Chapter 37 Sabrina
Georgetown, South Carolina
I removed the last of my cakes from the oven and closed the door. After setting it on a cooling rack, I walked back into the restaurant.
“Thirty minutes to cool, and then I can cut them up.”
“It’s late. Are you going to finish them tonight?” Dante asked, referring to the jar cakes I was making.
“Yep. The only thing I want to have to do tomorrow is get dressed for our big day.”
“How many do you need?”
“Five dozen total,” I replied. “Selling at the local farmers markets has been good. I sell out all that I have every week, but this is a special order that came through this morning. I even had a big order from a small business. Word is getting around.”
“I hope you charged more,” Dante said.
“I did.” He and I raised palms for a high-five.
“Your sister would be proud,” Dante said. “You’re going to have to sell them here too. I mean it is Meats and Sweets.”
“Only if Mariah and I agree. I realize that it’s not just about the cake for her. I have to respect that she’s working on trying to feel good about her memories of our mother.” I sighed. “In any event, it’s time for me to scale up. I could get my jars at some other local supermarkets. Once I start making specialty cakes, the combination of that revenue could give me enough income to take care of me and Kenni for real, and I don’t mean in the van.”
I placed the last of the tags I’d written for my jars in a pile next to the ribbon I’d cut. Then I did one more check of all the décor on the tables and walls. I turned on the lights to make sure none of the bulbs had gone out. I was desperate for everything to be perfect. This reopening was our day to shine.
“With all the buzz on the social media page, we should have a full house,” I said. “Even if only a quarter of the people who responded to the event page come, we’ll be pretty packed.”
“Yeah, it’ll be good,” Dante agreed.
“That’s because of you. Everyone wants to eat Chef Dante’s food.”
He shrugged and said, “There has to be some advantage to putting up with me.”
I laughed with him. “No, you are legit the best.”
I made a few social media posts, finished working on the handwritten tags for my jars, and then went back into the kitchen.
I stored all sixty jars I’d made in the refrigerator. I had to deliver them tomorrow at noon.
***
I met Mariah as she was arriving at the house. She greeted me as she pulled shopping bags out of her trunk.
“I have a surprise for you,” she said.
“In that bag?” I asked.
She smiled, and I really couldn’t remember my sister looking quite so light. Therapy was good. Maybe I needed to go.
Once we were in the living room, she opened one of the shopping bags. She removed two gold lamé cocktail dresses and one sweet little gold dress for Kenni.
“The Holland girls are going to be fancy tomorrow night,” Mariah said, handing me mine and Kenni’s.
I examined the sleek and sophisticated cut. It would definitely show off our curves. Intricate beading along the neckline and the edges of the capped sleeves added more glamour to the design. The fabric shined in the light. We would sparkle like diamonds in the restaurant with all the lighting we installed.
“I’ve never had anything like this. I can’t wait to step out in it.” The heat of tears formed in my eyes. “Thank you,” I said, the emotion in my voice coming from my heart.
Mariah hunched her shoulders like it was no big deal, but I could see she was choked up herself. “It was my pleasure.”
This is what it felt like to be sisters. To share and do things for each other. To look forward to celebrating the sweet moments in life.
“I have something else for you,” Mariah said. “I almost forgot.”
“More than the dress?” I wiped a rogue tear that streamed down my face.
She bobbed her head up and down like an excited puppy. “I went to visit Ellen last night. She’s going to drop the custody case.”
My mouth gaped open, disbelief pinging through my veins. “What? How? What did you say to her?”
“I told her that you deserved to raise your daughter.” Mariah’s eyes got full. “I let her know that I would fight with you to make sure Kenni got to have what we didn’t... her mother’s love. By the time I was done, she understood.”
I put my dress down and slipped closer to Mariah. I wrapped my arms around my sister’s neck and hugged her. I didn’t let go until I had my fill of the hug I’d been missing for twenty-nine years, and Mariah let me have it. Not only didn’t she shrink away; she hugged me back.
“I love you, sis,” I said.
“I love you too,” my sister replied.
***
The next day, Kenni woke with a tummy ache.
Over our morning coffee, I said, “I need to text this number and tell this woman I’ll bring my delivery later.”
“No,” Mariah said. “You stay with Kenni. I’ll deliver the cakes.”
I had entered the twilight zone. Mariah handle cake jars?
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive,” she said. “I have a couple errands to run anyway. Just give me the address, and I’ll drop them off.” Mariah left the room. I sat there with Grandma. Both our mouths were open.
“She’s come a long way,” Grandma said, a proud smile on her lips.
“You did this,” I said, taking her hand. “You set us up.”
Grandma grinned. “I did no such thing. All I was trying to do was save Tabby’s.”
I pursed my lips. “Uh-huh.” I pushed my chair back and stood. “I’m going to check on Kenni.”
Grandma continued to sip her coffee. Her face shined with joy and contentment. I left her with her happiness and went into the family room with my daughter.
Hours later, Kenni was better. All three of us were dressed for the grand reopening. The only person missing was Grandma. We called her, and she told us to go ahead.
“But Grandma, we wanted to make our entrance together,” I said.
“You girls did the work. I’ll be there soon enough,” she replied.
