Cinnamon Apple Pie

Kade asked Callum to meet him for lunch at his house, which he agreed to, but was now starting to regret. He didn't feel like celebrating his birthday. I'm thirty-three... He sighed as he got ready to open the front door. It had been such a weird year. Life hadn't turned out exactly like he had hoped. Callum always thought he would have it all figured out by the time he hit his thirties, but somehow, life just kept getting messier. Although he had to admit to himself that the last few months had been a lot better than he had anticipated. He definitely hadn't planned on starting over, and most certainly hadn't planned to be completely swept off his feet. Well, at least it's just me and Kade. I'll have lunch and then go home... He thought while finally opening the door.

"Mum? Dad?" Callum blinked in disbelief as his parents stood right in front of him. "Why are you here? How are you here?" He hugged them. It had been a few months since they last saw each other in person. They chatted on the phone and video called, but it wasn't quite the same as being together.

"Faith." His mum said with a smile.

"Fate as in destiny brought you here by chance or Faith?" His parents chuckled.

"Faith. Apparently Kade put her in charge of your birthday party."

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow.

The front suddenly opened as if a gust of wind had just pushed it wide open. "Mr Grant," Faith yelled out, hidden by the enormous box she was carrying. As soon as she took the first step into the house, she felt her foot get stuck on the doormat. Please let the cake live... She thought while bracing for impact and for an embarrassing fall.

"Hi, there Rapunzel." Callum was holding the cake in one hand, and the other one was on Faith's waist.

"Happy birthday..." She muttered, still processing the fact that somehow Callum had not only saved her but also the cake. How does he do it? How is someone this coordinated? It's so freaking unfair.

"Thanks for the enthusiasm, princess." He chuckled.

"I'm sorry. Happy birthday, Callum." Faith smiled and Callum smiled back, their eyes lingering on each other's for a few seconds.

"Is this my birthday cake? Why is it so heavy?

"I think I might've gone a little overboard."

"You think?" He smirked while trying to access the weight of the cake.

"Please don't let it fall. I went to great lengths to get it."

"I won't. Thank you for putting this together for me, Faith." Flustered, she smiled while glancing at the floor, and Callum realized how much he needed to have her around. How much he needed to see her little flustered smiles and blushed cheeks. How much he appreciated her clumsiness because it gave him an excuse to touch her and having her in his arms. It wasn't a mere want anymore; it was a need. He needed her. There was just a sense of peace and relief that he felt simply by feeling her presence near him. I'm completely gone, aren't I? He sighed...

Behind them, they heard someone clearing their throat, suddenly realizing they were not alone in the hallway.

"Oh... Hi, Mr and Mrs Grant." Faith moved away from Callum and rushed to greet his parents while trying to not look too flustered after they had just witnessed one of her usual clumsy and embarrassing moments. "Wait... This is about to get a little confusing. Too many Grants in the same room. Or should it be Dr... Wait... No. That actually makes it worse, somehow."

"Hasn't Kade been asking you to call him by his first name for years?" Callum asked while still holding the box. It felt increasingly heavy, which made him wonder how big the cake actually was and what Faith meant by going to great lengths to get it.