"I like the kind of cake I can eat until I pop," Tina told her truthfully, holding the door open for her as they both went inside. It was warm in the tiny pink building, and it smelled like frosting and happiness, and a hint of peppermint. "I think my favorite is this pear cupcake I had when I worked at a boarding school in California. It's a subtle flavor, but they did it really well. But since pear isn't really a typical flavor, so we'll stick with something simpler."
As they approached the counter, Tina linked his arm with Daryn's, tugging her close to his side before they stopped right before the glass display case, lined with a few sparse baked goods. No doubt the bakery hadn't expected much business in light of the storm. In fact, the worker behind the counter seemed surprised and almost confused by her customers. "Can I help?" she asked, in a tone almost cordial.
With a grin, Tina gave Daryn's arm a small squeeze. "Our six year old daughter's birthday is tomorrow. She's getting a surprise party, we need a cake. But it's got to be something pretty spectacular... we sorta forgot one last year and she was just heartbroken. So we gotta overcompensate, y'know what I mean?" Tina gave the girl a We fucked up, please help smile, which in turn made the girl's demeanor shift into something warmer and much more eager.
"She's six?" the shop helper asked. "I'm pretty sure I've got exactly what you need to make her feel really special. It's in the back, just hang on a sec!"
As the girl flounced away to save the day, Tina leaned in a bit to Daryn, his voice lowered. "What's our daughter's name?"