THIRTY-SEVEN
RILEY
“I’m going to pee my pants.” Ellie steps back inside the bakery after her curious mind got the best of her, wanting to see if there were any people waiting to come inside.
“Are there a lot of people?” I ask, making sure the tables are straight and the baked goods in the glass display are perfectly aligned.
“A lot is an understatement.” She wrings her hands, pacing behind the counter. Above her hangs a large, black chalkboard, displaying the special treats for the season, along with teas, coffees, and other refreshments.
We hired someone to make it look pretty after many failed attempts of us doing it. I think my writing is perfect, but not for a chalkboard.
Someone opens the door, and I turn to see Ellie’s parents. Her mom pushes her dad in a wheelchair, and despite his circumstances, he’s glowing.
“Hi, guys!” Ellie rounds the counter and jogs to her parents to hug them.
“I’ve brought plenty of gummies to stir an appetite.”Her dad wiggles his eyebrows while peering at the sweets behind the glass.
“Hi, sweetie.” Mrs. Thompson grabs me, pulling me into a tight hug. I swear, all the stress that I’ve carried these past two days almost disappear.
After I left August’s house, I went back to Hailey’s and told her everything. I didn’t want to go home and be by myself, so I stayed with her. Every single guilt hit me all at once when I couldn’t just tell him how I’ve always felt.
It’s never been easy for me to display my feelings. The idea of someone rejecting them scares me and even though my heart is telling me that August would never reject me, my mind says otherwise. It sucks, to say the least.
Your heart tells you one thing, but your head wins overall.
Someone new enters the bakery again, almost expecting August when I turn around and my heart thunders in my chest. But it’s not August who walks in.
I open my mouth, stunned to see Dad in front of me, with Hailey on his side. He actually came.
“Dad? I can’t believe you’re here.” I make quick work of getting to him. The last time I saw Dad was when he told us he was divorcing Mom and moving out of their house and to the next town over.
Both Hailey and I visited a month after he moved in. It’s a nice space, a simple two bed, one bath.
Dad is the reason I’m as tall as I am. He’s a giant and I need to stand on my toes just to hug him. His dirty blonde hair is cut short and styled. And his brown eyes have a sparkle in them. Something I haven’t seen in a long time.
“Why didn’t you think I’d come?” His deep voice is muffled when I dig my forehead in the crook of his neck. I’ve missedhim so much.
When I pull away, I deadpan, and he laughs. His laugh is lively and genuine. Something that I haven’t heard in a very long time. It’s not forced or strained.
“If your mother shows up, so be it. She isn’t stopping me from seeing this great accomplishment of yours.” He brackets his hips and looks around him. “This is incredible, Riley. You and Ellie did all of this yourself?”
I beam, causing my cheeks to work out muscles that they haven’t in some time. “You really like it?”
“It’s awesome,” Hailey says. “Look at the ceiling! Was that your idea?”
All of us check out the bright greenery that almost steals the show in the entire bakery. “Yeah, I was searching for some inspiration, and it kind of popped in my head.”
“I’m so proud of you.” Dad looks proud—excited even.
For the next hour, we take advantage of our time together before we open. We catch up on his new dental practice, which he’s opened where he lives, and plans on checking in on the one here to see how it’s going.
I tell him everything I’ve been up to: Honey Cakes, the yoga studio, but I leave out some other details, like August.
“Alright, guys, I’m turning the sign to show that we’re open!” Ellie has her hand on the square sign.
Rowan stands next to her, rolling his tongue like he’s playing a drum.
“And…we’re open!” She greets customers as they file in, and the space becomes loud with eagerness.
