Chapter 17
SERANA
I waited until Ginger looked over before I said, “When you have a chance, will you come talk to me about one of the orders for tomorrow?”
“Of course,” Ginger said before she turned her attention to a customer and smiled.
I stepped back through the swinging door into the kitchen to check on Janis.
My boss and owner of the bakery had health issues that sometimes made her everyday tasks nearly impossible.
She’d been home the majority of the week with pain in her shoulder and arm but insisted she was well enough to work today.
Luckily, Janis was self-aware enough to make that decision.
She also had a loving partner who checked on her often and parents who made sure she knew she had their unwavering support.
I remembered all the times my mom had comforted me as a child, and again I wondered how she was doing. I wanted more than anything to at least talk to her - even if she didn’t want to see me. I questioned if that would really be the case, though.
The more I looked back on the conversation with my dad when he banished me, the more I wondered what he’d actually told her.
Did she know what he was going to say? If she did, did she agree with him?
Or, if she was kept in the dark, did she wonder why I had resisted the urge to contact her the past few years?
My biggest fear was that she’d think I’d given up on her because of that day when she cried by my bedside, but my fondest wish was that she understood that my dad thought he was acting in their best interests - and I agreed that staying away would be better for everyone involved.
Including me.
I’d seen how my siblings’ addictions tore at the family and worried my mom until she was almost physically ill. I didn’t want to be the cause of that.
Now, after almost a year on the “outside,” I had faith in myself that I wasn’t going to relapse.
I knew I still had work to do, and that would never change, but I hadn’t even felt the urge to find a source for the drugs I used to crave.
Instead, I craved healthy things - like spending time with friends, Roscoe, and his family - and discovering new hobbies that the old me never would have considered.
Like decorating cakes and gardening, two things that take up the majority of my days now.
Since Janis was busy working on a fondant sculpture and looked content, I let my worry for her go and got back to the tasks at hand.
By the time Ginger made it to the back to answer my questions, I already had four flavors of cake in the oven while I waited on the previous batch to cool enough to wrap for the freezer.
Janis was a wonderful boss, and I loved that there wasn’t any drama working for her. She was very specific in her instructions and expected her employees to follow her directions, but she also gave us room to speak up if there was something we felt could be accomplished more easily.
Freezing cakes for future use had been my idea months ago and it had come in handy more than a few times since Janis let me start the stocking process.
Now she left the inventory to me, and I was sure to rotate through the stock by using older cakes when a last- minute order came in for me to decorate - as happened with Roscoe a few months ago - or by creating a generic design for the display case out front.
The door swung open just as Ginger said, “I know it’s a weird one, but it’s what the woman wants. When I called to confirm - because I didn’t believe what I was reading- she said I had all of the details just right.”
“This is for a baby shower?” I asked.
“Yep!” Ginger assured me. “It’s her first baby, and the women who were her bridesmaids are the ones throwing the shower.”
“What’s the problem?”
“Have you ever made a naked belly cake for a baby shower?”
Janis looked pensive before she said, “I’ve made a few pregnant belly cakes, but they had fondant over them like a drape of material. The medium-sized mixing bowls are the perfect size for the belly.”
“No. This order has a naked belly as well as boobs and a vajayjay, complete with a bejeweled clit piercing.”
“Do what now?” Janis asked, rolling her stool back from the table and frowning at me.
“All the things, Janis. All of ‘em.”
“The only thing missing is a nipple ring or two,” Ginger chimed in.
Janis went quiet and got the expression that nearly makes you hear the gears turning in her head. “Let’s think about this for a second before you start working on the cake. First of all, how would you make a nipple out of fondant?”
“That’s your main question?”
“No. What’s the mother-to-be’s name, and how do we get in touch with her? I can almost guarantee she’s not gonna want guests at her baby shower eating a molded representation of her vagina - and probably won’t want Great-grandma Bessie finding out that her clit is pierced either.”
“My thoughts exactly,” I said with a sigh. I looked over at Ginger and asked, “Do you know how we can get in touch with her? This isn’t a surprise shower, is it?”
“I asked that, too, and no, it’s not a surprise. My guess is that the cake is gonna be a surprise, but not the party itself.”
“I’ll call the customer and tell her we need to speak to the pregnant woman to gather some specific details,” I said as I looked back down at the ticket.
“Yeah, like, ‘What shade of rose pink are your nipples?’ or ‘Is your left lip larger than your right or vice versa?’” Janis said sarcastically.
“Get it figured out and then let’s close up for the day.
I’m at a stopping place and need a nap - and you’re already two hours over your scheduled work hours for the week. ”
“Are you sure? I might need to get started on this if . . .”
“Call me a prude, but I’m not going to let my name be attached to an iced vagina even if it’s got a diamond in it. If the mother-to-be insists that this is what she wants then tell her to find another baker and refund her deposit.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said with a grin.
“And then get out of here. I don’t like you enough to put up with you and pay you time and a half.”
“You say such sweet things,” Ginger teased as I walked over and picked up the landline to make the call. “That’s why we love you so much, Janis.”
“Shut it, Gilligan’s Island, and get back to work!”
◆◆◆
Someone tapped their horn. I glanced up from my e-reader and was surprised to find Terra Forrester behind the wheel of a classic Bronco with a woman I didn’t recognize in the passenger seat.
“Get in, honey! We’re gonna go wreak havoc on the unsuspecting citizens of Rojo!”
