The moist lemon flavored cake captivated my taste buds. The sweetness was satisfying but not overpowering. I plunged the plastic white fork into the cake to savor yet another bite of goodness. I felt a smile tug at my cheeks, which meant I was really grinning up something awful.
In the past five years, I’d become a widow, an empty nester, retired after thirty years of teaching middle school and struggled daily with my greatest comfort — food. My sweet tooth and desire for carbs had slowly become my enemy, leaving me with this battle to monitor my blood sugar every day. I’d lost over fifty pounds in the past two years, but still craved all the food I’d lost on the journey. As a recently acquired wedding planner, I was happy this errand turned out to be a great start for a Tuesday. But there was so much left to do, even for my retiree schedule.
I looked down at the table where two other plates sat in front of me. I’d almost forgot to try the other wedding cake samples. I stuck my fork into the other two prepared slices. One plate held a yellow cake with fluffy buttercream icing. It tasted like any other cake I had in my lifetime. Nothing extraordinary, but definitely too sweet. On the other plate was a two-layer white angel food cake with a thin layer of strawberries in between the layers. Neither could top the first sample. The light lemon cake was a masterpiece.
I looked over at my future daughter-in-law, Dr. Carmen Alpine. “Carmen, this one tastes so good. Are you sure this is okay for me to be eating?”
Carmen’s eyes looked glazed over as if her mind had been transported away from Sweet Dreams Bakery. The independent boutique bakery took on a limited number of clients, and we were lucky to be squeezed in today. I peered down at the plates in front of Carmen and noticed she hadn’t tasted any of the cake selections. I nudged her. “Carmen, are you okay? We have to make this decision today in order to have the cake ready for October twenty-second.”
She blinked, as if I’d awaken her. “Yes, you’re right.” She grabbed a fork and scooped up the lemon cake from the plate in front of her.
I watched as she quietly tasted each cake slice almost like a robot. I knew Carmen had worked a long shift at the hospital yesterday. I wasn’t sure if she was tired or if something else was on her mind. Last year, Carmen had completed her residency where she’d met my son, Dr. Cedric Patterson. Both of them were obstetricians. Cedric had officially brought Carmen into his thriving private practice and his heart. Almost forty, my bachelor son had finally found a business partner as well as the love of his life. This woman who I’d grown to accept as a member of the family was a decade younger than my son and just as tall as him too. Carmen reminded me of the singer Beyoncé except she wore her honey blonde tresses in a natural do. Today, her hair was pulled high on her head in a curly puff.
Neither Carmen or Cedric had time to do wedding planning. Both were quite alright with going to the justice of peace in their scrubs and calling it a day, but Carmen’s parents and I objected, insisting on a wedding ceremony. I’d waited so long to see Cedric find someone. Unlike his older brother, Junior, who married his college sweetheart, I was starting to think Cedric despised the institution of marriage. I mailed a batch of invitations for the busy couple yesterday. We might just make it through these wedding plans without any trouble, even though we were way behind on the checklist.
Carmen swallowed the last piece of cake and turned towards me. “I asked the chef to create something that tasted good but wouldn’t send people’s blood sugar sky high. She mentioned something about using Stevia and applesauce to substitute for the sugar.”
I grinned again. “Well, she did a good job. I need to remember that combination the next time I bake. Now will she do this as a two tier or three tier cake?”
Though her body was still sitting next to me in the bakery, Carmen seemed to wander off again.
Okay, I was becoming concerned. There was something about Carmen’s slumped posture that didn’t denote an excited bride.
“Are you upset because Cedric couldn’t make it to the cake testing? You of all people should know babies don’t wait to be delivered.”
Carmen’s flushed face appeared as if she was going to burst into tears. I watched as she shut her eyes and then opened them. The smooth, caramel complexion of her face seemed composed, but her large brown eyes remained tormented. “No, one of us had to be at the practice today. Cedric does have a patient who can deliver any time now. I’m happy to have you along, Ms. Eugeena. You’ve been really great with all this wedding planning.”
When I first met Carmen, I wasn’t so sure about this relationship between a doctor and his resident. But over time, since she became the only woman in a long line of prospects my son solidly committed to, Carmen had won me over.
Now I just needed to work on my youngest and only daughter, Leesa, a mother of two who had yet to marry. I continued to pray for the right man to come along. Leesa had jumped wholeheartedly into planning the reception for her brother and future sister-in-law, and it did my heart good to see her embrace her favorite brother’s wedding.
I blew out a breath and started to ask Carmen again about the cake, but Chef Ruth Cordell came around the corner with her hands clasped. “So how was it?” The chef looked at the samples in front of Carmen. “Which one did you like?”
Carmen glanced up at the chef. She reached down and grabbed a fork and stuck it into the plate with the lemon cake. As Carmen chewed thoughtfully, a slight smile appeared on her face. “This is it? Don’t you think, Eugeena?”
I nodded, happy to see Carmen had snapped out of whatever had been bothering her.
She nodded, “I’d like to have a two-tiered cake for the cake on display, as well as a sheet cake for backup.”
