asmw<p><em>"Delayed delight is worth the wait."</em> he thought to himself, savoring the joy of the silly little rhyme.</p><p>He pulled the cookies from the oven and set them down on a trivet. Within seconds, the kitchen had filled with the most delightful smells of vanilla and citrus. Small islands of still-bubbling chocolate made the tray look like the tastiest volcano landscape on earth.</p><p>Without even looking, his hand reached for the timer. Three twists meant ten minutes. He started for the garden door, humming to the rhythm of the ticking timer; fresh mint tea would be the perfect companion.</p><p>As he passed the kitchen door, a dark shadow caught his eye, and with a flick of the wrist, he locked the door, causing cries of disappointment and great lament to erupt on the other side.</p><p>They would also learn, in time.</p><p><a href="https://infosec.exchange/tags/MastoPrompt" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MastoPrompt</span></a> <a href="https://infosec.exchange/tags/microfiction" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>microfiction</span></a> <a href="https://infosec.exchange/tags/delay" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>delay</span></a> <a href="https://infosec.exchange/tags/writing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>writing</span></a> <a href="https://infosec.exchange/tags/tootfic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>tootfic</span></a></p>