The Trials and Tribulations of Me

Chapter Nineteen

Once again I was back at work trying to make sure I made my shop my priority. Recently I had been letting it slip through the cracks but I couldn't continue to let that happen. I couldn't keep letting my personal life dictate when I came to work and when I didn't. Lucas never let what was happening to us stop him from working. He went to work no matter what or at least made sure he had everything taken care of before he made a move. I needed to be like that but somehow I couldn't. Somehow I let my personal life rule my mind which in turn made it hard for me to work.

I had decided to stay up front and work the register and take orders and let Blair handle the back. Marco would come in soon to take over for her. I still didn't know if I liked him but he did do good work.

I was taking a count of the daily pastries we had left and what we needed when a man came in and walked up to the counter. I told him to hold one minute so I could get everything I needed to take to the back. Most of business came from orders but the daily pastries helped me when I need an extra boost.

When I took the count to the back I came back ready to see what he needed. "How may I help you sir?"

"Can I speak to someone about placing an order?"

"Well I'm the owner so you can place your order with me." I took out my designated notepad that wrote orders on and got ready. At first orders came in slow and I thought I would never get the business I wanted but soon people started to talk and they picked up.

"Okay. Do you do wedding cakes?"

"Yes, we do in fact."

"I want to surprise my wife with a wedding cake for our tenth anniversary."

"That's so sweet. What kind of cake did you have in mind?"

He took out a picture from his pocket then slid to me on the counter. It was a picture of a cake. "I would like to replicate our wedding and the cake we had that day." I looked further at the picture and it was an all-white cake with three tiers with crystal rime stones and huge white flowers.

"Do you want it to stay three tiers?"

"Yes, I'm throwing a surprise party for her."

"Okay and when do you need this by?"

"By Saturday." I nodded writing everything down. I wanted to make sure I got everything right so I didn't mess up his surprise. "Will you be able to do it by then?" It did only leave me three days to get the job done but I knew I could.

"Definitely. It will be ready for pick up by then."

"I thought it wouldn't be ready," he said sighing with relief. "I totally forgot about the cake until my six year old sad something to me." I smiled. I thought it was nice what he was doing for his wife. You could tell he really loved her. In a way he made me feel bad for not having a wedding. I never got to pick out a wedding cake or a wedding dress. I was starting to see what I had missed and it hurt. I guess I didn't want a wedding because I was still convincing myself that I deserved to be with Lucas. I rushed to get married in case he changed his mind and that was stupid on my part.

"No worries it will be ready."

"How much will it be?"

I added everything up in the calculator to see what the total would be. "Well we are currently having a twenty percent off sale on all orders so it will be 432.63." he nodding agreeing to the price and I finished writing his order up for him. I took the picture and made a photocopy so I could make sure I got every detail right. When I finally got him handled I sighed at the task I had.

I was still at work trying to get a head start on the wedding cake order. I wanted it to be done on time and I wanted it to be done right. I also had other orders that needed to be addressed so I had to juggle them all. I knew Blair and Marco would take care of some of them but some of them I wanted to handle personally. Not only that I wanted to throw myself into my work so I didn't have to think about what was going on in my life right now.

I was currently making the crystal rime stones for the cake since it seemed I needed a lot of them. I already had the batter ready to be poured into the pan but I had to wait for some other things in the ovens.

I was getting into my work when I heard clicks to where I was. I looked up and saw it was Clair, Lucas' mother. I sighed inside. Why was she here? "Why the hell are you in my shop?"

"My son sent me here."

"He shouldn't have." I turned my back to her to check the ovens. I didn't want to deal with her right now. I was still pissed about what she said to me and if she thought all was forgiven then she and her son was wrong.

"My son thinks I owe you an apology."

"I'm not in the habit of concerning myself with what others think."

"Will you just turn around? I'm trying to apologize to you."

I turned around finally facing her. Giving her what she wanted. "What exactly are you apologizing for? For calling me out of my name numerous times? For disrespecting me and my marriage in my home or is it for having the nerve to mention my dead child as if it was a joke to put me down?" she looked at me for a minute like she was thinking about something. I was playing any games with her.

"When I was seventeen I got pregnant with Lucas' brother and at the time I knew I would never be able to take care of a child. I married their father even though he was five years older than me. At first things were good until he started beating and raping me and that's how I got Lucas. But by that time I had become bitter and I took it out on him and anyone that he cared about. I hadn't realized what I had been doing until my son showed up at my hotel room yelling at me. He unleashed over twenty years of anger onto me."

"Wait Lucas yelled at you?"

"Yep, that son of mine spared no expense in telling me what my problem was, especially when it came to you."

"What did he say?"

"My son told me that if I ever disrespect his wife again or mention your lost child he would disown me from his life for good." At this point I didn't know what to say. I never thought he would say that to his mother. "I can't lose my only son."

"That's up to you, not me."

"Actually it's all up to you. Lucas will listen to you." Even though this woman was a horrible person I didn't want Lucas to lose his mother. I never wanted him to lose his mother. All I wanted was for him to stand up for me against her. I didn't want to fight alone but it seems like he had things of his own to say. I mean I knew he was not happy with his mother for how she treated him but I never thought he would go this far.

Secretly I wished I could be there to see it. I wish I could've seen how she reacted to being on the other end of insults. I did have to admit her story made me sad but it didn't make things right. It didn't excuse how she treated me. Not even my mother would go that far. Al least my mother had boundaries when she tormented me. But this woman was completely different. I couldn't say what Lucas said to her was a lie, she needed to hear them. Maybe she would change her ways. Maybe Lucas would give her a chance in his life again.

"Just because you tell a sad story doesn't mean we are now friends. You still haven't apologized to me but just gave me excuses and the last time I checked excuses were not apologizes."

"Look I just need you to talk to Lucas for me."

"As far as I'm concerned Lucas is fine without you."

"That maybe but I can't do without him." it looked like she was about to cry and I didn't know how to react to that. This lady had gave me nothing but hell but now here she was crying for my help. I she wiped her eyes looking down so she wouldn't have to face me. "I have no one else and I would like to be a part of his life. I would like to be his mother."

"Even if I was in his life?"

"I could learn to deal if I was given a chance." I looked at her debating on what to do. A part of me wanted to help but a part of me wanted to be just as cruel as she was to me.

"Like I said before it's up to Lucas if he lets you in his life, not me. Now can you see your way out and don't come back unless an apology is attached with you."