly PoV

I finished showering and stepped out, drying myself off with a fluffy towel. My skin felt so smooth and soft. It had been so long since I'd been able to enjoy a shower that long. I wrapped the towel around me and stepped into the bedroom, where I found Zara watching over Toren, who was now playing with a robot toy.

"Where did that come from?" I asked, pointing at the robot.

Zara smiled. "A gift from Damien. He hid some toys in here for you two."

I smiled. Damien was a bit odd, but he was also very thoughtful. Although, why me? I wasn't a child. Then again, nor was he.

I looked through the closet and found a cute dress. It was a light blue color with a flower pattern. It was very girly, but also pretty. It would make me look more feminine than usual. I put it on and looked in the mirror, spinning around.

"What do you two think?" I asked.

Toren giggled. "Pretty sis!"

Zara smiled. "It looks great on you, Lady Shelly."

I blushed. "Thanks. Do I really look okay?"

"Sis the best!" Toren said, giving me a thumbs up. "Rawr!"

Zara chuckled. "You look like a princess."

I blushed even harder. "I'm no princess, but thanks. Say, did you pick out these clothes?"

She shook her head. "No, Damien did. I had no part in this."

I blinked. "Wow, Damien really knows his stuff, then."

She smiled. "He has an eye for fashion. It's one of the many things he's good at. You could say it goes along with his flamboyance."

I looked at myself again, twirling around. "Well, I guess I'll have to thank him when I see him."

Zara nodded. "Yes. He would appreciate that. But first, let me change Toren's bandages."

She approached Toren and took off the bandages on his scrape, replacing them with fresh ones.

"Should we get that doctor?" I asked.

"No need. This is just a scrape, not a life-threatening injury. Just keep an eye on it. But, if you want a doctor, I can get one for you."

"Nah, I trust you, Zara."

She smiled and bowed. "I am glad to hear that, Lady Shelly. I will try to be of service to you and your brother, just like I am to Damien."

I smiled back. "Thanks, Zara."

She finished changing Toren's bandages and stood up. "All done. Now, let's get you two something to eat. You must be starving."

My stomach growled at that. "Yeah, I'm famished."

She snickered. "So, what would you like? The estate has several world class gourmet chefs that can prepare anything you desire."

I bit my lip, thinking. "Well, I'm not sure. What do you suggest?"

"Ice cream!" Toren shouted, jumping up and down.

"Uh, no, Toren," I said, chuckling.

Zara laughed. "Maybe for dessert." Smiling, she took out her phone. "The chef usually has some amazing dishes on the menu. But, if you're feeling homesick, he can also make something from home. Just name it."

I frowned. "Well, how about some mac and cheese? It's Toren's favorite."

"Mac and cheese!" Toren squealed, giggling.

Zara nodded and made a call. She spoke quietly to someone on the other end, then hung up.

"Done. The chef is preparing your dinner. It should be ready in an hour or so. In the meantime, please make yourself comfortable. I'll have your luggage delivered here, as well as any other belongings you may need. If you need anything else, just call me. I left a pair of phones in the closet, which you're free to use. The chef's number is in the contacts, as well as mine and Damien's. I'll be in the next room if you need me."

I nodded. "Thank you, Zara."

Zara smiled. "You're welcome. I'll leave you to settle in."

She left, and I turned to Toren. "Let's play like I promised, sweetie."

He grinned and ran to me, hugging my leg. "Yay!"

We sat on the bed and played for an hour, until Zara brought us our food. I had no idea what to expect, but I was sure it would be delicious. 

I pulled out the silver dome. The chef had prepared a gourmet version of mac and cheese, with three types of gourmet cheeses, truffle, and gold flakes.

Toren took a spoonful of it and made a face. "Yucky!"

I laughed as I ate some of mine."Come on, Toren, you can't say that. It's really good."

"Not mac and cheese!" He pushed his plate away and folded his arms. "Sis makes better!"

I smiled. "Aww, that's so sweet, Toren. But, come on, try some more of it. It's really good. And, if you don't like it, I'll ask for something else for you, okay?"

He pouted and took a small bite. "Blegh! Yucky!"

I chuckled. "Toren, you're not giving it a chance."

He crossed his arms. I should've known that he wouldn't like a gourmet meal. He was very particular about his food. I sighed, then took a bite. For me it was delicious, a lot better than the boxed mac and cheese we usually ate.

"Mmm, try it, Toren," I said, holding out a forkful. "Come on, open up."

Toren glared at me and opened his mouth. I put the fork in and he chewed, his face scrunching up in disgust.

"Blegh! No! Yucky! Me want ice cream!"

I laughed. "Fine, you can have some ice cream after you finish your mac and cheese." He pouted, then started eating his food. "Good boy," I said, ruffling his hair.

"Sis makes better," he grumbled between bites.

We finished our food, and opened the little pots Zara had brought us with the macaroni. Inside were two cups of vanilla ice cream with caramel and raspberry sauce.

"Yes!" Toren shouted, clapping his hands.

I laughed. "You really like ice cream, huh?"

"Yes! Ice cream best!" He grabbed a spoon and started shoveling it into his mouth. I had to stop him before he got brain freeze. When he finished, he licked his lips and grinned.

"You liked it?" I asked.

"Yes! But me like store brand better," he said, giggling.

I laughed and ruffled his hair. "You're so silly, Toren." I snuggled him. It was probably his autism talking, but I liked how he didn't care if something was expensive. He still loved his humble stuff. "Let's go play some more, okay?"

"Yay!"

I took his hand and led him back to the bedroom, where we continued to play. We had a blast. It had been a while since I'd been able to spend this much time with him. I was glad we were finally able to have fun together.