Forest City Book 5 Chapter 11 -Crumbs-

I stepped inside of the apartment, a waft of perfume stung my nose, Safiya brushed past me and was met with Hazel.
    “It’s so nice to see you again, Clove,” Hazel began with excitement.
    “It’s always a treat,” I replied while we headed into the living room.
    Safiya and I flopped down on the key lime colored sofa, there was a white and blue porcelain tea set on the coffee table in front of us. Next to the tea set was a sterling tray for biscuits, as per usual. Safiya grabbed a few of the biscuits, stuffing them in her mouth, crumbs getting everywhere.
    Hazel sighed and began, while sitting down in a comfy beige colored armchair, “Did you hear about what your father did.”
    I stiffened, then relaxed, “Unfortunately I caught wind from Chester…”
    “I really don’t think he should be doing this anymore, hasn’t he learned,” Hazel replied, “I don’t have time to watch kids anymore.”
    “Maybe I could take Mac in,” I suggested.
    “Yeah and have your dad flip out like he did with us,” Safiya replied quickly.
    I clenched my bag closer to my body, I had decided to bring my diary with me, I wanted to give it to Mac to lift their spirit.
    A timer went off in the kitchen, Hazel perked her head up and shouted, “My muffins must be done,” she stood up and headed towards the kitchen.
    Safiya and I sat in silence for a little while, waiting for Hazel to get back from her kitchen work. It was odd because Hazel doesn’t regularly bake, I was curious to know if she had started up again. I took out my diary and brushed my hand over the purple cover. It was rather large and full of pages that were up to the brim with hundreds…thousands of words. Small multi-colored sticky notes peeked out of the edges of the journal. My hands followed the grooves of the butterfly indented pattern, I must have had this journal forever because I used to be obsessed with butterflies long before Mac had arrived into the world. I distinctly remember the day I got this notebook. It was my seventh birthday and Hazel’s present was the last to be opened. She wrapped the present in yellow wrapping paper and white ribbon, making sure to place a large white bow on top. I was ecstatic to open it and see what was inside.
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    “A book, Aunt Hazel,” I said with disappointment.
    “Not just any book,” Hazel began, “A journal for you to write about yourself and just put down your memories, I used to have one of my own when I was a little bit older than you are now.”
    “Thanks, I guess,” I replied, disappointment lingered in my voice still.
    “Happy birthday dear,” Hazel finished.
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    “I want to give it to Mac,” I said to Safiya.
    “Okay,” Safiya remarked with sass, “Do you need a sticky note for it.”
    “I’m sure Hazel has some around here somewhere,” I replied while rummaging through the small wooden desk by the large bookcase. I opened the main drawer on the right of the desk. My hands brushed past a few parenting books, a couple pens that were probably empty, and a transparent yellow-green ruler. I moved to the other side, sitting on top was a stack of bright yellow post notes. I plopped the purple diary on the center of the desk and smacked one of the obnoxious yellow post notes on the cover.
    “Do you have a permanent marker?” I asked Safiya.
    She made her way towards the desk and set down a marker. I picked it up and hesitated on what to write. I paused thinking of some words to say. Come on Clove, it's been three years! I jotted down a little note, it read: "To: Mac, your sister: Clove."
    I sat back down on the key lime colored sofa, next to Safiya, she had practically eaten the entire tray of biscuits, I took one for myself. The flaky biscuit left some more crumbs on the sofa. It would only be a couple of hours and Mac would be in Forest City. I couldn’t wait to see them again, but I wasn’t able to stay at Hazel’s for any longer.