Eve smiled at me over her head. "Let's get started then."
Holiday music played over the speakers on the walls. We sat at the table with Sofia between us. Eve set a plate in front of her with bite-sized pieces of the options.
"This first one is a chocolate cake since you asked for one. You can't go wrong with chocolate."
Sofia took a bite and then drank the water that Eve had provided for her. "We should do chocolate and vanilla. People like both."
"That's a great idea," Eve said, making a note on her tablet.
I appreciated that she listened to Sofia and at least pretended that she was following her advice. I wasn't so sure this wasn't just for fun. I didn't care either way, but I didn't want Sofia to feel like this was a kid's game, because she took it seriously. She'd talked about nothing else for days.
Eve placed a plate in front of me. "In case you'd like to taste some too."
"Daddy, you have to try the cake. It's delicious."
I couldn't help but smile. "How can I say no?"
"Now, Sofia, let's try the lemon cookies. I think these are a nice addition for those who just want a single cookie. It's light and sweet. Not too heavy. What do you think?"
Sofia popped the tiny cookie in her mouth and chewed. "These are yummy."
A woman walked into the room, wearing an apron that read, I'm the Baker. "I'm glad you like my desserts. The lemon cookies are my favorite."
"Really?" Sofia asked.
"I'm Reina and own the bakery." She held her hand out to Sofia to shake.
Sofia shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Reina."
Reina placed her hand on her hips. "I'm so excited that you're here today. I heard you have some big decisions to make."
"We can only have a few desserts," Sofia said seriously.
Reina sighed. "That is a problem. How do you choose only a few?"
"Do you have any suggestions?" Sofia asked, taking her role as taste tester seriously.
Reina sat across from us. "You want to have something for everyone—cake, cookies, mousse, and maybe a pie."
"That certainly covers everything," Eve agreed.
"I love macarons, but they aren't for everyone. They look so pretty but people think they are dry," Reina admitted.
Sofia's face screwed up. "I don't know what that is."
"I'll grab one before you head out, and you can take it home with you," Reina said with a smile.
Maybe I was overthinking this thing with Eve. Reina and Eve were nice, and Sofia needed to interact with more women. She was only ever around me, my parents, and my brother. She needed female interaction.
We tasted a few more options, and Reina went back to the front to help with customers. Eve stayed with us, taking notes and telling Sofia what she thought or what she'd done at other parties.
An hour passed quickly, and we settled on a variety of options. On the way out, Reina packed us a box of treats to take home.
"Please stop by again. I loved hanging out with you today," Reina said to Sofia.
"I had fun too," Sofia said before we walked outside.
Eve walked with us.
