Aubrey
“Okay, ladies. I’ve got a variety of cake flavors for you to try. The bride and groom left the decision to me, but there’s no way I’m choosing their wedding cake alone.”
“Oh, absolutely not. I am your loyal servant today, sweetheart. Show me where the cake is,” Hazel says, tucking a white napkin into the top of her blouse with a dramatic grin.
I can’t help but laugh as Mom mimics her, slipping a napkin into the neckline of her dress like she’s gearing up for battle.
After speaking with my dad and getting his advice, I agreed to take on the wedding cake—and once the bride finally stopped crying, we went through her ideas.
She’d already told me she wanted to leave the flavors up to me; all she asked for was a traditional three-tier cake, designed however I wanted, to take some of the stress off her.
The only other request was that I deliver the finished cake to a hotel outside Pinecrest—about six hours from Mayridge.
Since then, I’ve been practicing nonstop: perfecting the sponge, experimenting with flavors and buttercreams, narrowing everything down to a final few. And like Dad suggested, I recruited the women in my life to be my official taste testers.
So here I am, a couple of weeks out, turning cake-tasting into a self-care Sunday with a few of my favorite people.
“Auntie Strawberry. I really do love cake,” Avery announces, already licking her lips in anticipation.
“Is that right? Well, I’m going to need your expertise today, sweet girl. You let me know which one’s your favorite,” I say, offering her a soft smile.
She nods enthusiastically, then wiggles further into Liv’s lap, eyes still locked on the cakes.
“Alright, here’s what we’ve got: Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, vanilla sponge with raspberry compote and white chocolate ganache, lemon cake with lemon-infused buttercream, and finally, chocolate cake with chocolate fudge ganache.”
I arrange the slices into neat groups, five plates per flavor—one for each of us.
“My mouth is literally watering,” Liv murmurs, eyes glued to the cakes as she wrestles Avery gently to keep her from jumping onto the counter and devouring them all.
“Which one shall we start with?” I ask, glancing at the plates.
“Chocolate. Please chocolate. That’s the one my daddy gets me,” Avery pleads.
I can’t help but chuckle at her excitement.
“Okay, chocolate it is. Avery, do you want to help me hand them out?” I ask.
Without a word, she jumps off of Liv’s lap to her feet and races toward me.
“Slow down, sweetie. There’s enough cake for everyone,” Mom says gently, and Avery instantly slows, obedient but still eager.
I hand her a plate, one at a time, and watch as she carefully passes them to Liv, Mom, and Hazel before returning for her own slice.
Crouching down to her level, I motion for her to come closer. “This one is for you,” I whisper, placing the biggest slice on her plate. “For being such a good helper. Don’t tell the others.”
Avery’s smile beams across her face as she nods solemnly, then brings her fingers to her mouth, pretending to zip her lips.
God, I love this kid.
We continue like this with the other three flavors, Avery carefully handing out slices to everyone until all the cakes have been tasted.
Once the plates are cleared, Avery wanders back over and taps my leg just as I’m covering up the extra pieces of cake.
“Auntie Strawberry.”
“Yes, sweet girl?”
“This is my favorite day. I really love cake.” She grins, the evidence of her enthusiasm smeared around her mouth.
This little human makes my heart swell. I crouch down and open my arms, and she scrambles in, almost knocking me over, hugging me tight around the neck.
“This was my favorite day too,” I murmur, hugging her back. “Thank you for helping me today.”
“That’s okay,” Avery says, her voice earnest. “Daddy says I’m a good helper at home.”
With that, she skips over to my mom and whispers something in her ear before darting out the porch doors and into the backyard, where I know my dad is currently gardening.
“Aubrey, you have such a talent. Those cakes were incredible,” Hazel says, eyes wide with admiration.
“Thanks. I haven’t done wedding stuff in a while, so it’s been fun,” I reply with a shrug. “What was everyone's favorite?”
“The raspberry and white chocolate one, for sure. I could literally face-plant the whole thing—it tasted so good,” Liv says, grinning.
“I agree, honey. I think that’s the winner,” my mom says, and when I glance at Hazel, she’s nodding enthusiastically in agreement.
