Tears of our Ruins

Double Chocolate Explosion

CORA

"Enjoy your cupcakes," I say to the mom who just walked into My Sweets with her two young children. The kids are adorable and so excited to eat the special ones they picked out.

I glance outside and notice that woman sitting outside again, just staring at the building. "Hey Liz, do you know this lady by chance?"

Liz walks up front and I point to the woman outside. "No. I've seen her out there though. No idea what her story is."

"It's strange. I'm going to bring her a cupcake." Liz smiles at me as she walks back into the kitchen.

Double chocolate explosion. Hopefully she likes chocolate. This cupcake is my mom's favorite. I slip it into a small box and walk out into the sunshine. It's a gorgeous mild day. Autumn is definitely around the corner and I'm getting excited for it.

"Hi," I say to her. Please don't be a creeper. Please don't be a creeper. She looks startled to see me standing in front of her. "I didn't mean to disturb you or anything. I've just seen you out here a few times. I thought you might like a cupcake on the house." I give her a big smile as I hold out the box.

"Oh..." She reaches out and takes it. A small smile forms on her face as she looks in the clear top.

"I wasn't sure what kind you'd like."

"Thank you." Tears begin falling from her light brown eyes as she looks up at me.

I hesitate. I'm not sure how to take the tears. "Would you mind if I joined you for a bit?"

She looks around before meeting my eyes again. "Sure. I guess."

I sit down on the far side of the bench and breathe deeply. I risk a glance at her and she's still just staring at the cupcake. "Why don't you eat it? It's fresh."

She opens the box and tears off a small piece. She closes her eyes and sighs as she savors the bite. "Wow. This is good. It's been a long time. Not quite the same as Bobby's, but it's close."

I feel my eyes open wide with surprise. "You've had my dad's cupcakes before?"

She looks nervous as she glances towards me. "Yes. You look just like him too. As soon as I saw you the other day, I knew you were his daughter."

I giggle. "Yeah. He tells me I'm a female version of himself. I actually helped bake these cupcakes. He was really particular with his bakers and made sure they were close to mimicking his baking."

"It's so good," she sighs again as she takes another bite.

"How do you know my dad?" I ask.

"Oh, just someone I knew a long time ago."

I nod. I wonder if she's one of the girls he had slept with when he was younger, which is a weird thought. "Well, I have to get back to work. Next time, just come in."

"Oh, I probably shouldn't. Thanks for this though. It means a lot. It was great to meet you."

"You too." I get up and cross the street. I feel good about myself because I clearly made her day. I still don't understand why she doesn't come in for a cupcake, especially since she reacted like that when she ate it.