Ginny Carney has been running since she was 17; running from the small town that stifled her, from her 'wild child' reputation, and from the boy she left behind. Now 25 Ginny finds herself a college dropout with no job, no boyfriend and forced to m...
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I woke early the next day. I had been unable to shake my early morning schedule from working the early shift at the cafe for so long. I shuffled down the stairs; I didn't feel rested, I hadn't been sleeping enough since I'd lost my job and I was pretending that it wasn't starting to get to me. The sun wasn't yet up as I sat at the kitchen counter with my cup of coffee. I still didn't know what to do with all the free time I suddenly had in the mornings. I was used to rolling out of bed and pretty much heading straight to the cafe and I would usually grab coffee and breakfast when I got there as I prepared to open the store. Now it felt weird to have the time to sit and take my time with my breakfast instead of trying to down it as fast as I could as I tried to get the store ready to open in 30 minutes. I gazed across the street again searching for any sign of movement but still there was nothing. I sat there for hours but there was nothing.
Once the sun was up and the day had started I painted my face and headed down to The Ladybird to talk to June about the job. June and The Ladybird had been there for as long as I could remember. The little bakery was right at the top of the hill in the centre of town. When I was little if it was a good day my mom would load me into the wagon and then me and her would split a big chocolate chip cookie; me with a glass of milk and her with a cup of tea. June had always given me my milk in a tea cup and I had felt like such a grown up drinking from it and sitting across from my mom who to me was the most beautiful woman in the world. When I was in school I think almost all of my spare money had gone towards cinnamon buns from The Ladybird. I'd had my first date there when I was 13 over lunch hour at school and I'd cried many tears in the corner booth; nothing could heal a broken heart quite like June's molten chocolate cake.
No one looked up right away when I walked in, June had her back to the door and the only people sitting inside were engrossed in their newspapers. The smell of the shop immediately brought back the memories of growing up and the waves of nostalgia calmed me. It wasn't a real job interview it was just June who had watched me grow up, who had snuck me extra treats when my mom wasn't looking and who had helped raise me like everyone else in this town and who had sat me down and told me she loved me and that I could tell her anything without judgement when she could tell I was heading off the deep end.
"There she is!" June said beaming as she turned around and saw me, "There's my girl" June said fondly as she came around the counter and wrapped me in a bear hug. "Let me look at you" she said holding me at arms length. June looked much the same as she always had. She was still the same round, friendly faced baker that she had always been; she had always seemed old to me because she was older than my parents but now she had grey hair sticking out of the handkerchief tied around her head and the wrinkles around her eyes and mouth were a lot more prominent. June looked me up and down "Your hair's lighter" she remarked, "it looks good; you're far too thin though but we can fix that" she winked. "You're taking care of yourself right?" She looked at me intently and I couldn't help but think back to the last time I'd seen her.
7 Years ago.
I walked into The Ladybird, I couldn't think of where else to go. I couldn't go home , I couldn't listen to Mom give me another lecture about my future, I couldn't go to my boyfriend's he was still on vacation and so I had just walked aimlessly until I had ended up in The Ladybird. It was Sunday and so early in the morning that there was no one else in the bakery. June came out from the back when she hear the bell on the door and it was as I saw her that I realized I didn't have my purse anymore, I must have left it somewhere but I couldn't think of where.
"Ginny? Are you alright?" June asked wiping her hands on her apron, so concerned, and it was then that I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the glass of the pastry case. My hair was a mess, I had lipstick smudged down one side of my mouth and mascara under my eyes where I had been crying. My dress was crumpled and wrinkled and my boots were hurting my feet so I had been shuffling around with a slight limp. I didn't say anything right away, I almost didn't trust myself to speak, I didn't know what would come out, I was in shock. "What have you been doing all night?" She asked steering me towards a table and sitting me down.
I shook my head, "Just walking around, trying to clear my head" I mumbled and it was mostly the truth.
"What's going on Ginny?" she asked softly, "I'm worried about you honey. You've always been a little wild but you've always had a good head on your shoulders." I started tearing up as she said that, if I told her what was really going on she might not think that anymore, I felt like my head had been knocked off. "Are you in some kind of trouble? Whatever's going on you can tell me, no matter what, I won't judge or tell anyone if you don't want me to." June grabbed my hand and smoothed my hair. I took a deep breath.
"I think it's finally time for me to grow up a little" I whispered. Two weeks after that conversation I got on a plane and didn't look back.
"I'm taking care of myself June" I smiled,
"Good girl" she said softly taking my hand, "Now, come teach me how to use this fancy coffee machine!" She said cheerily and she pulled me with her behind the counter.
