For all the things that she’s struggled through, I can’t imagine what she went through that day. I was there for the after, but I can’t possibly fathom finding him.
I just can’t.
“I’m glad you have Zach.” I genuinely am.
“Zach makes me not so angry anymore. He loves the boys. You should see him coaching baseball with Cayden. It’s hysterical. He’ll do the things their father decided not to be a part of. But more than that,” she takes my hand, “he loves me. And I think you’re starting to see that loving someone is a gift. It’s not that you’re incapable, like your mother, it’s that there wasn’t anyone worthy of it.”
“I don’t love Wyatt.”
She leans back and grins. “You sure about that?”
“I don’t. It’s crazy soon. I’ve been here what? Almost a month?”
“You told me once that Todd fell in love with me the minute he saw me,” she retorts.
Damn her and her elephant memory. “I thought he was insane.”
“Maybe it’s a family trait.”
“Bitch.” I laugh.
Presley shrugs and goes back to her coffee.
I think about Wyatt and the way he looks at me. How his eyes held mine the other night when I was in the kitchen cooking. I felt it all the way down to my toes. No one has ever looked at me like that.
“Now, what’s on the agenda for today?”
“I’m going to help Mrs. Kannan in an hour,” I admit.
Since the festival I’ve been stopping in here and there. She’s the sweetest woman with the biggest mouth, and like almost everything else in this town, I’m drawn to her. Yesterday she showed me a lot about wedding cakes. I think it’s definitely something we could expand on at the store. While cupcake cakes are something we do, she was showing me ways we could incorporate different tiers with the same concept.
It’s amazing to watch her work. But I think the thing I’ve been most astounded by is her ability to know every single customer. She knows what they like, their favorite cake, and what they last ordered. It’s remarkable and something I really admire.
“Don’t ever let your guard down, my friend.” Presley shakes her head, and I know all too well she’s right.
“They truly are master manipulators.”
She laughs. “I’m telling you, they could take over the world if they ever got bored with just controlling Bell Buckle. We’re just lucky they mostly use their powers for good.”
“Yeah.” I think about how they’ve used their powers thus far. If it weren’t for them, maybe Wyatt and I wouldn’t be going on this date. Or maybe this was inevitable all along.
“I’M IN TENNESSEE,” I TELL my mother as I sit on the bed. I haven’t spoken to her since I temporarily moved here. I’ve avoided her calls long enough. She doesn’t really care about me, she just needs to keep up her appearances. However, Presley sent me a text telling me that my mother has been calling her and the boys to check on me.
“That would’ve been something to tell me, don’t you think?” She pauses. “I shouldn’t have to find this out by talking to Cayden. Of all the things, Angelina, why didn’t you tell me you moved there?” I’ve barely talked to her this last year, but suddenly she’s hurt. I have so many spiteful things to say, but I also know she’s in pain. No mother should ever have to bury their child. Let alone knowing how that child died.
“I didn’t move here. I’m staying here for a few months.”
“Semantics,” she dismisses.
“Well, I’m really sorry, Ma. It was never because I wanted to hurt you. I honestly didn’t think much of it. You got the information from a few preteens. Maybe they’re assuming something else? I’m only staying for a few months.”
At least that’s what I keep deluding myself into believing.
Presley and Wyatt keep making plans for six months out. They’re completely ignoring my constant reminders that I have a business to run and a partner who expects me back in about two months from now.
“You never call me anymore,” she complains. “Your father and I are still alive, you know?”
“I know, and so am I, Ma. I’m alive. I’m here. But you only call me when it’s convenient for you or when you want to berate me. Why would I sign up for that?” I’m over being the reason for everything that went wrong. I’ve carried the burden because she needed me to. Well, now I need a little freaking support.
My entire life has shifted. Things are changing so fast and I’m barely able to keep afloat. I could really use my mother. Instead, I walk to the kitchen, grab a cupcake, and dig in. At least sugary sweets are always there for me.