Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Nat settled into her chair next to Sofia, who had Moxie curled in her lap under the table. She had tried to put the kitten down more than once, but each time Moxie protested, pawing her way back into Sofia’s lap with fierce little mews.
“Alright, alright, Sofia. I hate to admit it, but you win,” Zoe said, raising an eyebrow as she leaned in. “Looks like Moxie already knows who her mommy is.”
Sofia chuckled. “Well, I’ve missed her too. She’s a tough little thing.”
As everyone got seated around the table, Sofia looked at the spread before her and smiled. “Everything looks amazing. Thank you so much for having me. And… I’m very sorry for last night.”
Nat’s mother was quick to wave off her apology. “Nonsense. That’s none of our business. We’re just happy you’re here.” She looked fondly from Sofia to Nat and back again. “Happy to have you here with our daughter.”
Nat felt a warmth rise in her cheeks, her heart skipping as Sofia glanced her way. In a flustered reflex, she picked up the basket of cinnamon rolls and held it out toward her.
“Uh… here, have one.” She cleared her throat, willing her voice to sound more casual. “I mean, if you want. They’re, um… fresh.”
Sofia’s lips quirked up in a smile as she reached for one. “Thank you,” she said, her fingers brushing against Nat’s for the briefest of moments. She took a bite, her eyes widening as she chewed. “Oh, wow. This is incredible. I can definitely tell I’m at a table with real bakers.”
Nat’s father beamed, the pride evident in his expression.
“Thank you. It’s in our blood. My father was a baker, he taught me everything I know.
It’s hard work, but worth every minute. There’s something about seeing people enjoy what you’ve made with your own hands.
” He gestured to his wife. “And then I met Martha. She came to work at my father’s bakery and three years later, we got married and started our own business. ”
“And then I got pregnant with Nat,” Martha chimed in. “Let me tell you, it’s not easy to get up at 4 a.m. with morning sickness.” She winked at Nat. “Or after being kept up all night by a screaming baby. Nat was a difficult one.”
“Still am,” Nat joked, passing Sofia a plate of sliced fresh fruit, drizzled with yogurt and honey.
Sofia laughed at Nat’s self-deprecating comment as she helped herself to fruit. “Well, I haven’t seen any evidence of that yet.”
Nat’s mother leaned. “Oh, don’t let her fool you.
I’m only joking, of course. Nat’s always been the helpful one.
Sometimes I have to remind her to think about herself a little more.
” She reached across the table and squeezed Nat’s hand affectionately.
“She works so hard. When the bakery was still open, she’d sneak in to help out every chance she got.
Even now, she’s spending her holidays working at the lodge because they’re short on staff. ”
Nat winced. She didn’t like lying to her parents but the staff shortage had been a lie. Her parents would have never let her work over the holidays just to help them out. “I don’t mind, I enjoy it,” she said, glancing down at her plate.
“Not everyone would go out of their way like you do, Nat,” Her father argued. “We’re proud of you.”
A beat of silence passed before Sofia spoke. “Nat told me there had been a fire at the bakery.”
The atmosphere at the table shifted slightly as Nat’s parents exchanged a glance, and her father let out a sigh.
“Yeah. It’s been tough but we’re renovating. Doing what we can with what we have and hoping to re-open soon.”
“I’m sorry you’ve had to go through that,” Sofia said. “I can’t imagine how hard it must be.”
Nat’s father straightened himself and shook his head. “We’ll manage. We always do. We’ve got good people around us, and that makes all the difference.” He grinned and turned to Zoe. “And our youngest can’t wait to join the family business when we re-open.”
“Dad!” Zoe rolled her eyes. “I told you I’ll help you out in the first few weeks but after that, I’m focusing on auditions.”
“I know, I know…” Her father chuckled. “But mark my words, Zoe—you’ve never been away from home before. I’d bet my best loaf of sourdough that within two months, you’ll be back, missing your family and craving some homemade meals.”
Zoe groaned. “Come on, Dad. I’m not a kid anymore. I’ll have you know I can survive on more than just home-cooked meals.”
Nat observed the back-and-forth between her father and Zoe with amusement. “Just promise to send us a selfie when you burn your first meal,” she said.
“I won’t burn anything!” Zoe shot back. “But… if it happens, I’ll blame the toaster.”
“Blame the toaster,” their mother echoed, shaking her head with mock disapproval. “This is what I get for raising a comedian instead of a chef.”
“Auditions?” Sofia tilted her head. “You want to be an actress?”
“Yes. I want to go to drama school. I’ve applied to a couple of places in New York and Los Angeles. I’ll hear back early next year.”
“How exciting. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.”
Zoe’s face lit up. “Thanks. I’ve wanted to be on stage for as long as I can remember. I’ve been doing theatre at school, and I’ve done some online classes.”
“What do you want to do?” Sofia asked. “Musicals, plays, film?”
“Film, definitely! I want to be in movies. Big ones, you know? The kind that people line up to see opening night. I want to be famous, to make people feel something when they watch me on screen.”
Nat listened to Zoe’s passionate declaration with quiet worry.
They’d had this conversation many times before, late at night when Zoe’s excitement would bubble over and she’d talk endlessly about auditions, fame, and making it big.
Nat always tried to temper her sister’s expectations gently, reminding her how tough and competitive the film industry could be, how few people actually “made it.” She didn’t want Zoe to be crushed if things didn’t turn out the way she hoped.
But lately, Nat had stopped bringing it up.
Zoe was young, and having big dreams was part of that youth.
She deserved to chase them with all the fire in her heart.
So, instead of cautioning her again, Nat simply hoped that whatever happened, Zoe’s resilience would carry her through—and that she’d always know her family would be there to catch her if she fell.
“That’s a wonderful dream, Zoe,” Sofia said, squeezing Nat’s hand under the table. And you’ve got the passion for it—that’s half the battle.”
“Thanks.” Zoe’s cheeks flushed with excitement. “When I’m a big star, you’re all getting premiere tickets. And maybe I’ll bring some burnt toast for Dad, just for nostalgia’s sake.”
The table erupted in laughter, and Nat shook her head affectionately. “You’ll do great, Zoe. Just remember us little people when you’re walking the red carpet.”
The conversation settled into a comfortable rhythm, and Martha stood, wiping her hands on her apron. “I’ll be right back,” she said. “I’ve got some freshly baked sourdough toast with brie and cranberry chutney in the oven. It should be perfect right about now.”
Sofia’s eyes widened. “More food? It sounds delicious but I’m not sure if I can eat more…”
“In this household, there’s always more food,” Nat said with a grin.
“And more coffee,” her father added, pouring hot coffee into their mugs from the pot on the table.
Martha returned and set down the tray of toast topped with bubbling cheese. She looked at Sofia as she plated. “Enough about us, honey. We want to know about you now.”