Uncharted Territory

Chapter 1

“Robyn, grab that little box right over there. We’re going to need that once we leave the cake tasting.” “This red one?” I ask, pointing. “Yep, that’s the one” my mother, Sylvia, replies. “Dang, what do you have in here? A dead body?” I ask, struggling to lift the box. “Maybe it is” she jokes. I roll my eyes and head toward the front door with the box in tow. “I saw that, lil’ girl” my mother hisses. “Saw what?” I giggle, stopping in the doorway. “I saw you roll your eyes. I’m your mother, remember!? I know you better than you know yourself.” “You always say that” “That’s because it’s true. I pushed you outta my ass, cleaned your dirty ass, and put up with your shit. Who knows you better than me?” “Ew, Mama, why do you always need to be so dramatic?” “Well, at least I got my point across. You done rolling your eyes at me now?” “Yes, ma’am” I reply, placing the box in the car. My mother and I have the most loving relationship. She was at every parent-teacher conference, basketball game, and award assembly. She was there standing proud when I walked across the stage at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) with my degree in Accounting. She’s my backbone. My ride or die. Now, my father on the other hand, he hasn’t been around for a majority of my life. Starting around the age of five, he began to get in trouble with the law over small, petty charges, causing him to be in and out of jail. Around the time I was in the 10th grade, he got himself caught up in more mess leading to him having to serve a minimum of 10 years in prison before he’s eligible for parole. Despite him being away, we’ve managed to form a bond that I’d expect any father and daughter to have. I visit when I can, he writes, and we talk by phone often. In his eyes, I’m still that five year old little girl that he left all those years ago. I’m still his little lady bug, as he would call me. Sometimes I wish I was. I often wonder how different my life would be if he were around. Sadly, I don’t have time to ponder on that as I have something a bit more important to worry about right now. My mom gets in on the driver’s side and fastens her seatbelt. “You ready?” I exhale deeply. “Yeah, let’s go.” Mom reaches over from the driver’s side and pinches my left cheek. That’s always been her thing. She does it when she’s proud of me. She always has a way of making me feel like her baby girl. ↔ “This place is beautiful! How’d you find this?” “Girl, who hasn’t heard of the Blue Cake Company? You’ve lived in Little Rock your entire life and you’ve never heard of this place?” “Well, Mama, apparently I haven’t” I answer sarcastically. “I told you to climb out of that little bubble you live in all the time. You live in this little perfect world. It’s not so perfect all the time. You’re too young to be cooped up all the time” she eyes me, brushing past me and to the counter. “Yes, we’re here for a cake tasting.” “What’s the name?” the receptionist asks happily. “Robyn…Robyn Davis.” “Found it. Right this way.” We follow the receptionist into a private area. The area looks fresh and well kept, filled with round tables and chairs covered in white linens. Each table is perfectly accented with clear vases, beautiful flowers, and tea candles. It’s almost magical, or maybe I’m a sucker for these sorts of things. Maybe I’m a sucker for love and all things related. “You ladies will be seated here. We will have servers come out and provide you with samples of specific cake flavors, which you requested upon making your appointment. Looks like you’ll be sampling 10 different flavors and designs. Once you ladies have made your decision, we will put in a final order before you leave today. I’ll be just out front here in the reception area. My name is Grace, should you need me” “Thank you, Grace” my mother and I reply simultaneously. We take the next two hours tasting various cake flavors and decide on a final cake design. I’ve chosen to do one round cake on top of a four tier stand. The remaining three tiers will hold cupcakes that coincide with the round cake and my wedding colors. “Alright, Robyn, I have you all set. If you should have any questions or concerns about your order, please give us a call. Keep in mind you can’t make any changes to the cake order after November 22. After that, all orders are considered final. All we need is your deposit” Grace smiles. I pull my debit card out of my wallet and hand it to Grace, but she quickly hands it back. “That was fast” I exclaim. “I’m paying for your deposit, as well as the cake” my mother states. “Mom, no, I can’t let you do that. I’ve got this.” “No, I insist. This is the least I could do for my one and only daughter on her big day.” I tear up a bit. She’s always got my back. “Aww, baby, don’t cry.” .“I love you, Mama.” “I love you, too, suga. Come on, let’s go. We’ve got more shopping to do.”