Since then, I’ve kept busier than usual with work, taking care of Dad, and hanging out at the brewery. If I were told Riley was coming around, I’d come up with an excuse to leave. Any excuse.
At one point, I was so desperate to leave that I said I had to water the plants at my house.
The store is running smoothly, we’re gearing up for the launch, and Dad is at the tail end of his treatment. Nothing has changed regarding the surgery. I’ve come to accept it. The most important thing is being with him. We’ll watch movies, I’ll cook his favorite meal, or we’ll play boardgames.
Note to self: never play Monopoly with Dad. He'll bankrupt all the players in ten minutes.
I continue to walk around without a destination, soaking in the sun and trying—but failing—not to think about Riley.
Neither one of us reached out. I've had to stop myself afew times from stopping at the yoga studio to see if she has a class.
I open the door to Honey Cakes, and the little bell chimes to alert them of an incoming customer. The bakery smells like apple pie, and my stomach yells at me for some.
"Hey, Jamie." I wave to the very cheerful employee who always seems to be smiling.
She waves back enthusiastically, her white teeth showing off now that her braces are gone. "Hi! What can I get ya?”
"What’s the special treat for today?"
Almost every table is taken. A toddler looks at me with chocolate frosting all over his mouth and tiny fingers.
"Ooh, the specials today are so good. We have birthday cupcakes filled with edible birthday cake batter, a giant Oreo sandwich with Oreo truffle stuffed between the two cookies, and candied bacon that’s almost sold out." She takes a breath.
"Wow. Did Ellie make all of those?"
"Her and Emily.” She leans over the counter slightly with wide eyes. “They've been here since five in the morning, and they haven't stopped."
I lean to one side and look over Jamie's shoulder to the white swinging door that stands still. "Is she back there right now?"
Jamie nods.
"Is it okay if I go see her?"
She shrugs, "I don't see why not. You're her brother, so don't you like, get to do whatever you want here?"
"You must not have an older sister.” I walk around the counter and push through the door. "Whoa." I stop in my tracks and watch Ellie dance and sing while five mixing standsswirl.
Her hair is pulled into a ponytail, and it bounces around as she dances, her apron covered with flour. She uses a wooden spoon to sing into it like a microphone, bellowing “It's All Coming Back to Me Now” by Celine Dion.
I can recite the entire song, and it takes everything in me not to. It’s all she listened to growing up. Celine sang in Ellie's bedroom forweeks.
The assistant she hired sits on one of the silver counters, eating what looks like cake batter off a small spoon.
Ellie is at the climax of the song when she turns around, sees me, and jumps, yelling. She lowers her shoulders that were up to her ears and lets out a breath.
The girl turns down the music on the speaker next to her, swinging her black high-top Converse back and forth. Her dark hair is pulled into a similar ponytail, the color matching her shirt and jeans. She looks like she just graduated from high school and is not affected by this talent show.
"Am I interrupting?" I ask.
"Yeah." Ellie nods, lowering the spoon. "You are."
I turn to the girl still sitting on the counter and nod in greeting. "Hey, I'm August, Ellie's brother."
"Hey, I'm Emily, Ellie's assistant baker." She leans one arm back behind her and salutes me with her silver spoon.
“Emily is the best assistant. I had so many people apply, but the minute Emily sat down in front of me, I just knew. Don’t ask me how. Her aura spoke to me."
“Nice to meet you.” I give her a polite wave.