I smile to myself, feeling satisfied with how the day turned out—and a little less nervous about making this cake now that others have tried some of the flavors I was considering.
I drop onto the couch beside Liv with a heavy, exhausted sigh, then lean my head against her shoulder.
“Thanks for coming today,” I say quietly, just loud enough for her to hear. Across the room, my mom and Hazel sit on the other couch, sipping wine and giggling like schoolgirls.
“Thanks for inviting me,” she replies. “It was nice to get out of the house for a bit.”
It’s only been a couple of months since Liv recovered from drowning, and I don’t think she’s left the house much since. When Kade’s at work, Mom’s been going over to keep her company, and I’ve tried to stop by most days—just to check in, to make sure she’s okay.
She seems to be doing well. She’s been going to therapy since she got out of the hospital, and she says it’s helping which is good. But if I’m being honest, it’s Kade who seems to be struggling the most.
“What was Kade’s reaction when you told him you were coming here?” I ask, lifting my head off Liv’s shoulder and turning to face her.
She lets out a soft sigh and shrugs. “He was fine with it—until I mentioned it was girls only,” she says, rolling her eyes a little.
“He’s struggling with being apart from me.
But honestly? I really enjoyed the breathing space.
I love that man more than anything in the world, but he’s smothering me a little. ”
I nod, understanding. “He’s just worried about you,” I say gently.
“But I get it. Maybe talk to him about it. Tell him how much fun you had today. You’re a grown-ass woman, Liv, and if you’re ready to be out in the world again after everything that happened, then you tell him that—and then point him in the direction of your therapist.”
Liv chuckles, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “God, I love you,” she says, nudging me playfully with her shoulder.
I grin, about to reply to Liv, when my mom’s voice carries across the room, cutting through the quiet hum of conversation.
“So, Strawberry,” she calls, swirling the wine in her glass, “when exactly do you have to deliver this cake?”
I turn toward her, still smiling. “Two weeks. The wedding is at two in the afternoon at some hotel in Pinecrest. It’s about a six-hour drive, so I’m leaving early to get there.”
“Oh wow, that’s a bit of a distance,” Hazel says, raising her eyebrows as she sets her glass down. “Is Lucy going with you?”
I shake my head. “No, she’ll be holding down the fort at the bakery. I’ll be driving solo.”
My mom frowns slightly, concern creeping into her voice. “That’s a long drive by yourself, sweetheart. I didn’t realize you’d planned to go alone.”
“I’ll be fine,” I say with a wave of my hand. “I’ll have snacks and music—maybe even an audiobook if I’m feeling adventurous.”
Hazel leans forward, her eyes lighting up with an idea. “What if you took Trent with you?”
“What?” I blink, caught completely off guard. “Why would I—?”
“Oh yes, that’s a wonderful idea,” Mom cuts in, already riding the momentum like it’s settled. “I’m sure he’s going crazy stuck in that house all day. A change of scenery might do him a world of good.”
Panic flutters in my chest. I sit up straighter, trying to wave it off. “Oh, I don’t think he’d want to do that. And honestly, I’ll be fine. Really.”
Mom gives me a gentle smile, undeterred. “I know you will, sweetheart. But I think it would give him something to look forward to. You two have always gotten along so well.”
Before I can respond, Liv suddenly chokes on her wine, coughing into her glass.
I shoot her a sharp glare while Hazel, from across the room, lifts her glass with a smirk and calls out, “You okay over there, Liv?”
Liv nods, still coughing, doing a poor job of hiding the grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.
I’m trying—desperately—to come up with anything that might shoot down this ridiculous suggestion when the front door clicks open.
All heads turn as Kade and Brandon step into the living room mid-conversation, followed closely by Trent, who no longer has his crutches.
My breath catches in my throat.
Of course he’s here now. Right when they were talking about him. Right when I was barely holding it together.
My eyes flick toward Mom, silently pleading, please don’t— but she’s already smiling like the timing is perfect.
Hazel sits up straighter on the couch, completely unaware of the internal meltdown I’m currently having.
“Oh, great timing!” she says cheerfully. “We can ask him now.”