I laughed as I stood up. “As much as I’d love to go with you, I’m waiting on Zoey to pick me up.”
“I went over to talk to her earlier today, and she sent me to come get you. We’ve got an errand to run before I take you home.”
“I feel special,” I said, opening the back door. Once I was inside, I smiled at the woman who had turned to greet me and said, “Hi! I’m Serana.”
“My name’s Robin,” the woman said, twisting around to shake my hand. “I’m Garvey and Corey’s mom.”
“I love those guys. They’re both so sweet to Zoey and Janis - it almost makes the women seem human!”
Robin and Terra laughed at my joke, and then Terra turned around in her seat and said, “I want you and Robin to chat, so she’s gonna get in the back with you while I drive us across town to run an errand, okay?”
I didn’t have a chance to say anything before Robin was squeezing between the front seats to join me on the back bench. She put a hand on my knee and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “You’re not in any kind of trouble, Serana.”
“It kind of feels like I am.”
“Not at all. Terra talked to Zoey about you; they shared a few minor details about your situation with me, and I asked if I could speak to you in person.”
“What did they tell you?” I asked. The vehicle started moving, and I waited until Robin had buckled her seatbelt before I asked, "What is this about exactly?”
“I assume you know my son was in prison.”
“Yes. Garvey has never hidden that from us.”
“Did he tell you that he refused to have any contact with us while he was in prison, or even after he got out?”
“He did.”
“I’m sure he could expand on my explanation, but to put it simply, he was ashamed of how far he’d fallen into addiction and thought we’d be better off without him.”
“Were you?”
“Of course not! I have to admit that after his arrest, it took a few weeks for my nerves to settle after years of worrying about him. But then the worry about how he was faring in prison kicked in, and I had a whole new set of fears. Then, when he got out and still wasn’t talking to us, I was terrified that he’d lose his way and fall right back into his old patterns.
Luckily, he didn’t. I know that’s because he was - and is - so dedicated to remaining sober and helping others do the same. ”
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked warily.
“Because I know that somewhere in your heart, you’re wondering if your mom is feeling the same heartbreak I did when I lost contact with my son. I want to help the two of you reconnect.”
“I’ve been thinking about her more and more,” I whispered as tears filled my eyes.
“At first, I thought my dad was right to tell me to stay away, but over time, I’ve started to worry.
She might not know that the only reason I was out of touch was because I was following his demands.
But I waver back and forth. When I remember how much she missed my brothers and sisters, I don’t think there’s any way she would have agreed with him. ”
“You’ll never know until you ask her. My guess is that even if she did agree in the heat of the moment, she’s changed her mind since then and would love to see you, especially since you’re not the woman she last saw.”
“I’m really not. I’m much stronger now, and that has a lot to do with your son and the chances that everyone at The Flower Patch has given me.”
“It’s sort of a moot point anyway, Serana,” Robin admitted, “because I’ve already talked to your mom.”
“You have?” When Robin nodded, I asked, “What did she say?”
The car slowed down, and I saw that Terra was pulling into the parking lot of Martha’s diner. I was floored when Robin said, “Your mom is inside right now, talking to Martha while she waits for you.”
“She’s in Rojo?”
“She sure is. Your brother drove her here to meet with you.”
“Why are you . . .” I sobbed before I could stop myself. “I have never had anyone help me like this before. I just don’t know what to say.”
By now, Terra had parked. She hopped out and opened my door, reaching in to take my hand.
“Even if I didn’t owe you my life for saving my grandson, I still would have done this for you.
The entire time I was locked up, all I could think about was how much I missed my parents.
Now that I’m a mom, all I can think about is how much I would have missed my children if we lost contact - and that I’d do anything to bring them back into my life. ”
“I can attest to that. I thought about Garvey every single day,” Robin added.
“I look a mess. I should have . . . what if . . .”
“You look like a woman who has worked all morning and is ready for her second job. You look healthy and happy, and you will be a sight for sore eyes,” Robin promised.
“And, if it helps at all, you smell like cake frosting. The second she hugs you, she’s gonna get a sugar high,” Terra assured me with a grin.
She nudged me forward. “I’m going to give you the same advice that a very wise woman gave me years ago.
The world will run over a weak woman. Put your chin up, your shoulders back, and take the world by the tail.
Now, wipe the tears off your face and go make your dream come true. ”
“What if it doesn’t? What if . . .”
“If things don’t turn out the way they should I’ll take care of you, Serana. I might not be old enough to be your mom, but I’ll do in a pinch, and Robin can take up my slack, okay?”
“You’ll adopt me?”
“I kind of already did.”
Walking through the restaurant felt like a dream, and I found myself falling behind as I followed Robin toward the back of the diner until I felt Terra’s hand on my shoulder. She squeezed gently and nudged me to walk a little faster.
She whispered, “She’s probably just as nervous as you are, Serana, and neither of you should be.”
“I can’t help it. I feel like I’ve let her down so many times.”
“You did, over and over again, but now you’re a woman she can be proud of. Even if she’s not able to put it into words, I’ll say it for her.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous,” I admitted just as Robin pushed open the door and walked into the back room ahead of me.
“Serana!” my mom cried the second Robin moved aside to let me in.
“Mama!” I choked out, barely able to see her through my tears.
And then her arms were around me, and I felt like I was right where I belonged again.