“But what if...what if I’m not ready to go yet?”I ask.Mum’s brows inch up.“What if Iwantto stay?Would that be okay?I believe you when you say you’ll be fine, but what if I stayed and we took care of each other for a while?”
Another tiny smile.I’d say or do anything to put a full smile on her tired, pale face.“What about work?You can’t just take an extended leave with no warning, especially at the start of the busy season.”
Without thinking, I take a sip of coffee, forgetting the brew tastes like sewer sludge.I choke it down, trying not to wince.Now would be the time to tell her the truth, but I don’t think I’d see any more smiles or glimpses of the old Mum if she knew I’d been suspended from the job I love so much.I’m also not eager for Nathan to know that particular tidbit of information yet.Or ever.
“Mila’s helping me with all of that,” I say.“If you want me here, I’ll be here.”
She nods slowly, her eyes narrowed as she studies my face.For a moment, I wonder if she suspects something’s up.“If you’re sure, then of course I’d love to have you stay.”
“I’m positive.And if you insist on going into work today, why don’t we at least go together?”
Mum nods again.“Deal.Nathan, are you heading to work today too?”
“I was going to stick around if you needed me, but I suppose it’d be a good idea to go to work before I fall too far behind.”
“Good.I doubt anything will feel normal for any of us for some time, but hopefully getting into a routine again will help.”Mum picks up her coffee cup and peers at me over the top.“It’s going to be great having you here for a while, my love.Really great.”She toasts me with the cup before taking a sip.Her nose crinkles and her top lip curls as she sets the mug on the table with a thunk.“Why didn’t either of you tell me this coffee tastes like shit?”
My gaze darts to Nathan, whose expression is as stoic as ever, although his eyes are alight with mirth.Several beats of silence pass.He’s the first one to crack, and I’m not sure what feels better: hearing him and Mum laugh for the first time since I arrived home, or the sensation of relief that washes over me as I giggle along with them.
CHAPTER SEVEN ~ FIONA
Mum receives a hero’s welcome at Sweet Escapes.Every single staff member, plus at least half the customers, converge to embrace her and fuss over her.
A few people glare over her shoulder at me as if to say‘How could you let her come to work so soon?’There’s no point in explaining, so I repeatedly resist the urge to roll my eyes while keeping a forced smile plastered to my face.I’m sure eventhat’swrong, because shouldn’t I be solemn and visibly distraught so soon after my dad died?If nosy Mrs.Allan thought I was heartless for ‘not shedding a tear’, I’m sure smiling makes me equivalent to Satan’s bride.
“I’m just here for a little bit,” Mum says for the umpteenth time.“I figured it would be good to get out of the house.Sweet Escapes is my home away from home, so it seemed like the natural choice.”
She heads toward the back where her office is, and I follow.I pause in the kitchen when the back door opens, and a woman with pink-tipped box braids, several glittering facial piercings, and arms covered in tattoos steps inside and plucks an apron from a hook.My brain is slow to process that it’s Aneesha Jackson.We’ve known each other since we were kids; she was a couple of grades ahead of me, and was kind of a loner through elementary school, then became part of the artsy crowd in high school—or ‘those freaks’ as most people called them, since nearly everyone in the group had wildly coloured hair, piercings, and/or tattoos.
Despite not knowing her well, I always felt a sort of kinship with her because she is, or at leastwas, a fellow town pariah.Not only did she hang out with the ‘different’ kids at school, but she also dropped out, left town, and returned a few years later with a baby.
I wasn’t aware I was staring until Aneesha waves a hand near my face.I jolt, and let out an embarrassed laugh.“Sorry.I seem to be zoning out a lot lately.”
“Understandable.”Her dark brown eyes study me as she ties an apron around her waist.“I’m sorry about your dad.He was an incredible man.I know a lot of people say that when someone dies, even if it’s complete bullshit, but it’s true in his case.He treated everyone like a friend, and to someone like me...well...”She clears her throat and turns to grab a hairnet from a plastic bin on the wall.
“Thanks.I really appreciate that.”
She smiles over her shoulder as she strides to the sink to scrub her hands.“Anyway, it’s good to see you, despite the circumstances.”
“I think you’re the first person outside my family who’s said that and actually seems to mean it.”
She chuckles.“I do mean it.I get it, though.There aren’t many people I’d believe if they said that to me.”
“Well,I’mglad to see you.I didn’t realize you were working here.”
After drying her hands, she goes to the large island in the centre of the kitchen and starts pulling out various mixing bowls and utensils.“I’ve been here for about a year now.”
Ayear?How did I not know that?I thought I knew everyone who worked for Mum.
“You seem shocked,” she says.“You didn’t picture me working in a place like this?”
“It’s not that,” I say quickly.“Sometimes it just hits me how much I miss when I’m away.Howdidyou end up working here?”
“Well, I worked odd jobs off and on for years, since I couldn’t find much without a high school diploma, you know?Plus, I wanted to be home as much as possible with Aaliyah so she wouldn’t have a repeat of my shitty childhood with absent parents.A few years ago, my elderly neighbour hired me to be his caretaker.When he died last year, he left everything to me, which was a massive surprise.”
She works as she speaks, collecting an array of ingredients and lining them up neatly.“While I was working for him, I learned to bake, and realized I had a knack for it,” she continues, pausing only long enough to meet my eyes before returning to her task.“Your mom tried my baking at some town event, and the next week, she sought me out and asked if I’d like to work here.I started out behind the counter, then eventually helped out back here when it was needed.Mae slowly doled out more and more responsibility, and now I help run the kitchen.”
I can’t keep my eyes off her as she moves around the island with confidence, her hands steady and sure as she measures and pours.In many ways, she’s still the girl I remember from high school, but she’s different too.More self-assured.“That’s really impressive,” I say.
