The streets are in complete chaos. Everyone is a stranger. Every minute with you is like boom boom boom boom.

That evening, my cousin Kevin (Kai’s coordinator) came over for dinner. Since he was hardly ever in the States, the whole family came over for a party to say hello and catch up for lost time. Since it was going to be a party, I offered to help with prepping and cooking. My mom smiled at my offer and thanked me with a peck on the cheek. She sent me off to make something for dessert while she prepared the meat for barbequing. It was around early May, so the weather outside was warm and perfect for a picnic outside. Our backyard, and our house in general, were pretty big so we probably could fit my humongous family. My dad alone had ten siblings and my mom had nine, which meant a lot of adults and kids alike of all ages.  

While my mom got the main dishes ready, I quickly whisked together simple strawberry shortcake. Seeing the red fruits made me think of Tao from the Showtime episode when he made the cake and kept sneaking strawberries behind the other members. The memory made me sad, but I smiled anyway. Tao wouldn’t want his fans to be sad, so I did my best to have a positive outlook. I shook myself out of my thoughts and turned my attention back to the cake, spooning the batter into the two pans and sliding them into the oven. While the cake was baking, I spooned the red filling (strawberry jam) into a separate bowl and added food coloring to the creamy white frosting, accidentally spilling some on my pink apron. My mom saw me out of the corner of her eye and laughed. I laughed along as we bustled around the kitchen, tying to get the work done before guest began to arrive. After baking for half an hour, the rich smell of sweet cake filled the kitchen and I smiled when I saw the cakes rising like they should.

Around this time, the guests started filing in. My brother and sister ran down the stairs, excited to see their cousins again after so long. My dad greeted his in-laws and family at the door, ushering them into the dining and living room. Chatter was bouncing off the pale blue and white walls as everyone talked with anyone.

“Ah, there’s my favorite niece!” My aunt cried as she flew into the kitchen, a Gucci bag (yet another reminder of Tao) on her arm and a beautiful smile on her pretty face.

I smiled back and did my best to hug her while my hands were covered with frosting; I didn’t want to ruin her nice dress. I could smell her sweet perfume and hear the clinking of her earrings.

“Hi Auntie,” I mumbled, “You look beautiful!”

“Psshh, of course I do so my son will recognize me!” She said with a laugh, Kevin was her only son, “Have you seen him yet? I know you two adore each other”

I shook my head, “I’ve been in the kitchen”

“Ah, baking again?” She said with a knowing look and I smiled, “You always had a talent for such things”

She was right. Not only did I bake, but also I cooked, sketched, played music, and wrote stories, all as a hobby. Lately I had been considering switching majors from business and economics to music, but I didn’t have the courage. Besides, my parents didn’t have the money to pay for a risky major like that with two siblings going to college after me. I was contempt with my major anyway, I liked learning about finance.

“I’d better go say hello to my other nieces and nephews, I’ll see you later!” She said with a smile before bustling out the kitchen just as she had come in.

The cake finished just as I finished washing my hands of the excess frosting. The oven had a cheerful dinging sound and hot air blew out as I opened the metal door with mitts to stay safe. Carefully, I pulled the golden layers out of the oven and left them out to cool before frosting them. This gave me some time to go get changed out of my comfy PJ’s. As I climbed up the stairs to my bedroom, I could hear people chatting away below and the occasional ring of laughter. I lightly closed the door behind me, finger-combing my long tousled black hair to try and get into a presentable state. It didn’t take me long to pick out a simple black flowered skirt and red long sleeve shirt. I briefly combed my hair, just to the point to keep it out of my eyes. No make-up necessary, it wasn’t my style.

At the bottom of the stairs, my cousin Kevin was standing there as he looked at his glowing phone screen. When I got closer he hear my footsteps and looked up, smiling. He had a hand behind his back with what I hope for was a present for me. I smiled back a