Forever Scars

A Christmas Reunion

Ryleigh left for the Bakery early that day. She didn't want Gwen to see her puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks. At 7am, she left the apartment and got to Dudley's bakery. She busied herself by doing pointless tasks like organizing the refrigerator, measuring out ingredients and packing them, washing plates that were already clean...

When it was time, she flipped the 'closed' sign to 'open' on the door, hoping that people would flood in to distract her from her grief. But it was Christmas day. No one was going to come. She leaned on the counter, playing back the situations and scenarios of last night. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the customer standing right before her. 'I'd like three slices of fruitcake please.' The customer ordered.

Quickly lifting her head to face him, she greeted, 'Hello...' She drifted off when she realized who he was. The man stared at her wide-eyed and gasped.

'Ryleigh, dear...Is that you?' He asked tenderly, tears in his eyes.

Ryleigh just stared at him in disbelief, unable to speak. She quickly came out to hug him tightly. She started weeping in his shoulder. All the tears of hate for her mother, regret for not doing something, hurt from Mrs. Miller's words...it all flooded out in pools.

Her father patted her back affectionately. 'My darling, how I've missed you.'

'Daddy, where have you been?' Ryleigh managed to verbalize between cries.

'Daddy's here now, my darling. Don't cry, dear.' Her father comforted. It pained him to see his only daughter shed a tear.

When she settled down, Ryleigh led her father to a table where she served him a slice of Fruitcake with coffee. Taking a bite of the fruitcake, a smile instantly formed at the corner of his mouth. 'You've only become better at this.' He said.

Grinning widely, Ryleigh nodded in acknowledgement. 'Daddy, you should have tasted this chocolate cake I made. It's probably the best thing I've done. Oh, and I've learned so many new recipes!'

'My darling, I already have.' He answered. Ryleigh furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

'Daddy, I've never made chocolate cake for you before.' Ryleigh said.

'Ryleigh, I've bought so many cakes from here in the past few days, I'm sure you had a hand in making them, right?' Her father asked with a raised eyebrow.

'It was you...You're the customer.' Ryleigh gasped, surprised by this revelation. 'But...how did you know it was me?'

'I didn't, Ryleigh.' Her father admitted. 'I made an order here for a holiday party I hosted and the chocolate cake just reminded me so much of yours, I just had to have more so I kept making orders here.'

Ryleigh, with her mouth still ajar, exclaimed,
'Oh, Daddy, thank you so much! I...I'm the head chef now because of you! All those orders, Mr. Dudley promoted me because of them!'

'No Ryleigh.' He said seriously as he stared into her eyes deeply. 'You are head chef because of your diligence, perseverance and most of all your talent.' He picked Ryleigh's hand up and immediately noticed her deep, red scars that covered it. Horrified, he questioned her about it.

'Mum...she became an alcoholic after you left and when she was drunk...' Ryleigh couldn't finish her sentence without welling up. All the memories of her mother beating her flickered through her mind. Her father's heart broke at her words.

Getting out of his chair, her father knelt by her side. 'My darling, I am so sorry for all of this. How I've failed as a father that I can't even protect my own daughter. I really am sorry for this...I' His voice broke. He never thought that her mother would even think of doing this to her own flesh and blood. He blamed himself. But what could he have done? The court had decided, all he could do was comply.