Page 75 of Friends That Heal Us
With a deep breath, I cut through the violet ribbon. Applause and cheers erupt around me as I push open the doors and step inside. The scent of freshly baked bread and sugar fills the air. For a second, I just stand there, soaking it in. The chatter, and the sound of feet shuffling across the floors, echoes around me. Liv immediately hurries behind the counter, her ponytail bouncing as she ties on her apron, ready to take orders. People form a line with big smiles as they chat away. My chest swells, and disbelief washes over me that this is really happening.
My bakery.
It’s finally alive.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
VIOLET
I turnaround at the sound of the door opening. “Hi,” I say and walk around the counter and wrap my arms around my parents.
“Hi sweetie,” my mom says.
“Smells good in here. What have you been baking?” Dad asks.
“Pumpkin everything. It’s so popular with the colder days and fall coming. What do you two want?” I ask, and head back behind the counter.
“I’ll take a pumpkin cupcake.”
“Me too.”
“Any coffee?” I ask while pulling the cupcakes out of the display cases.
“Do you have regular brewed coffee?” Dad asks.
I nod.
“I’ll have the same.”
I place both cupcakes on top of the display case and then pour three cups of coffee for us. I walk out to a table and pulla chair out for everyone. We all sit down, and I watch as my parents’ eyes light up biting into their cupcakes.
“I miss your baking,” Mom says, wiping the small amount of cream cheese frosting from the corner of her mouth.
“I miss you two.”
“We miss you too. How are you doing? Be honest with us. If we need to cancel our trips, we will,” Dad says.
Even though it would be wonderful to have my parents here, I can’t let them do that. Those fuckers have already uprooted two lives already. I can’t have them do it to two more. They’ve been saving up for this for as long as I can remember. It wouldn’t be fair to them.
“You don’t have to do that. You two have been dreaming about this forever.”
“You’re more important than the trips we had planned. The trips will always be there,” Mom says.
I shake my head. “I promise I’m fine. Opening this bakery has kept my mind busy, and Ezra has been a big help too.”
I haven’t told them everything that has happened because I didn’t want them to worry. They think the only thing Zayn has done is cheat and call them about Ezra and me supposedly sleeping together. I know I’ll tell them everything eventually, just not right now while everything is still fresh.
“How’s Ezra doing with everything?” Mom asks after taking a sip of her coffee.
I want to tell them he’s been having problems with his marriage and friendship before all this and kept it to himself. But it’s not my place to talk about it. “He’s been doing fine. We’ve been there for each other through it all, and it’s been helpful.”
My mom’s head tilts with a smile. “I’m glad you two have each other.”
“I’ve always liked Ezra. He’s a good guy,” Dad adds.
“He is.”
“What are you going to do with your house?”
