My Autumn with April

Thirty

~April~

That's it. 

The final Christmas collection. The bakery is empty. There's nothing left to sell. Earlier than I was expecting. I was still supposed to have a few hours. El was supposed to be dropping by when he finished at 5 and we were going to walk up to the B&B together once we were finished here. Now all I had to do was clean up everything and I could lock up and maybe head over to the market and surprise him. Everything feels less intense when I'm around him. I have a reason to focus on what's going on around us rather than in my head and everything with my parents. 

I'll find a way to tell him after Christmas. I'll have to. Same with the girls and everyone else. I'll be fine with it. It just hurts too much to talk about right now. I need to sit with it a little longer. Until I'm okay with it and until I'm more than half convinced it's the right thing to do. 

The bell rung at the door and I snapped myself out of my head, lifting to look towards the door with a helpful smile. 

El's parents had been back in town just less than a month and I'd somehow, by the grace of god, avoided them this long. It wasn't intentional. We just don't exactly go to the same places. I had to admit that I was glad about that though. How someone as caring and loving as Elliott came out of this pair, I'd never know. 

"Mr and Mrs. Thomas." I breathed slowly, trying to steady my heart rate as their eyes roamed around my store. "How lo-" 

"How is business?" El's dad excused all pleasantries. Walking forward  and peering into the empty cases. His jaw tensed before standing up and facing me head on. 

"Good. Great actually." He nodded slowly. 

"I don't see a degree or certification anywhere." His mum spoke from a few feet away. 

"Frames harbor dust. Much more hygienic to keep the walls a they are now." 

"But you do have one?" I tipped my head at her slightly, trying to work out exactly what she was hinting at with that. 

"Yes. Graduated top of my class in-" 

"Has the town hall been around to do your food safety standard inspection?" 

"Not ye-" 

"Well, we can do it now." Elliott's dad stepped towards the counter gate. 

"Are you even able to do that? Without notice?" They both stared at me. 

"Why wait?" He smiled. That evil kind of smile that told me this wasn't going to go well either way. "Unless you have something to hide?" 

"No." I almost snapped at him. I didn't. I prided myself on the standards of cleanliness I kept this store. I worked damn hard to make sure I go above and beyond following all recommendations. There has been times when El or Autumn have cleaned up the kitchen to a standard that has given them full marks on these checks and even then, it wasn't right for me so I redid it. Call it anal, call it specific, I don't care. I wouldn't like to eat food from a place where the utmost care wasn't taken in keeping the space clean and I hope people come here because they know that and trust me to feed them good, clean food. 

"Good. Then we can get started and we'll be able to get that rating sorted sooner, rather than later. Which I'm sure you'd like?" Refusing his entrance would make it look like I needed time to prepare. That slither of doubt would stick in people's minds. I didn't have a choice here. 

"Come on through." I gestured at them to enter through the gate, stepping back so they could get into the kitchen. 

I stood in the doorway, watching the 2 people who have already ruined one of my families businesses. The same 2 people who set my dad down the darkest of paths. The same 2 people who have hated me from the moment I came here over 22 years ago. 

They scribbled notes down on clipboards Elliott's mum pulled out of her handbag. Rand white gloved fingers over the top of my fridge, opened and murmured at each other about the things I'd made today to take up to the B&B or to come home with me, then shook their heads, scratching the fountain pens over thick paper. 

I stood there, observing in silence whilst they ventured around, for a solid 15 minutes before they exchanged notepads and looked up at me. El's mum took her bag and left the kitchen, leaving me with his dad. 

"The food in the fridge doesn't have dates on." 

"Because it's mine-" 

"There is a sink full of dirty washing, used clothes on worktops that clearly haven't been wiped down-" 

"Now hold on a damn second-" 

"The dustbin is overflowing." 

"Are you actually joking right now?! It's a cardboard box beside the recycling bin!" 

"I don't joke about keeping the standards of food served in this town as high as they should be. This is a tourist town Miss Miller. The last thing anyone here wants is for someone to get sick and report home that they will never come back here. Is that what you want?" 

"Of course it isn't!" 

"Then you understand why we must keep the standards high and unfortunately, you have not met them." He approached me slowly, tapping the wooden board against the palm of his hand and staring down into my eyes. "Now, I understand this is a special case. It is Christmas eve and I am- willing to look the other way and swipe this from the record. On paper it would look like my wife and I didn't do this check. I will give you some time to correct your wrongs. On one condition." I stared at him. "End your fling with my son. You know he deserves better than you. There are girls on this island who are wanted, respected. Who have the right bloodline, who can provide him with a family. Children to continue his line. You know how much Elliott wants to be a father. You can't provide him with that." He stabbed the knife into my chest. Twisting with every follow up word. 

"What can you offer him long term April? A history of damaged family lines? A drunk, waste of space father? A thief for a mother? And you? An unsuccessful baker? He deserves to have someone home to raise his children. To care for our family home. Someone who would raise him higher, not drag him down to rock bottom." His eyes trailed down my body slowly before coming back to me. "Bridget is who he should be with Miss Miller. She knows this town, the people here have never been wronged by her. She stands by the ethos and knows what is best to ensure what is best for the island. So here is the deal. Tell Elliott you are no longer interested in pursuing this- joke. Break whatever curse you have him under and leave him alone. In return I will wipe this from the record. Do we have a deal?"