I grabbed onto my beautiful daughter and pulled her into the biggest, tightest hug, and after a long minute of that, she started shaking her hips and dancing just like she did when she was little. ABBA hit the chorus, and we both shout-sang the words at the top of our lungs.
And the pieces of my world fell back into place.
The security guard started blowing her whistle, so Miles jumped out and grabbed Minnie’s bags. He stuffed them in the trunk, and we all piled back into the car, laughing and singing and honking as we drove off.
It was one of the happiest moments of my life.
I’ve made a point to pay attention to those moments, thankful to have so many to discover.
Minnie and Miles chatted the entire way into the city. We met Zoey, Ava, and Kevin for dinner, then all headed back to The Bexley to sit in the courtyard, drinking wine and catching up. Minnie, Zoey, and Ava were instant friends, and even though they connected by swapping embarrassing stories about their parents, I couldn’t have been happier.
Miles and I sat at the table holding hands, both of us smiling at the scene unfolding in front of us, and I wondered—not for the first time—how I got to be so lucky.
Scratch that. It wasn’t luck that brought me here at all.
In fact, it was the opposite.
And yet, here I am... thriving.
I finish off my coffee and stand, ready to get to work as Minnie and Miles arrive through the back door. They’re deep in debate about which is better—Attack on TitanorAvatar, neither of which I’ve seen. They both grab aprons from a hook in the pantry and tie them on as Zoey and Ava enter talking about a particular episode ofOnly Murders in the Building.
I’m standing off to the side, thinking that these moments—the mundane, ordinary, sweet moments—are just as special to me as the big ones, like the grand opening of my bakery.
There’s a line gathering outside, and I know better than to assume every day will be like this—I’m just happy that today is. I even recognize a few of the people from the sample day, and I suppose this is how customers become loyal.
Last night, Minnie and I wrote conversation starters on paper cups, and I can’t wait until this place is filled with chatter.
Connection.
I walk out into the bakery, smiling at the hand-lettered menu board behind the counter and the sign with my motto—Sit, sip,and stay awhile—above it. I flip on the white twinkle lights and give the whole space one last quick look. Minnie and Ava brought tables out onto the sidewalk a few minutes ago, so there’s just one thing left to do.
Like my heart, I flip over the sign in the door.
It says “Open.”
Epilogue
The grand opening was an unbelievable success.
We ran out of almost everything, and the stuff we had left over, Miles ate.
I’ll have to add a line item in the budget just for that man’s metabolism.
All day he was there—in my space but not crowding me. He let me be the star of the day, and it felt amazing to know he was in my corner, not the least bit threatened by the idea of me succeeding.
In the following days and weeks, I’ve baked more than I ever have in my entire life. I’ve given away hundreds of samples, and it hasn’t hurt my profits one bit. Zoey and I have filmed content for my social media accounts, sharing the whole process of starting this business. She told me to be honest about my feelings, to talk about the thoughts and fears and excitement—the goodandthe bad—reminding me that the world is craving connection and honesty. Sometimes those things are so hard to find.
And now, three and a half weeks in, I’m still floored that every day has brought a line of people outside, cheering when I flip over the sign and swing open the door.
It’s become its own tradition at this point.
And today, in the quiet hours of the evening, after the sun and the people and the craziness have subsided, I prop up my phone and hit Record.
“I’m sitting in the middle of the most surreal dream ever,” I say, looking at the tiny version of myself on the screen. “At a table. In the middle ofmybakery.”
I look around the room, then back at the camera.
“I still can’t believe it.”
