Back to Bluewater

Chapter 13

Thirteen

                “Oh really? I think I should put the icing here instead,” I joked, smearing vanilla icing on Ethan’s face. I could tell he was trying not to smile, yet he didn’t try hard enough. A smile almost immediately broke out in response.

                “That wasn’t nice, and for that, I think you deserve this,” he replied, immediately wiping chocolate icing on my own face. I started laughing, until I heard an all too familiar voice enter the room.

                “Hello darlings! Now, as much as I love seeing you two together having a good time, I would appreciate it if you didn’t waste the ingredients.

                “Mom? What are you doing here?” I asked, starting to wipe the icing off my face. I handed Ethan the towel to do the same when I was done.

                “I’m here to work, of course!” she replied, as if it was a known fact to me that she was returning to work today.

                “I don’t think you should—“

                My mother cut me off with a wave of her hand. “I’ve already talked with the doctor and he said I can start working again, as long as I take it slow. Now, time to get baking!”

                My eyes flashed over at Ethan, who looked just as concerned as me. But we both knew there was nothing we could do. Actually, I was surprised it took my mother this long to return to the bakery.

                After a few hours of remaining in the kitchen, it was obvious that Ethan and I were just crowding the room. My mother automatically took control of everything that had to be poured, mixed, baked, and iced, leaving few things for Ethan and me to do. By the end of the day, I could tell things were going to quickly go back to how they were, even though Karen wouldn’t be getting back from her cruise for a couple weeks.

                About an hour before closing, Ethan left to go check on the bar. The teenage employees who were working the front desk for the day left as I closed the bakery with my mom. After we finished washing the dishes in the kitchen, we had to stay a few extra hours late doing inventory of the ingredients we had left. Just as we finished the inventory, my mother breached the subject of my stay in Bluewater.

                “Now that I’m back at work, do you think you’ll be going back to the city?” she asked me.           I raised an eyebrow. “Why, do you want me to leave?”

                “Of course not, Roxanna! It’s just a simple question.”

                I smiled at her reaction. “I think I’ll stay a little longer, just to make sure everything is alright. That way there will only be about a week that you’re alone in the kitchen until Karen comes back,” I explained. I still had a little more time before I’d probably get fired from my job for not returning when I said I would.

                I was expecting my mom to argue with my reasoning, but instead she gave a different response. “Good, I’m glad you’ll be staying.”

                “What?” I blurted, completely taken by surprise. Surely she wouldn’t want me, a clumsy non-baker, to get in her way at the bakery.

                “Well, I’ve seen you with Ethan a lot more lately. I’m glad you two have been spending time together. And I’d hate for you to have to leave abruptly just because I’m working again.”