Signs

Untitled Part 24

Chapter 24

Rennys alarm buzzed loudly at 5am, she didn't wake up as chipper as she'd hoped. Her head had a slight ache, and her nails were full of dirt. She rolled herself out of bed, showered and managed to make herself look as though she hadn't had four vodkas and two beers yesterday.

Ugh, she mumbled to herself as she trudged down the stairs to her mother waiting in the kitchen with a coffee and some toast.

"Morning sunshine" her mother grinned

"morning" she sat on the stool slowly, her head still a little on the tender side

"So" carole began "I see you have decided to garden again"

"yes, spur of the moment thing"

"Hm" she grinned again "Ok" she touched the plants on the counter, that were all clipped and presentable.

Renny took some toast from her mother's plate "What are you up to?"

"Nothing" she shrugged

Carole took another look at the sad and floppy plants now patterned around their front yard "didn't they have better looking plants?" She asked, getting into the passenger side

"Yes, but I like these ones," she said. They did look sad, but Renny could still see some fight in them. A couple of days, she told herself, and they'll come back.

Renny hadn't got used to walking into the cafe with its new equipment and displays. It had been the same for the past 5 years, almost every day she walked in it was familiar and unchanged, and now there were new lights, new signs, new displays, and new staff.

Melody's cooking area was visible but separated from the coffee area, and it almost seemed like its own little shop inside a shop.

"Looks great doesn't it?" Carole dmired along with renny

"It's better than great" she said, putting a lazy arm around her mother, but the second her hand touched her she felt a jolt in her chest. Her mother was oblivious, but Renny distinctly felt a surge run through her

"What?"

"Nothing" She said with doubt, but then turned on the lights, switched the sign over to 'Open' and fired up the coffee machines.

"Renny" Molly from the bakery called, coming in with the day's boxes of pastries and cakes "Wow" She said looking amazed "You girls are all ready!"

"Not quite" Renny said "Couple of small things"

"Is the cheese ready to sell?" She asked, her heavily painted eyes widened

"Yes, that's ready" Renny said

Molly put the boxes on the counter, her eyes on the cheese blocks

"I've always wanted to try goat cheese in my danishes..."

As Molly studied, Carole began to unpack the delivery into the case and under cake stands

Molly was in her late 20's, she dressed in tight jeggings and a crisp flowing shirt. Her nails were perfect and her hair up in a well formed messy bun on top of her haid. She was beautiful, and that dark cats eye liner she wore accentuated the green in them.

"Can I have 2 pounds of that?" she asked Renny

"Um, sure, but can I have Melody deliver it a little later? She's the cheeses person now, I'm still learning"

"Melody?"

"Gruff Farms" Renny pointed at the sign "Her and her brother make it, and she's starting the panini bar next week"