“Hey sorry,” I mutter, feeling slightly embarrassed, “I just needed to freshen up before I had any human interaction. You know, morning breath and all.”
Gabriel looks up at me, a glint in his eyes as he shakes his head. “Bumper, I don’t care what you look like in the morning when you wake up. It doesn’t change the fact that you still look beautiful.”
Did he just… I think he did.
My heart stutters. One beat, then another, like it’s trying to figure out whether it should believe him or panic. I cover it with a laugh, but it sounds shaky even to my own ears.
I try to ignore the way my stomach flips at his words, but it’s impossible. He has a way of disarming me with that easyconfidence, the way he speaks without hesitation, like every word he says matters. I can’t decide if I want to crawl under the covers or let myself get lost in the moment.
I make my way downstairs with Gabriel and Aura. The sunlight is streaming through the windows, and it makes everything feel warm and safe. It’s peaceful here—something I didn’t expect to find in this house. Gabriel is at the kitchen counter, shirtless as he prepares breakfast, and for a moment, I forget how to breathe. He’s just standing there, his back muscles rippling as he cracks eggs into a pan.
“I can make some breakfast if you’d like,” he says, glancing at me over his shoulder. “I mean, that is, if you don’t have to go straight to the café.”
I shake my head, trying to focus. “No, that’s okay. I’d love some eggs.”
As he finishes cooking, I sit at the kitchen table, watching him work. I don’t know what it is, but the more time I spend around Gabriel, the more I want to be around him. The more I want to know him—who he is when he’s not busy being a father or a cop.
Once Gabriel finishes cooking, he places the plate in front of me, and I eagerly dig in. The scrambled eggs with feta, tomatoes, and spinach are amazing—just the breakfast that feels comforting and filling. It’s like he knows exactly what I need, and that’s both sweet and a little overwhelming.
“Eat, Bumper,” he says, sitting down across from me.
He watches me as I take the first bite, and I try to keep my eyes on my plate. But I can feel it—that quiet intensity in the way he looks at me. Like he sees more than I want to show.
“You’re going to crush today,” he says after a moment, voice steady. “I hope you know that.”
I look up, fork halfway to my mouth. “You think so?”
He smiles, a soft lift of the corner of his mouth. “No doubt in my mind.”
And just like that, something cracks open inside of me. A part of me that’s been holding on through months of planning, stress,and self-doubt now feels wrapped in this quiet moment of support. Of faith. His faith.
I leave Gabriel’s house a little later, heading straight to the café. The last inspections are scheduled for today, and everything has to be perfect. I can hardly wait for the grand opening. The anticipation is overwhelming, but there’s a sense of calm in knowing I’m ready for it. The café has been a dream of mine for so long, and it’s finally coming to life.
When I arrive at the café, everything feels real. The decorating is finished. With the signs polished, now all that’s left is to open the doors and welcome the customers.
The cafe opens in a little over a week, and all that is left to do is pass these inspections today and finalize the menu board. Of course, I have a few small touches I want to add eventually, like a section to sell Beanstalk Bistro + Bakery merchandise.
In the afternoon, Lucie comes by to catch me up on all the media for the cafe. I am so glad she offered to help with that because I am the opposite of tech-savvy.
“So, the engagement on Instagram is amazing. I have a few ideas for some TikToks we can film, but would you be interested?” Lucie says, opening her laptop.
“Um, well, I’ll film whatever you think will do well. Do you think I should do some sort of engagement where our followers choose the sweatshirt design?” I ask, unsure of myself.
Lucie nods her head enthusiastically. “That would be so good! Your followers loved being able to help choose design aspects of the bakery, so I think letting them choose the design for the first sweatshirt is so good!”
I’m glad that my sister agrees. Although this is my business, I need all the help I can get with making sure I am reaching an audience that is not just in Cherry Falls.
Lucie is the youngest of us, and being 19, she isn’t sure what she wants to do with her career. Our parents bought five buildings in Cherry Falls when they first moved here. So far, only three of us have used ourbuildings.
“So, Lulu, what do you want to do with your building? Do you want to go to college or?” I begin.
Lucie sits unmoving and thinks about how she wants to answer the question I’m certain our entire family has been asking her.
“Honestly Mills, I love doing what I am for you but I want to do it for my business and the only thing I can truly envision myself doing for the rest of my life is something no one would ever believe I could do,” she says slumping her shoulders.
It hurts me that she thinks that anything she does won’t be successful. I am determined to show her just how wildly talented she is at everything she does. Ever since we were little, Lucie has been the sibling to succeed in everything she tried.
“Well, I can’t support you with that if I don’t know what it is. Now tell me, baby sis, what is it you want to do with your life?” I ask with a tender voice.
