Sophia stumbled into the kitchen and filled up a glass of water. “Yeah, but he’s my dad. Hehasto tell me stuff like that.”
“It doesn’t make it any less true,” Stu said to her back. “If it makes you feel better, your mom was like that, too.”
Sophia wheeled around to face him, the cup halfway to her mouth. “She was?”
“Kelly had a lot of moments of self-doubt,” Stu replied, shifting from one foot to the other. “But she always found a way to get back up on her feet. Did you know that when she moved back to Provincetown, she rented out this empty apartment with only a mattress on the floor and a mini fridge?”
Sophia downed her drink and swallowed. “You never told me that.”
Stu cleared his throat. “I could tell you a lot of stories about your mom.”
Sophia exchanged a quick glance with Lily and looked back at him. “We do have room for one more. Come on, Pop. Tell us some more stories.”
Her father settled on the armchair across from the couch, his face bathed in the dim glow of the yellow light. When he told stories about their mother, his face lit up, and his voice changed, and Sophia found herself hanging onto his every word.
She’d heard most of the stories before, but she didn’t get tired of them.
And she loved sharing the experience with Lily, who was watching Stu with tears in her eyes. A short while later, when tears of laughter were sliding down their face, Sophia’s father left them to their own devices. It wasn’t long before Lily was sprawled on the couch, her mouth half-open and drool collecting on the sides.
Carefully, Sophia crept into her own room, changed out of her clothes, and left the door ajar. That night, she dreamt of her mom, dad, Ian, and Lily. In her dreams, the four of them were in the backyard, smiling and laughing.
Sophia wanted to stay in that dream forever.
Chapter Three
Sophia pushed her hair out of her eyes and drew her bottom lip between her teeth. Using the pastry bag, she carefully squeezed the frosting out of the tip in order to decorate the rest of the cupcake, making a perfect little gray swirl. When she was done, she moved on to the other cupcake, a thin sheen of sweat breaking out across her forehead.
A few cupcakes later, she straightened and used the back of her hand to swat an errant lock of hair away. Then she tasted the rest of the batter and added a sprinkle of cinnamon, smiling to herself as she did. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a flicker of movement and saw some of the wait staff return, wearing identical harried expressions. She turned toward them with a frown and, through the slit in the double doors, saw a bedazzled designer bag on top of the display counter. More of the servers poured in through the double doors of the kitchen, and Sophia shifted closer.
Once the blond-haired woman in a pink designer jumpsuit tapped her long, manicured nails against the counter, Sophia realized why everyone was running away. Madison Blake was one of the toughest customers they’d ever had to deal with. Everyone avoided her like the plague.
Unfortunately, she was also the bride of one of the biggest weddings they’d ever catered, and Sophia knew how much Nora had riding on this. As an influencer, Madison had the ability to make or break the shop’s reputation, and they were all in agreement that Madison needed to be kept happy, even if it meant having to walk on eggshells around her.
Just seeing her filled Sophia with anxiety, and she was determined to avoid her until Madison’s shrill voice rose through the air, and a few meaningful glances were tossed in Sophia’s direction. With a sigh, she wiped her hands on her apron and pushed her through the double doors and into the main part of the shop, which had cream-colored walls on either side and windows that overlooked the main street, letting in a lot of sunlight.
Some of their regulars were in their booths, enjoying the muffins Sophia had helped make that morning. She waved at them before turning to face Madison, who kept one hand on her waist while the other scrolled through her phone at an alarming speed. As soon as she glanced up at Sophia and leveled her with a withering look, Sophia was overcome with the urge to run back into the kitchen and hide.
You’re a grown-up, Soph. Get a grip. What’s the worst Madison can do?
“Where’s Nora?”
Sophia cleared her throat. “She’s not in today, but I’m sure I can help, Ms. Blake. What seems to be the problem?”
“I need more samples to be able to decide on the kind of cupcakes I want,” Madison told her with a roll of her eyes. “I don’t know how you expect me to decide when you’ve only sent me a dozen cupcakes to try.”
Sophia’s smile didn’t waver. “I’m sure we can figure something out—”
Madison slammed a hand against the counter. “I don’t want excuses. I want results. Do you have any idea how many followers I have? I could’ve gone for a well-known bakery, you know. But I wanted to support a local business. And this is the thanks I get.”
Sophia pressed her lips together and said nothing.
Do not respond. Madison is just a brat. A rich and entitled brat, but a brat all the same.
“Ms. Blake, why don’t you sit down, and I can see about those samples? We have a selection of muffins that are freshly baked, too. Would you like to try one?”
Madison scoffed and picked up her designer bag. “Do I look like I want one? Don’t you know how to do anything right?”
Sophia led Madison to one of the booths, counting backward in her head the entire time. “I’ll be right back.”
