#calu

"Lunie, have you finished decorating the cake?"

From the kitchen doorway, Grandma Josephine peered in and asked.

"Yes. Just one final step, Granny!"

The little girl replied cheerfully. In her hands was an airplane-shaped modeling chocolate embellishment with a miniature pilot figure drawn on it. She delicately placed it on top of the orange-yellow cake, adorned with fresh fruit and buttercream frosting shaped like clouds. The words "Happy Caleb's Day" on the cake was there, as a result of her meticulous work earlier.

Lunaire gazed at the cake. It was the first cake she had ever made, and it was for her brother.

Grandma Josephine came inside and asked, "Do you need me to help you carry it out?"

"That wouldn't be necessary, thank you Granny," Lunaire replied. She climbed down from the plastic stool that served as her support, to get her high enough for cake decoration purposes. "I will bring it out myself."

Lunaire took off her small apron with the calico cat on it, hung it on the rack, and tiptoed to retrieve the cake.

"Be careful," Grandma Josephine reminded the little girl, stepping aside to allow her to pass. "I'll tidy up in the kitchen and join you later."

After a soft "yes," Lunaire carried the cake outside. She went with gentleness; although the cake was not very big, it needed to be handled with utmost care. Grandma Josephine recommended getting a cake from a neighboring bakery, but Lunaire wanted to do something special for the boy whose birthday was on June 13th.

Caleb and Lunaire had only recently arrived at this home. They were orphans who had wandered the convent following The Chronorift Catastrophe until being taken in by Grandma Josephine. She adopted both of them because neither of them wanted to be separated from each other. For Lunaire, Caleb's first birthday in their new home was incredibly important. She could not remember whether they had ever celebrated a birthday together before, but this one would be etched in her memory forever as a new beginning for their future together.

With great determination to give her brother a homemade cake, Lunaire insisted that Grandma Josephine teach her how to bake. Hiding this from Caleb was impossible, as he was practically everywhere she went. So she had to confide in Granny so she could send her to a friend's kitchen to learn. Following several tries and failures, a seemingly delicious cake finally came out of the oven. In addition to apples, cantaloupes, and a few other fresh fruits, Lunaire also tried her hand at making a small modeling chocolate aircraft, of course with the assistance of Grandma Josephine at home.

The celebration took place in their yard. Grandma Josephine had set out cookies and soda there. All the neighborhood kids were invited, and their parents had sent along gifts and snacks. It was also a good opportunity for Caleb and Lunaire to make friends with the neighborhood kids, though the boy had no trouble adapting to his new home at all.

Caleb was surrounded by a group of friends of varying heights, but they all rejoiced when they watched him use Evol to elevate his model aircraft and "race" against another child with a remote control. Lunaire had kindly asked some friends to "keep him occupied" by playing games with him, to buy her time in the kitchen. The kids all liked Caleb as they were constantly clapping and cheering him on. In their perspective, he was undoubtedly cool and admirable.

Lunaire felt the same way. Her brother was the absolute greatest in the world. She was fortunate to experience his cool side on a daily basis; having him braid her hair, make her lunch, or lull her to sleep… Perhaps the past was still a hazy mist to her, but she knew for sure that Caleb had always been there for her, holding her hand tightly.

She thought, "I should do something for him too!" That was why the cake in Lunaire's hand was more than simply a present; it was also an expression of gratitude and affection for her brother. With a mischievous grin, Lunaire imagined Caleb's amazement upon seeing her cake. His grin would spread from ear to ear, and he would brag about his sister's cake to everyone day after day, until people were tired of hearing about it. It made Lunaire overjoyed, and as she was so eager to go outside, she slipped and fell on the steps.

"Ouch!"

Lunaire tumbled to the ground. The cake slid out of her little hands and landed on the lawn. She looked up, bewildered, only to hear Caleb's voice rising above the children's.

"Lu! Are you alright?"

He did not look at the cake, only at her. He helped her sit up. But Lunaire's eyes were fixed on the dessert. Almost half of it was eaten up by the green grass. Even her favorite modeling chocolate aircraft had damaged its wing.

