Chapter 15
The next morning I wake up to the smell of waffles.
I open my eyes to see a steaming batch sitting on my desk with maple syrup and whipped cream.
Smiling, I have a feeling Sue is going to go all out today.
I devour my delicious waffles before quickly grabbing a shower.
As I carry my plate downstairs, I discover Sue in the kitchen, surrounded by mixing bowls. “Thanks for the waffles, Sue.”
“You’re welcome sweetheart. I’m starting on the cookies. Want to help?”
“Sure.” I wash my plate and fork, then grab an apron. We spend the next several hours baking double chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and cinnamon rolls. We break for lunch around noon. We bought hearty salads to eat yesterday since we knew we’d be busy.
The rest of the afternoon comprises blueberry squares, white chocolate macadamia cookies, and chocolate chip muffins. We’re wrapping the last of the muffins when Zander shows up with a bouquet of roses for Sue.
“A lovely bouquet for a lovely lady,” he grins at her. “A little thank you for taking such amazing care of Summer.”
“Thank you, Zander,” Sue smiles in return. I think I see a blush tinting her cheeks, too. “I’ll grab a vase for them.”
“How are you today Summer?”
“I’m okay. Sue has kept me busy all day baking,” I say as I gesture behind me. There’s enough baked goods to feed an army, but we had fun, and I hardly thought about tomorrow.
“Wow, Sue was serious about sending you away with a ton of food. I hope you’re willing to share,” he winks, and I agree. Sue always intends for people to share her baking.
“These will look beautiful in the centre of the table. Zander, would you cook the steaks while Summer and I get the sides done?” Sue asks him, fussing with the arrangement to get the roses perfect.
“Absolutely. Put me to work.” Zander heads to the sink to wash his hands before Sue hands him the steaks and grill pan.
Dinner is great. Zander keeps the conversation flowing as usual. After the steaks are gone, Sue gets up to get dessert. She returns, holding a pie in one hand and a book in the other. She hands the pie to Zander before turning to me. “Do you remember when I ran an errand the other day, sweetheart?”
“I do. What did you get?” I ask curiously. Sue didn’t come home with any packages that trip, and I forgot to ask with all that’s been going on.
“I went to get a book created and picked it up yesterday afternoon. This is for you.” She hands me a large, glossy, bound book.
I look down and see it’s a recipe book. Opening it up, I flip through the pages to see they’re full of Sue’s handwritten recipes. “Oh, Sue, it’s beautiful,” I say.
“I hope you’ll continue baking in Charleston. You’ve gotten very good at it since you’ve been here. I left blank pages in the back for you to add your own recipes, too.”
My eyes well up, and I jump up and wrap my arms around her. “Thank you.”
“You’re so welcome, sweetheart.” Sue hugs me back and has glassy eyes herself when we pull apart. We smile at each other, sitting back down as Zander passes out slices of pie. Coconut cream, my favorite.
“I’ve never had this kind of pie before. I hope the recipe is in your new book, Summer,” he comments.
“It is Zander, and it’s Summer’s favourite,” Sue tells him.
After dessert, Zander returns to his hotel, promising to be here at 9am tomorrow to drive us to the airport.
We do the dishes, and then Sue comes upstairs to help me pack up.
The new luggage is the perfect size. All my clothes fit in the large suitcase.
I use the smallest one for shoes and toiletries.
I fill my backpack with my laptop, the recipe book, Jake’s cologne, the picture Mal gave me, and a few snacks.
The rest of the baked goods go into the medium-sized suitcase.
It takes only about an hour. My entire existence fits into two suitcases, with room to spare in both.
“How about one last episode of Gilmore Girls before bed, sweetheart?”
“Sounds good, Sue.” We finish the night watching tv and eating popcorn. I sleep surprisingly well that night.