Chapter 9
The screen of my phone stayed stubbornly blank as I tapped on the screen for the fifth time in the last ten minutes.
Nothing.
No reply.
I hissed loudly as I tossed my phone on the counter glaring at it like the device had personally annoyed me.
I told myself I wasn't waiting for a response nor expecting one so why was I glued to my phone for the past three days? Who the hell did he think he was anyways. I thought about deleting the message but what if he had already seen it. I would not let him think I was a coward.
Usually the smell of cinnamon, freshly baked bread and sugar calmed me down but it was just not the same today. Might be because Darius wasn't in today. He sounded very sick over the phone, and there was no way I could ask him to come in like that and then make me sick.
I crossed my arms and leaned against the counter as I pulled out the newspaper and a pen for my daily crossword puzzle.
But the headline on the front page caught my eye,
Heir to the Mayfield tech company returns to town to follow his father's footsteps
The jingle of the bell at the entrance brought me back to my senses. I looked up immediately plastering my customer service face on. It was an old lady in a purple dress and the most old lady looking hat ever.
She struggled to move towards the counter using her cane to support herself as she shuffled to me
"Welcome to Rea's bakery." I greeted warmly." How may I help you ma'am" I asked, my pearly whites on full display.
"Hello there," she smiled instantly "I would like to get some cookies for my grandbaby"
"She came to spend the holiday with me, you see and she's been going on about wanting cookies" she rambled on.
A small laugh escaped me as I pulled a box from behind the counter.
"Well you are at the right place, because we take our cookie business very seriously here." I said beaming at her.
"Oh I can tell" she replied waving her hands dramatically " I smelled it immediately I entered"
"What kind does she like?" I asked
"Anything loaded with sugar, her parents try to feed her vegetables and healthy snacks all the time, but not in my house" she said.
"Now, if it were a few years ago," the woman continued "I would whip out my pans and make some for her but I'm way to old to be doing that" chuckling softly as she explained to me
"Oh you used to be a baker" I asked curiously as I picked out some peanut butter and chocolate cookies that were the children's favourite as far as I knew.
"Yes," her face softened with nostalgia "I used to be a baker just like you until I got arthritis and I couldn't move around that much anymore," she said with remorse.
"I used to make cakes, pies, cookies, you name it." she paused, the nostalgia overwhelming her for a bit "Until old age caught up to me and now just holding a mixing bowl leaves me in so much pain"
Something about the sadness in her voice made my heart ache.
"I'm sorry," I whispered
"Oh don't be," she replied in a shrug "Being old isn't all that bad," she grinned at me
"You can get away with a lot more when you have grey hair"
I briefly thought about how I would look when I'm around her age.
"How old is your granddaughter?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood, my eyes catching the multicolored bracelet that sat limply on her hand.
The colors somehow reminded of Alexandra as her laughter echoed in the back of my mind.
"She's ten," she answered instantly, her wrinkly face lighting up with joy "She's an absolute monster to her parents but a pure angel whenever she's with me" she said
"Do you have a kid" she asked, the wrinkles on her face becoming more prominent as she smiled.
Without thinking, my fingers brushed lightly against the silver bracelet hidden beneath my sweater. I swallowed carefully, hoping she didn't notice the change in my expression.
"No, I don't" I replied quickly as I passed her the cookies, avoiding eye contact, my eyes fixed on her bracelet.
"Well when you do" she said casually as she counted the cash, "You'll understand"
"Thank you for buying from us" I said politely, "I hope your granddaughter likes it."
"I know she will," she said as she turned to leave.
"And one more thing"
"Yes" I turned to her.
"You have kind eyes, sweetheart" she paused "Don't let people take advantage of that."
Before I could think of a response, she left, the bell above the door jingled softly once more before silence settled over the bakery again.
I stared down at the counter for a long moment before finally reaching for my phone out of habit.
And this time, the screen lit up instantly.
Matthew.