“How do you mean?”
“Suzanne, she took over every single one of your duties, including lining up the reverend. Can you believe that binder she had? It must have weighed twenty pounds. I’ll bet she’s been working on it since Emily was a little girl. Who knows, maybe even longer. There’s literally nothing left for you to do.”
“Are you kidding? I just have to make the wedding donuts and show up. That sounds perfect to me,” I said.
“If you’re sure,” Grace said. She paused a moment, and then my best friend asked me, “Will you tell me what’s going on now?”
As I pulled up into her driveway, I said, “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll tell you, but you can’t ask me any questions or make any comments. When I’m finished, we say good night. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” she said. Wow, she really did want to know what was going on with me to agree to those terms.
“Jake was on his way here to discuss something serious with me when he was called back to his office suddenly. I have a feeling that he’s about to break up with me.” I managed to say it all without crying, which was a big deal for me, given how I felt about the situation.
Grace had a look of pure shock on her face, as though I’d stunned her into silence. After a slight pause, she held up one finger, and her expression begged me for the chance to say one thing.
“Okay,” I relented. “You can say one thing, but that’s it.”
“I’m here if you need me,” Grace said, and then she gave me a hug before she got out of the car.
It was the perfect thing to say.
Now I had just one more gauntlet to run before I could get to sleep, but it would be the toughest one yet. I knew that there was no way that Momma would agree to one comment. No matter what happened, I was in for a long night when I could barely afford to give up the sleep I might still manage before I had to get up and make the donuts yet again.
But Momma was gone when I drove the short way home, though her car was back in its rightful place. She must have been out with Chief Martin, which was fine with me. I crawled into bed at 8:30, turned off my ringer, and fell asleep from sheer exhaustion, both physical and emotional. I decided to be like Scarlett and worry about it tomorrow.
For now, I desperately needed some sleep.
When I woke up the next morning around one, I quietly got dressed and headed downstairs. To my surprise, the kitchen light was on. Had Momma forgotten to turn it off when she’d got in?
Then I smelled the bacon.
“What’s this?” I asked as I walked in to find a plate with waffles and bacon at my seat.
“I decided to get up and make you breakfast,” Momma said. How did she manage to look so chipper when I knew that she’d gotten in after me?
“I appreciate the thought, but I don’t have time,” I said.
“You have five minutes to eat, and you know it,” she said. “Sit, young lady.”
I was about to protest when I took a deep breath. It really did smell wonderful. “Okay. Thanks for this, but let’s not make it a regular thing, okay? It’s hard enough keeping my weight down making the treats I create every single day. If I start eating breakfasts like this, I won’t be able to fit into my Jeep.”
“Agreed, for special occasions only,” she said with a smile.
As I dove into the breakfast, Momma asked, “Do you have any interest in continuing our discussion we started yesterday?”
I swallowed a bite of waffle, and then I replied, “Mom, I really, really don’t. Is that okay with you?”
“It’s fine. I’m here for you, though.”
“I know, and I appreciate it,” I said as I patted her hand. I took one last bite of waffle, added a bit of bacon, and then I savored it. “This was great, but I have to run.” I looked around the kitchen and saw how much work she’d put into making me breakfast. “I suppose I could stick around and help you clean up.”
“I’m happy to do it. Go on; go make your donuts. The people of April Springs are counting on you.”
“Well, maybe a few of them,” I said as I kissed her cheek. “Thanks again, for everything.”
“What else are mothers for?” she asked with the hint of a smile.
“More than I can say.”
As I drove to Donut Hearts in the darkness, I was thankful again that I’d had a place to come home to after my divorce from Max. I’d been in bad shape, the victim of my husband’s affair, and Momma had helped put me back together again. Sure, I’d put on a brave face to the rest of the world, buying the donut shop on an impulse with my divorce settlement, but it had taken some time to see life in a positive light again, and if it hadn’t been for Momma and Grace, I’m not entirely sure I would have made it. If my life was about to go through another crisis, at least I’d have both women there to help me through whatever came my way. For now, though, I was going to make donuts and try my best to forget about the rest of the world.