Second Chances || Thomas McGregor

S I X T E E N

~ 10 years later ~

"Thomas don't let the apple tarts burn" her angelic voice rang from the back of the kitchen.

"I know, I know!" smiling to myself I walk over to the oven only to find it already opened by some pesky little rabbits. "Shoo!" Waving my hands for them to get away from the scorching rack of crispy pieces of heaven I grab an oven mitt and grab the oven sheet.

Setting them on the oven I look behind me to see Charlotte working on a batch of biscuits. They were filled with chocolate chips along with all sorts of fillings ranging from dark chocolate to a type of fruit custard.

A fuzzy hand lightly tapped on me, trying to turn my attention to the scorching pastries.

"Oh-- thanks," I quickly removed them for the cooking sheet and set them on a plate, ready for displaying purposes.

"Charlotte dear, could you come over here for a second?" She quickly stood up from her touched position near our second oven in the back of the kitchen.

"Yeah what's theater?" Looking over my work she smiled to herself, the scars from the accident all those years ago still dug deep as the scabs revealed her disfigured skin.

Taking her left hand into my own I graze my hand over her ring finger, where our vows were clearly shown to all. The golden band laid under the gorgeous two carrot diamond I had picked.

I remember the day I had asked her, it felt like just yesterday I stuttered out the question with her in tears stared down upon me.

All those years ago she was still in a funk, that cased dark patches to collect under her tear stained cheeks. It was after we cleaned out her apartment that she kept asking me if it was real.

That she really lost her dream restaurant.

And every time I would silently nod and engulf her in a hug, pressing my lips to her temple. She was in a particularly low spot when I came over to the little white house she now called her home.

I remembered how nervous I was, the ring in my chest pocket-- after months of deciding which one was the best-- and walking down the path carved out from my going through it so many times. We had gone on dates, more like little outings, once she was allowed to walk on her own two feet.

I remember bending down on one knee, her puffy red eyes still flowing with tears until she gasped with realization, I had proposed to her right then and there.

And she said yes.

At first it was hard trying to make her happy, she would often stare out the window or just zone out when I would take to her. She was always trapped in the little box she made for herself.

That was when I thought of doing something drastic. Something totally unlike me.

I bought her father's old shop. Renovated all the appliances, which was quite costly do to them having to drive it the way out here from their factory in London.

But it was worth it.

The shop was repainted by yours truly and the sign had been handcrafted by a local artist I knew of.

He was an older gentle man, his white beard rested against his round stomach with his face shinning with mischievous, he said he knew a love sick man when he saw one.

And not just a few days later he came to me saying he had a surprise. I thought a surprise would be a basket full of baked goods but no... it was something much better.

The small town all pitched in on hanging a large blue and green sign above the door and windowed walls, reading 'Le Lapin Moelleux.'

A fitting name I guess, I was always stuck on a finding a suitable name for the restaurant. Something that had no correlation once so ever with Chalabange.

No this was totally different, totally unique, and totally hilarious.

The five rabbits tailed along with me as I fetched the girls of my dreams from her usual spot on the couch. She was reading a cooking book she bought not so long ago. Pages upon pages full of deserts and little treats that should sometimes bake for me.

I don't think she wanted to do a full blow sit down and dine kind of restaurant any more.

But perhaps she wanted a bakery of some kind, a French bakery perhaps, we don't have many of those around here. Especially in the country. And I would be there every step of the way, helping her guide herself back to normal.

Driving her to the building she merely shrunk into my green trucks passenger seat. Probably hoping it would just swallow her up and take her away from the heartbreak she felt.

And when I showed her and said that it was ours... completely ours she stared at me with admiration as she pulled me into a heart warming kiss.

Which leads us to the present.

It was an enormous success, a line out the door for three weeks straight. Hell even people from the city were coming out saying they heard that the famous Hampsin girl had started to cook in England.

Newspapers and reporters from the Americas and London itself came out to interview us on the reasons behind leaving the renown restaurant and wanting to start over.

Charlotte simply responded it was her past, meant to be left in the dust of her new success.

"You know honey... I think this was the best idea I have ever had." Smiling down at her she leant back into my chest. Flour coating her arms and face.

"Well it was better than the idea of blowing up the tree in the back yard to try and find out where the rabbits 'hiding' spot was." Hearing her light laugh echo made the butterflies rumble within me.

I think I was falling in love with her all over again.

"Thomas..." a pondering look was etched onto her delicate features.

"Yes? What's the matter?"

"I think you were my second chance." Looking up to me she peeked my cheek. "The best decision of my life."

Closing my eyes I wrapped my arms around her small form, I would not change a single thing.

This was truly Heaven.