Little Girl

                                    

                                          
* After Renee's passing and Celine's retirment from Ceasars - just a short, sweet little chapter'
"Perfect!" Celine proclaimed with a bright smile on her face as she leaned down to press a kiss to the tiny blonde girls temple who had just carefully place the final chocolate chip into the handmade dough " Now let me put them in the oven and in about 20 minutes we will have fresh baked chocolate chip cookies!" 
The woman picked up the tray and turned to open the oven then slip the tray in before closing the oven door and setting the timer before turning back around to the little girl who watched her every move adoringly.
" Will you turn the light on so I can see?" Her soft, young voice asked coming over beside Celine at the oven, a smile pulling on her lips as Celine flicked on the oven light revealing the baking cookies inside the oven " Mommy and Aunt Linda will like these, so will my Uncles." The girl grinned widely at the cookies then up at Celine " we did a good job Meme." 
" Yes we did mon amour." Celine cooed, a tiny squeal and giggle leaving the 5 year olds lips as Celine scooped her up into her arms, letting her settle on her hip as she held her close " I love our days together, you know that?"
"Mhm.." Aurelie nodded " I love Meme days." She leaned up to press a delicate kiss to Celine's cheek before resting her head on the woman's shoulder, holding tight to her.
" I love Auri days." Celine hummed, swaying back and forth with the little girl cradled against her.
" Meme?" Aurelie lifted her head to look up into the almond brown eyes that perfectly matched her own with curiosity " Did Poppy like chocolate chip cookies?" 
The innocence in her question both melted and broke the woman's heart as she referenced Renee who they had all been very intentional to tell her about as she grew up, showing pictures and videos of him to her to keep his memory and his love for her and all of them alive.
" He did, he loved anything sweet." The woman smiled with nostalgia as a smile spread across her face " he and your Mommy used to go out for ice cream every week once she came to live with us and he loved to get vanilla ice cream with a chocolate chip cookie and chocolate drizzle right on top." Celine explained, laughing softly as Aurelie said 'mm! so yummy!' in a delighted voice " your Poppy and Mommy always had so much fun together, they were so close." The woman softly added, heart hurting a bit that their time together was cut short by the terrible disease that ravaged his body.
" I wish I could've known Poppy." The little girl pouted out her bottom lip in such a way that she looked exactly like what Celine imagined Emma would've as a little girl, just with brown eyes, that it all but took her breath away.
" Me too sweet girl." Celine whispered pressing a kiss to the girl's temple, fighting back emotion " he loved you so much, he was very sick the day you were born but he stayed long enough to make sure you got to us safely from heaven before he went there, you meant so much to him." Celine's words were a bit strangled, chest tight.
" I see him in my dreams sometimes, we pick flowers and he holds my hands and has a big laugh and warm hugs." The little girl revealed, her eyes drifting to away as if she were looking at a scene Celine couldn't see " I love him Meme, even if he's only in my dreams and heart."
Celine couldn't help the way her eyes welled up with tears at the sweet words of her granddaughter, so precious and pure. 
" And he loves you...and so do I." Celine pressed a few kisses to the girl's cheek before pulling her tight against her, a tear stubbornly refusing to stay put and rolling down her cheek.
" You miss him huh?" Aurelie asked gently, reaching up to run the pad of her tiny finger along the trail of the tear then meeting her grandmother's eyes.