A Heart Worth Loving

It was dark by the time she woke up, checking her phone to find that it was almost six in the morning and sitting up with a groan. Hearing movement from behind her, Layla glanced over her shoulder with a frown and relaxed when she spotted Stefan leaning in the doorway.

"Hey," Layla said with a small smile.

"Here," Stefan replied, handing her a glass of water and some painkillers, "You should take it easy today."

"Thanks, and I would, but it's the fate today," Layla reminded him, "I have baking to do and a stall to set up later... I'll be okay."

"Do you need any help?"

"My gran should be home with my brother by now, so I'll more than likely have all the help I need," Layla told him, "I wouldn't say no to you walking me home though."

Borrowing one of Stefan's hoodies, she followed him out the front door and fell into step as they made their way towards her gran's house. Finding a light on when they arrived, Layla thanked Stefan for walking her home and headed inside.

"Layla," her brother, Brandon, shouted as he ran at her, throwing himself into her open arms, "I missed you."

"I missed you too, buddy," Layla whispered, kissing his cheek and tightening her hold on him a little, "Have you had breakfast?"

"Grandma said that we had to wait for you to get home from your friend's house," Brandon informed her as they entered the kitchen, "I'm starving."

"Well, we can't have that," Layla replied, sitting him on the counter and pretending to think about what they could have, "I guess I could whip us up some pancakes, what do you think?"

"Pancakes," Brandon cheered, causing Layla to chuckle and collect everything that she would need, "Can I have chocolate chips?"

"Hmmm..."

"Please," the little boy pleaded, pulling out the weapon that Layla could never resist... the puppy dog eyes and pout.

"Like I could ever say no to that face, but if I give you chocolate chips, then you have to help me decorate some cupcakes and cookies after, deal?"

"Deal."

Cooking the pancakes, Layla sat down at the table and watched as Brandon happily shoveled them into his mouth. Washing up their dirty plates, she got started on the cake mix and put the first lot in the oven to bake as she made the first batch of cookie dough.

Four hours later, they had a decent amount done and Layla decided that she would take Brandon to the Grill for an ice-cream as a treat. Arriving at the Grill, Layla led him over to the bar and sat him on one of the stalls while she showed him the menu.

"Layla," Elena called from where she was sitting with Stefan, motioning for them to sit down and smiling as Brandon bounded over to them, "Who is this?"

"This is my brother," Layla informed them as she sat down, "Brandon, these are my friends Elena and Stefan."

"Layla is getting me an ice cream for being a good helper, even though I spilled the sprinkles on the floor," Brandon explained, "She wouldn't let me eat any because she has to sell them at the fate."

"How's the fate preparations going?" Stefan asked, looking over as Matt placed Brandon's ice cream on the table and smiling as the little boy's face lit up.

"I'm nearly done," Layla replied, "I have one more batch of cupcakes to decoration, then I'll be ready to box them up and take them over to the fate."

"Are you going to need any help getting it all over there?" Elena inquired.

"I'm good, Gran's going to pick us up and take everything over to the fate in the car," Layla stated, "You should come buy something though, I have been told that the cupcakes and cookies are pretty good."

Waiting for Brandon to finish eating, she bid her friends goodbye and returned home to finish up. It was nearly one in the afternoon by the time she finished, clearing the kitchen of the mess she had made and loading the boxes straight into the car when her gran honked the horn outside.