Hi everyone! I have a photostory for you today that I hope you’ll enjoy! Especially since the pics were taken in a room in my dollhouse… 😉 XD

Riven-Delle was super busy baking up a storm; she had already made cupcakes, cookies, muffins – now she had a blueberry pie in the oven! She had wanted to bake a cake, too, but she had received too many interruptions by her siblings that took her away from her baking several times that day. From Clara fainting twice to Lana causing an argument to the little ones getting underfoot time and again – Riven-Delle was at her wit’s end. She wasn’t even the oldest of the kids, yet everyone seemed to be coming to her for everything – just as they always did.

Kiara stepped into the kitchen just as Riven-Delle was putting a dirty bowl by the sink (I say “by” since it was overflowing with dishes already) and let out a quick gasp. “Wow! That’s a lot of goodies!” She said, eyeballing the cookies.

“Yeah, well, that’s what I like to do,” Riven-Delle smiled, “Do you need something?” she asked, trying to hide her dread.

“Oh, no, I just came in for a drink of water,” Kiara said and went to find a glass. Riven-Delle let her shoulders sink in relief and continued with her work…

…but she hesitated when she heard the faucet turn on and heard dishes clanking around. “Uh – Kiara? What are you doing?” Riven-Delle asked.

“There’s a mountain of dishes that need washing, so I thought I’d help you out and start washing,” Kiara said, soapy sponge in hand.

“Oh. Well, that’s nice of you, but really, it’s not necessary,” Riven-Delle said.

“It’s okay, I want to do this,” Kiara said with a smile.

Riven-Delle turned her head away, annoyance crawling up her spine. “Really, Kiara, you can go,” she said.

“Riven-Delle I don’t think you’re being very nice. I’m not going to disrupt your work by doing the dishes for you – in fact, I’ll be helping you along with your work by taking this load off your back,” Kiara said. Riven-Delle sighed and said, “You’re right. I’m sorry, Kiara. It’s nice of you to help me.”

The timer went off for the oven, so Riven-Delle got her oven mitts on to check on her pie while Kiara began scrubbing away.

While they were both preoccupied with their work, sneaky little Merida tip-toed into the kitchen and swiped a plate of cupcakes off the table and scurried off before anyone could notice she was ever there.

When Riven-Delle decided the pie was done baking, she took it out of the oven and set it on the table, only to be horrified by the emptiness that faced her.

“Where are my cupcakes?” Riven-Delle cried.

Kiara instantly stopped scrubbing the dishes and joined her sister’s side. “What on earth…”

“They’re gone,” Riven-Delle said, her voice shaky.

“Hey, it’s okay. I bet one of the little ones came in and took them – let’s go see if we can find them!” Kiara suggested.

“No, I’m sure they’re all gone by now anyway,” Riven-Delle said.

“Well, isn’t that a good thing? I mean, don’t you bake all these treats so we can eat them?” Kiara asked.

“Yes, but….,” Riven-Delle sighed, “Truth is, I’m not so upset about the cupcakes. I’m just so frustrated. I’ve been planning this baking day for weeks and I’ve been looking forward to having some time to myself, doing the thing I love. But all day I keep being interrupted by everyone and constantly dragged away from my baking. Why does everyone always want me?” Riven-Delle asked, a couple tears trickling down her cheek.

Kiara placed her hand on her sister’s shoulder and said, “I understand, everyone needs their own space, but really, think about how amazing it is that everyone loves you so much. I think just about everyone in this family looks up to you. And in a big family like ours, that’s something to be thankful for. You’re so appreciated in this house and I think you should learn to appreciate that.”

Riven-Delle smiled through her tears and hugged her sister tightly. She knew that lately she hadn’t been as appreciative of her family as she should have been and she was so grateful to Kiara for reminding her that appreciation goes both ways.

The End

Challenge: This week show someone you wouldn’t normally think of that you appreciate them. It just may make their day 🙂

~Jaclynn~