Sweets

chapter 11

Rae

You know that feeling you get when you know something bad is about to happen, but you don't know why.

It's a perfectly normal day, yet I have been feeling this since we left the hospital.

I keep telling myself I am just shaken up by the haunted house, the accident/trip to the hospital, and I haven't gotten any sleep, but I just feel uneasy.

Maybe it's because everything has been too easy lately.

When do I ever get a vacation?

All I do is work, work and work.

Yet, here I am taking days off and actually having fun.

That doesn't seem normal for me.

Nothing can be that perfect, can it?

It feels as if I am now just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Like something big is coming my way and I won't be able to stop it.

I decide to just focus, because I do not need to have an anxiety attack just thinking about this.

Time to get to it.

Sunshine's was busy when I walked in, so I grabbed an apron and went straight to work after greeting my mama.

The morning crowd is finally dying down just a little bit, now that it is getting closer to lunchtime.

Around here, normally, it's busier early in the mornings and closer to closing time.

The good thing about a bakery, though, is that the time of day does not matter.

Sweets are sweets and people want them all the time, so we always have customers.

"Rae, here's your coffee, just the way you like it," mom hands me a cup.

"Thank you," I say, and take the first sip.

Can't deny that Cali Thomas makes the best coffee too.

I swear it wakes me up completely.

I tell her all about the trip, leaving out the fact that I saw and spent the night with Cooper.

I show her some of the pictures and videos I took.

She hypes up all of my pictures.

I tell her about the haunted experience, and I am about to tell her about the accident, but all of a sudden, the doors open and a huge group walks in, so we get back to work.

Mom is on the cash register, and I pack the orders as the customers place them.

I notice mom grabbing her head a couple of times, but she smiles and continues talking and ringing up the customers.

I get that sinking feeling again.

I do a quick sweep of the bakery, and nothing looks off.

"Anything else?" I ask the gray-haired woman, who is still looking at our display cases.

"Yes dear, this chocolate cupcake," I grab it and put it in her box.

Mom rings her up, says goodbye and as she is walking out, someone I wish to never see again walks in.

F*ck my life.

I continue packing orders and I try to act like he's not standing there looking at me.

He stands in line and waits patiently as we get all the orders out.

"Can I help you?" I ask him, not being able to ignore him if he is a paying customer.

"I just want a little bit of your time, Rae.

I have been looking for you, and I was just told that you left on vacation.

I come here every day hoping to see you.

I need to explain," he tells me.

"If you are not going to purchase anything, then you need to go. I have nothing to speak to you about," I tell him.

"Rae please. It was all a misunderstanding. They seduced me, Rae.

Your cousin snuck that girl into my bed," he begins talking.

"Stop. This is not the time or the place. You need to get out," I tell him firmly.

"Next," I shout.

"But Rae," he says.

I ignore him.

"Can I help you?" I ask the woman behind him.

"Yes, can I get 3 dozen cupcakes, 2 dozen bagels and a gallon of coffee and another of orange juice," she places her order and I tell her it will be with her shortly.

I hand her a cupcake for her to enjoy as she waits.

"Rae, just hear me out. Please. Stop icing me out.

You are really hurting me.

I thought we could talk.

We love each other, and if you can just look past this, then we can have the great life we envisioned.

You can't throw both of our lives away over a mistake.

That's all it was Rae.

It was a mistake.

I didn't mean it.

You are it for me.

Let's go out on a date to talk," he begs.

The audacity.

I should call his dad and tell him that his piece of sh!t son is bothering me again, but instead, I completely ignore him and continue to pack the orders as they come.

He can stand there and embarrass himself all he wants.

"Lincoln," mom waves him over to her.

"Here, I packed this order up for your parents. Why don't you get going so they can enjoy it warm," mom hands Lincoln Jr a box to bring back to his parents, Victoria and Lincoln Sr.

I know this is her telling him to f*ck off in a nice way.

Bless her heart.

When I dumped him, I told her I didn't want it to affect her and Victoria's relationship, and I meant that.

What Lincoln Jr did to me has nothing to do with them.

They have known each other for years and are great friends.

They do so much together.

I do not want that to change.

"Thank you. I will bring it to them as soon as I finish talking to Rae.

There's no rush by the way.

I will sit here and wait all day if I need to,"

I know he thinks that's a power move, because he smirks, but it is more annoying than anything.

He just does not take no for an answer.

In my opinion, men who can't take no for an answer can be dangerous.

I text dad to come to the bakery to deal with him.

He can sit there until dad arrives, because I already know once he sees dad, he will leave.

He is afraid of my dad.

Even if he tries to act all tough, dad just gives him the look and he is running away.

"Hi, what can I get for you? I ask the next customer.

"Can I get 2 glazed donuts, 2 red velvet cupcakes and an iced coffee," the woman orders.

I grab her things and place them in the pretty pink and white boxes we are so known for at Sunshine's.

I have redesigned these so many times until we finally got the right ones.

Mom loves them and, honestly, so do I.

These are my best work so far.

I turn around to place it next to mom so she can ring her up, and I notice the man paying is holding the money out to mom, but she is stuck frozen, just staring forward.

"Mom," I say as I get closer.

Alarm bells are ringing.

"Do you want me to take over?" I ask her.

Maybe she is feeling tired.

Mom wakes up early every day to be here.

Maybe she is starting to feel burnt out.

Hopefully she isn't getting sick?

All of a sudden, her eyes roll back, and her body begins shaking. I throw the box on the counter to free my hands to catch her as she falls to the ground.

"Help," I shout.

Mom's baker has a son who helps out.

He is here today, so I shout for him.

"Gus, mom collapsed.

Come help me," I shout.

I hope he can hear me.

I know that he sometimes wears headphones back there.

"Oh sh!t Rae, let me help," Lincoln jumps over the counter and helps me lay mom gently on the floor.

"Call dad, call 911," I shout to him or to anyone really.

The panic is setting in.

I feel my heart beat beating wildly and my throat is closing up.

The feeling of helplessness takes over.

I remember this feeling too well.

I f*cking hate it.

I am normally good and the person to call during an emergency, but not when it is about my mom.

I freak out over her.

After Forest, she is all I have left.

I love my mommy so much, everyone knows this.

I check her vitals, and I don't know if it is because I am now shaking violently or what, but I don't feel anything.

"Mom, wake up mom, mommy," I feel the tears streaming down my face.

Why isn't she responding to me?

"Mom, please wake up," I cry.