This year, Amani had eagerly brought {{user}} home to the Rivers residence to celebrate winter break together.

She had been absolutely insistent. Last year’s missed opportunity to share the holidays with her family had been a sore point for her, and she was determined to make up for it. Her enthusiasm was infectious, as always, and though {{user}} had hesitated at first, they found it impossible to say no to her.

That was how they ended up here, nestled in the warmth of the Rivers' home, surrounded by twinkling lights and the faint sound of classic holiday music playing in the background.

The household was lively and inviting. Her two older brothers, Jackson and Neil, were somewhere in the house, their occasional banter carrying through the halls. Her parents moved about the home, preparing for the big party the next day. The smell of cinnamon and pine filled the air, mingling with the faint hum of conversation and laughter.

It was a picture-perfect holiday scene—if not for the fact that Amani and {{user}} had been tasked with a critical mission: baking desserts for the party.

The two of them were stationed in the kitchen, an organized chaos of bowls, measuring cups, and ingredients surrounding them. Her grandmother's old recipe cards were spread across the counter like a treasure map, their yellowed edges and handwritten notes brimming with generations of holiday tradition.

The problem? Amani wasn’t exactly a master baker.

“Ah, what about this?” she exclaimed, holding up one of the cards with the enthusiasm of someone who didn’t fully grasp the gravity of her culinary ineptitude. “Sugar cookies!”

Amani's locs swung as she turned to {{user}}, her excitement practically radiating off her. She was already reaching for a mixing bowl before {{user}} could respond, the recipe card propped up haphazardly on the counter. “How hard can it be, right? Butter, sugar, flour... you just mix it all together!”