Their plan was to put on the base icing, designed as bricks. Then to add accent candies held in place by more icing. Some of those would be topped with icing to represent snow. Snowy tendrils would drip off the upper edges like snow cascading off a roof.
Someone in the crowd grunted and the runaway kids dove under the barrier, jostling Darius on their way past. “Slow up you guys. You’re going to break something,” he called.
Their mother apologized and raced after them.
“Somebody better help her corral those hooligans before something bad happens.” He said it casually, without ire. In fact, he sounded a bit amused.
“See a bit of your old self in that duo, do you?” she teased.
“Actually, yes. Their game would be harmless anywhere else, I’m sure. But I’d hate to see someone’s efforts destroyed.”
Poppy grunted her agreement. She was usually pretty carefree and optimistic, but there was a place and a time for running around and it wasn’t in the middle of a baking competition. Someone could get burned.
Castle complete, they began decorating the knights to serve as castle guards and the horses to be placed in a gingerbread fenced corral behind the castle. That part was a last-minute idea, but there was easily room on the provided base to house the idea. Poppy had her hand inside the open drawbridge door, placing candies in the treasure chest when she was jostled from behind. She lurched forward, and her fist slammed through the castle and out the other side.
