She hadn’t planned on telling them until tomorrow, giving her mother little time to shame her into backing out. “I was going to call and tell you guys, but seeing you’re here,” she began, bracing herself for her mother’s reaction.
Her mother crossed her arms, a clear indication of her displeasure and readiness for an argument. Nora cleared her throat nervously. “The other day when I was going through my old things in my closet at the house, I found Gram’s clothes that you kept.”
There was a brief softening in her mother’s eyes before guilt clouded them as she glanced at her father. Nora wondered if he had known she had kept some of his mother’s things; judging by his expression, he hadn’t.
“In the inside pocket of her old wool peacoat, I found an envelope with my name on it. It was a graduation card, and inside was an open-ended plane voucher to Scotland,” Nora explained.
“You’re kidding,” her father said in surprise.
Nora shook her head and walked over to her bag, pulling the card out. She handed it to her father, whose eyes brimmed with tears as he opened it and read it.
“That must have been what she had Carol doing that was such a big secret the month before she passed,” her mother said.
“Finding it after the accident felt like a sign, so I booked the next flight out. I leave in two days,” Nora added quickly, sensing her mother’s disapproval brewing.
Silence filled the room, the air heavy with unspoken tension.
“You can’t just up and go to Scotland right now. It’s one of the busiest times of the year for the bakery!” her mother snapped, her hands now firmly planted on her hips.
“I know, but I feel like if I don’t do it now, then I won’t ever do it,” Nora replied, trying to keep her voice steady despite her rising frustration.
“This kind of flighty, impulsive thinking makes me worry about how serious you truly are about taking over the bakery,” her mother continued, her tone sharp and disapproving.
Nora felt her anger bubbling up inside her. Not once had her mother ever asked if taking over the bakery was what she wanted to do. She had always just assumed Nora would happily follow in her footsteps. She was on the verge of saying something she might regret when her father intervened.
“I think it’s a great idea. You deserve a little break after everything, and I’m sure we can handle the shop without you for a few days,” he said, giving Nora a reassuring wink.
He was so much like her gram with his kind heart and ever-optimistic outlook. Nora felt lucky to have him there to counterbalance her mother’s sharpness.
Cynthia shot her husband a look before relenting. “How long will you be gone?”
“Eight days. I’ll be back well before Christmas,” Nora replied.
“Where are you flying out of?” her father asked.
“Boston, but I bought a ticket to ride the bus down, so you guys don’t need to drive me,” Nora explained.
“I’m pretty sure you won’t have a new car by then, so why don’t you let your father at least take you to the bus station?” her mother insisted.
Nora nodded in agreement. “That would be great.”
“It’s settled then. Bruce, we better be off. I still have to cook dinner,” her mother said to her father before briskly turning toward the door. She obviously wasn’t happy about the situation, but Nora knew she couldn’t stop her; she was a full-grown adult, after all.
Her father walked over, planted a kiss on her head, and whispered, “I’m proud of you, pumpkin. I think this is going to be good for you. Gram always knew best.” Nora looked up at his tall lanky frame and into his crystal blue eyes, which resembled her own, and smiled.
“Thanks, Dad,” she whispered back.
She watched as their headlights cut through the falling snow and up the long, winding driveway to the house that sat on the hillside overlooking the sugar shack. A jolt of excitement raced through her as she turned back to her computer and began searching for a place to book in Letterfearn.
The next two days flew by with preparations, and Nora had not slept much the night before her trip. Her excitement and apprehensions had kept her tossing and turning.
It seemed as soon as she had finally fallen asleep, her alarm had woken her up, its cheery ringtone breaking into the pleasant dream she was having about a handsome stranger on an airplane, just when it was about to get good.
She shut off her alarm, rolled out of bed, and began getting ready. Her father was due to arrive in a little under an hour and her stomach was in knots of worry as she double-checked her lists and made sure she had packed everything she would need. Once she was satisfied that she had remembered everything, she jumped in the shower, then quickly got dressed.
She lugged her bags into the kitchen and made herself a cup of coffee and a slice of toast as she looked over her itinerary for what must have been the hundredth time.
Her father pulled into the driveway at exactly 7:45 a.m. He was punctual, and she knew he would arrive before their set time to leave, so she had a cup of hot coffee waiting for him when he came in.
