Despite the Pain

Chapter 5

"What was the first thing you learned how to make?" I asked Albion, flipping the book in front of me closed and sliding it toward him to stack with the others at the end of the table. He pushed it out of the way, picking up another and flipping through it for a moment before settling on a page and sliding it in front of me. He hadn't said much at all today and what he had was halting and disjointed. It was a bad speaking day, though he seemed okay otherwise. I slid my stool closer, looking down at the book. "What the fuck is a Snickerdoodle?"

"A c-cookie," he smirked, tapping the page. "Read."

"Aw, little Al's suck up cookies," Ryan turned around, smirking at Albion and wiping his hands on the towel over his shoulder. I glanced at him before looking down at the recipe. Flour, butter, sugar, eggs, and not much else, rolled in cinnamon before baking. Far simpler than most of the recipes I'd been looking at recently. "Grandma's favorite. He used to make those for her whenever he wanted something, and it always fucking worked." Albion laughed softly, nodding.

"Will you make some for me?" I asked, flipping through the pages of the book. He looked nervous and hesitant about giving an answer. "I didn't mean right now. Just... at some point?"

"O-okay," he nodded, looking down and flushing a little, trying to hide it by scratching his fingers up under the edge of his hat before smoothing it back down. I smiled at him for a moment, watching him carefully avoid my eyes, then backhanded his leg lightly before turning back to the book in front of me. I could see him smiling faintly out of the corner of my eye.

"Or you could show me how," I tried, looking over at him. He glanced at me before ducking his chin, a little half smile forming on his lips. I looked up to find Ryan staring me down and frowning. "Since your asshole brother doesn't let me near anything more complicated than white bread."

"Try not sucking at the job and maybe you'll get to do more," Ryan cocked an eyebrow. I rolled my eyes, opening my mouth to speak, but Albion cut me off.

"You know-uh, c-considering how long you've b-been doing this, Ryan," Albion said. Both Ryan and I turned our complete attention toward him, a little shocked at him speaking up. "You k-kind of-suck at the job, too." I laughed, setting my hand on Albion's arm. Ryan just frowned at us.

"Are you a shitty baker?" I asked him.

"He c-can't do the-fancy stuff," Albion said before dropping his eyes back down to where my hand still rested on his arm. I tried to read his expression before pulling my hand back, wondering whether he enjoyed the touch or not. He was carefully blank. When I looked up at Ryan he was chewing the inside of his lip, clearly holding back plenty he wanted to say. He turned back to his work without a word.

I stayed to help clean up after the bakery was closed, which was far later than I usually stayed. Albion had finally started talking, and it made me a little reluctant to leave. I could see him getting tired though, and I called to Ryan from the storefront that I'd be leaving once the cases were cleaned, hoping that would enable Albion to get upstairs and get some rest instead of pushing himself. He leaned into the storefront a few minutes later, waving to me briefly.

"Goodnight, Albion." I smiled at him, and he returned it before making his way upstairs. Ryan hovered in the doorway for a moment, scowling at me as I finished wiping down the glass. I raised an eyebrow at him, and he just disappeared back into the kitchen. I stood, stretching my legs out and following him, crossing the room to the sink to rinse out the towel I'd used on the cases. I could feel him staring me down and turned around to look at him after draping the towel between the two sinks to dry. "What?"

"The hell are you doing?" he snapped.

"Are you kidding? What did I do wrong this time?" I dropped my arms to my sides, looking up at the ceiling before looking back to him. That phrase usually preceded a five minute rant about how terrible I was at my job.