The chef jotted notes on her pad. “Got it. We’ll add your cake to our calendar. The big day is October twenty-second, correct?”
“Yes,” Carmen responded, her voice low.
The pastry chef glanced at me, and I smiled.
After Chef Cordell walked back towards the kitchen, I raised my eyebrow at Carmen’s soft-spoken response. There was something else going on with Carmen that had nothing to do with being tired after a long shift. I prodded. “Is everything okay with you and Cedric?”
She looked at me, her eyes appeared sad. “Yes, we’re fine.”
“How come you don’t sound like you’re fine? If I didn’t know better, I would think you’re just going through the motions. I know this can all be overwhelming. Are you having second thoughts?”
She shook her head. “No. I just have something on my mind. Something came up unexpectedly, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. I’ll be fine. I appreciate you and Leesa helping me with the wedding. I don’t know what I would do without you both.”
“Well, let’s get some lunch. I’m feeling a bit low and a meal may do us both some good.” I rose from the chair to stretch my legs. During the hot, summer months, I’d not been diligent to keep up with my walking. I could feel extra pounds on me that I didn’t need. September still had some muggy days, but at least I was attempting to rise a bit early to get in a walk around the neighborhood. Thankfully, I’d walked this morning. Getting old came with an annoying stiffness that walking helped relieve.
When the chef came out to consult with Carmen about the cake invoice, I headed towards the front of the bakery. Sweet aromas had assaulted my nose from the time we entered, and I figured taking a peek at the offerings didn’t hurt. My eyes zoned on a large cheese danish with tiny pecans embedded in the icing. Cheese danish had been my vice for years. I would have one almost every morning with black coffee before starting my day teaching South Carolina history to eighth graders.
I caught sight of Carmen coming from the back room, thankfully saving me from the tortuous temptations. I turned to ask her if she was ready to go when I noticed her face. She was staring out the window at something or someone.
The door to the bakery opened with the jingle of a bell.
I rotated my body to see a man walk through the doors. His eyes were focused on Carmen. The man was tall, probably over six feet. His skin was a deep dark brown and his eyes were almond shaped. He had the kind of lashes many women strived to achieve with mascara. He spoke, his voice hoarse as if he hadn’t used his vocal chords in a long time or was a possible smoker. “Carmen, it’s good to see you again.”
Again? Who was this man and how did he know Carmen?
Carmen brushed past me towards the door. “Ms. Eugeena, we need to go.”
“Okay.” I glanced at the man whose face looked as though Carmen had punched him. I hurried behind Carmen. Her long legs seemed to have forgotten the old woman behind her.
I called out. “Carmen, slow down. What’s your hurry?”
I found myself sprinting as Carmen reached her silver Nissan Murano. Before I arrived, she’d already unlocked the doors with her key fob and climbed into the driver’s seat.
Was she going to leave me?
I rushed around the car and snatched open the passenger door just as Carmen cranked the engine. Out of breath, I hefted my body inside the car. It took what felt like several minutes to catch my breath. I looked at her. “Thank you for the impromptu exercise. Would you mind telling me what’s going on with you today?”
I turned around to look through the back window. The man who Carmen seemed to be running from was standing outside the bakery staring at us. “Carmen, who is that man? Why is he looking at us?”
Carmen glanced at her rear-view mirror. “We need to get out of here now.”
I reached for the seat belt and fastened it as Carmen lurched the car into reverse. She tore out of the parking lot, burning rubber. I tightened my seatbelt and clung to the door rest. “Carmen,” I shrieked, “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
Carmen’s shoulders dropped. “I’m sorry, Ms. Eugeena. I’m so sorry.”
I loosened my grip on the car door and tried to calm myself. “How about we get some real food to eat? I think you owe me an explanation, young lady.”
Carmen nodded her head and drove quietly. She gripped the steering wheel so hard I thought she would break it.
Ten minutes later, she turned the car into Charleston Good Eats, a new family-owned restaurant. It was a popular eatery, especially during the lunch hour, and after much circling, Carmen found a parking space near the back. Looking like a little girl who’d lost her favorite toy, she didn’t immediately cut the engine. I could see she was visibly shaking.
“Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”
“I don’t know if I can. I don’t know if I deserve you caring so much or even Cedric’s love at this point.”
I frowned. I expected tears and drama from my daughter. Watching the usual stoic Carmen break down concerned me. “Carmen, tell me what’s going on.”
She wiped the tears streaming down her face with her sleeve.
I reached over and rubbed her arm. “What’s got you so upset? You know you can talk to me. Who was the man back there at the bakery?”
Carmen lifted her eyes to the top of the car roof as though she sought God for support. “Ms. Eugeena, I haven’t been truthful. I’ve been trying to keep my past behind me, but it’s managed to catch up with me. That…that…that man…was…my ex-husband.”
I clutched my chest. I was trying not to make a Fred Sanford move because that would be overly dramatic on my part, but my heart jolted with fear.
Was this young woman whom I accepted about to break my son’s heart?