"I... I'm sorry..." Lunaire could not find the right words. Her eyes welled up with tears as she crawled toward the cake in an attempt to scoop the remaining intact portion back onto the plate. "I'm sorry..."

Caleb got down on one knee beside his sister. He took the plate of cake from her hands and said, "It's alright! This great part is still edible!"

Having said so, he dipped his finger in the cream and tasted it. Seeing his still cheerful smile, Lunaire did not feel any better; instead, she burst into tears.

"I ruined Caleb's cake! I ruined your birthday party!"

"There, there," Caleb quickly set the cake down on the grass, wiping away her tears. "I don't want to see you crying on my birthday, Lu."

Lunaire immediately fell silent. A good little sister would not weep as loudly on her brother's special day. She pursed her lips, her plump cheeks ballooning up and getting crimson, her eyes still glistening with tears.

"Haha!" Caleb laughed and pinched her cheek. "I only wanted you to stop sobbing. Anyway, I'll eat all the cake you made."

"This isn't anything like I imagined," Lunaire muttered to herself. She wiped away her tears and picked up the modeling chocolate aircraft that had rolled onto the grass. "It's broken…" she pouted.

Before another downpour of tears, Caleb hastily scooped up the remaining modeling chocolate portion of the blue wing. He used his Evol to secure it in place.

"It is alright now, isn't it?"

Caleb's Evol had pieced the aircraft back together, but the crack was still apparent. Lunaire glanced at it with a melancholy expression.

"But… how can a pilot fly with a broken wing?"

"There will always be countless challenges for a pilot," Caleb told her. "They'll have to confront them. And they'll always find a way to get home safely. The most important thing is not to give up."

Caleb used his Evol once more, sending the modeling chocolate aircraft soaring high above the astounded children. After a loop around the yard, it returned to Lunaire in her outstretched palms.

Finally, Lunaire managed a smile. Caleb always seemed to know how to turn her frown upside down, how to make her laugh when she was crying, how to turn something terrible into an unforgettable memory.

She returned the aircraft to the top of the remaining cake that Caleb was holding. The birthday celebrations continued in the yard. As the sun went down, Grandma Josephine lit the candles as Caleb took Lunaire's hand.

"One day, I'll become a good pilot," Caleb said, expressing his wish. "And I'll always overcome challenges to come home. To you."

He patted Lunaire's head.

Lunaire gazed up at Caleb, his eyes filled with a warm, hopeful flame. Suddenly, she saw herself as a part of the future he envisioned. A future for both of them. He could soar freely in the sky, and she would be the ground to safely guide him home.

"Caleb, I know you will be the best pilot in the whole wide world!" Lunaire exclaimed. The tiny black pilot painted with food coloring on the modeling chocolate aircraft seemed to be waving at them both.

The flames on the cake flickered out like the sunset that day. A thin wisp of smoke engulfed the radiant face of the young man opposite Lunaire. Caleb's smile remained the same, still bright and sunny even after so many years. At the antipode to their old home, amidst the crowds from an unfamiliar metropolis, they had spent a truly special day together. On the ground, in the clouds, this entire expanse carried their memories. No cake was ruined. No modeling chocolate aircraft wing was shattered. That day was filled only with laughter and joy, nothing but pure blessings for this young man and the girl he loved.

Lunaire took Caleb's hand and listened to his birthday wish. Her bright face was filled with joy as all of her plans for this special event came together gracefully. Her man deserved to smile like this every day. Caleb and Lunaire sat together like two aging trees, growing side by side through the years. She grinned, surprisingly recalling old memories from their childhood. Not having a perfect memory like Caleb, Lunaire sometimes forgot things she had said before. But those memories would eventually return to her in an unexpected way; just as seeing him blow out the candles in this furthest place from home transported her back to that childhood golden yard.

The boy by her side had become the best pilot in the whole wide world. And he always kept his promise, always returning home, where she was waiting. His safe haven.