I sipped it."This is perfect.Thank you."
"I can't always be here early to cook dinner, but when I can be, I'll chip in."
I figured he'd be working late now that he'd started on the bakery.This might be the last night I saw him for a while.I wasn't even sure I could stop by the bakery to check on the progress.
We fell silent, eating our fajitas and sipping our margaritas.When I was finished, he asked, "Did you sell everything?"
"Almost everything.I brought home some cupcakes."I never served anything that wasn't fresh.It was a constant struggle to anticipate what would sell and what wouldn't.
"What do you do with the leftovers?"
"I have an agreement with the homeless shelter that serves meals for dinner.I bring whatever I have left, and they'll take it."
"I didn't know you did that."
I shrugged."It's not like baked goods are a necessity for survival, but it's something."
"You don't think that a dessert brings people pleasure, no matter what their life circumstances?"
I nodded."I guess they do.But do they need it?"
"I think everyone enjoys a little treat at the end of the day."
I smiled, feeling a little lighter after a few sips."I'm enjoying this margarita."
"It's the same for someone who's down on their luck and needs a meal.The dessert might just be the hope they need to make it through another day."
"I never thought about it like that.I didn't want the food to go to waste, and it was an easy thing for me to do."
"You're doing a good thing for this town.Your baked goods spread happiness.You know how relieved townspeople are that you were able to reopen at town hall?"
"I thought they might be, but I wasn't sure."
"I've seen customers pause to drink their coffee or eat a pastry and talk to others.It's a social thing."
"That's what I hoped it would be."The bakery was a destination, a social experience.A necessary one, from what Morgan was saying.People were relieved that the bakery could continue even if it wasn't exactly the same."I should ask Eve about adding an outdoor space."
He grinned."I think you should."
"Why not make the bakery even better?"If the customers wanted a social meeting place, I'd give them that."I've only ever had tables and chairs, but I could add a few stuffed armchairs and maybe a couch in front of the fireplace."
"This is your chance to make it anything you want it to be."
Now I was thinking about all the ways I could improve the space and not worrying about my reaction to the fire.If I focused on improving my business, I wouldn't need to worry about how I was going to live upstairs.I'd get over it eventually.
He stood to clean up the mess, and I moved to help him.
The margarita made me feel lighter and more carefree.I was able to push aside my worries about the fire and focus on the future, on making things better.
"It helps to remember that people view the bakery as a staple in their day.It's giving me the determination to move forward."Even when it was hard and I wanted to hide under my blankets.
"That's my girl."
I flushed hot at his praise.
"Do you want to watch a movie?"
"Can we stay inside this time?"