I was a little disappointed, but the three of us got into Mariah’s car.
We arrived at the restaurant. Cars were already in the parking lot.
“Giveaways and door prizes will get you early turnout every time,” Mariah said.
We walked around front and I spotted Quinton. He was talking to a small group of people. I figured they were his employees. He was treating them all to dinner tonight. Holding Kenni’s hand, I walked to where he was standing and slipped my hand under his arm. He turned and gave me a kiss. After a quick inspection, he said, “You look amazing.” He looked down at Kenni. “And so do you.”
Kenni blushed and said, “Thank you. I have almost the same dress as Mommy and Auntie.”
“You all are triplets,” Quinton said.
I interjected, “The dresses are a gift from Mariah.”
“She has good taste.”
I looked down at it. “She does, doesn’t she?”
“She had a good body to buy for.”
“You think?” I teased.
“The best shaped woman in town.”
I laughed and so did Kenni. I put a hand on his arm. “I’m going inside.”
“I’m with you,” he replied.
Once we were inside, we greeted Dante and the staff we’d hired to help tonight. The kitchen smelled amazing. Mariah and I were both blotting our eyes, trying to keep our makeup from smearing.
I looked around at the wonderful change we’d made in the old section of the restaurant. Something caught my eye. I hadn’t noticed it before, but now... I gasped, walking toward it. There was a new refrigerator near the counter... tall and thin with shiny glass doors and nice chrome handles. Inside, at least three dozen of my mason jars. Over the refrigerator, there was an enlarged canvas photo of our mother standing at a kitchen island with sweet cake jars in front of her. A sign in front of the picture read: Sabrina’s Sweet Cakes.
I looked at Mariah. “Now my eye makeup is really going to be ruined. You ordered the cakes under another name.”
“Actually, it was one of Quinton’s employees who helped me out. I needed a middle woman.”
I turned and looked at Quinton. “You are good at keeping secrets.”
“Not really. She didn’t give me much information until just the other day.”
“I wasn’t sure I could trust him. You two have been joined at the hip,” Mariah said. “I wanted to surprise you, but I needed cakes to make it right. I didn’t want you to have an empty case on opening night.”
My lips trembled so that I could hardly speak. I took a wad of tissue someone handed me and patted my eyes.
“What’s wrong, Mommy?” Kenni asked.
Quinton scooped her up and said, “Mommy is very, very happy.”
“With cryin’?” Kenni asked.
“That’s what women do,” Dante said. “It doesn’t make sense, does it?”
Kenni laughed and shook her head.
“Our mother would be proud of you,” Mariah said. “She would be so proud.”
I thanked her and hugged her again. “You are officially the best sister in the world.”
Mariah laughed. “I have to show up strong. I’ve got like twenty years of making up to do.”
“You’re not the only one. As soon as Sweet Cakes hits it big, I owe you a cruise.”
Mariah bit her lip and shook her head. “No you don’t. Owing each other for the past is over.”
I wrapped my arms around my sister and squeezed tight. “I love you, but I need a vacation.”
Mariah laughed. “Baby sis, you’ve got a date.”
The opening of the doors interrupted our moment. The crowd entered. People toured the space, ordered food, won prizes, took pictures, and danced to music in the spacious new addition.
Just when I was about to get concerned, I saw Grandma enter. Someone held the door behind her, and Grandpa Odell followed. He was using a walker, but he was here.
Mariah and I rushed to him and hugged him and Grandma. Mariah and Quinton helped Grandpa to the table we reserved for family.
“This is why you were missing,” I said to Grandma.
“I have a few surprises in me too. How do you like your new display?” Grandma’s eyes shined with tears of happiness.
“It’s beautiful.” My heart was still full. I looked back at the picture of my mother. “I can’t believe Mariah did this for me.”
“She loves you,” Grandma said. “She always has, but first she had to find some love for herself.”
“We are strengthened when we are healed.” I wrapped my arms around her neck and whispered, “Thank you for saving our relationship.”
Grandma pointed up. “That was all Him. I just trusted what prayer led my heart to do.”
Then the photographer said, “I need to get family pictures. Everyone outside.”
We went out. I noticed Dante couldn’t take his eyes off Mariah. He was touching her at the small of her back, on her arm, and whispering in her ear.
Quinton eased up behind me.
“Do you see what I see?” I nodded at Mariah and Dante.
“No doubt that’s going somewhere.”
We formed a line for the pictures. I took Mariah’s hand and said, “We need one alone right under the sign.”
Mariah agreed, and she and I stood under the Tabby’s Meats Sweets sign for photos.
“I can’t wait for that one,” I said.
“It’s going to be the best,” Mariah agreed.
When we were done, a server offered us all glasses of champagne.
“We did it,” Mariah said.
“We did,” I agreed.
“And because you did it, this place is all yours,” Grandma said.
“What?” Mariah and I asked the question at the same time. We chuckled together and gave our grandmother our attention.
“We gon’ set down fa good,” Grandpa said. “We glad fa see oona take it.”
Mariah and I stepped in front of the sign one more time. We raised our glasses, and Mariah said, “To you, Great-Great-Grandma Tabitha. Because of you, we have something of our own.”
We clinked our glasses together and celebrated with a sip of sweet success.