“Their cheese Danishes are really good,” I say, realizing I’ve hardly said anything during dinner.
Finley looks surprised, then says, “Alex would know about the cheese Danishes since they’re his favorite, but we don’t make them in the store. They’re prepackaged and we heat them up. And while I love all kinds of baked goods, the shop only has breakfast foods, so this is amazing.”
“You don’t bake?” Mom asks nonchalantly as she slips the knife into the cake.
Another test, which gets under my skin. Even if Finley doesn’t bake, it doesn’t make her a failure. Not all women cook and bake.
But if Finley realizes she’s being tested, she doesn’t let on. “I do, but I don’t have much free time, and besides, it’s just me and my cat. Anything I make would go to waste.”
“You don’t bake for Alex?” Mom asks innocently, keeping her eye on her task.
Finley gives me a panicked look, and I say, “She would if I wanted her to, but she knows I’ve been watching my sugar intake, so she doesn’t give me the temptation.”
“But you eat Danishes at her coffee shop,” Mallory says.
“It’s kind of our thing,” Finley says with a soft smile. “When he first started coming in, he couldn’t decide what to order, and I suggested a Danish.” She gives a small shrug. “He’s been getting them ever since.”
Mallory clasps her hands to her chest, a dreamy look filling her eyes. “That is so romantic.”
Tyler’s eyes narrow, but he stays silent.
I rack my brain, trying to remember why I even started ordering Danishes. I never ate them before Beans to Go. Did she really suggest it? I come up blank, but I suspect it’s true. Finley has a memory like a steel trap, and she said she wouldn’t lie.
Mom sets a plate with a slice of cake in front of Finley. “Guests first.”
“Thank you,” Finley says, smiling at the plate. She’s more excited than a person should be over a piece of cake.
“Did I hear you say you have two jobs?” Dad asks as Mom hands him a plate. “That’s very ambitious of you.”
“Yeah,” she says as she picks up a fork. “My mother acquired some medical debt I had to pay off, and I also take college courses part time.”
My mouth drops open. I had no idea about the debt or that she was taking college courses.
“Why do you look so surprised?” Tyler asks dryly.
He finally speaks, and of course, it’s to point out something that will prove I’m a liar.
I shake it off. “Why would I be shocked? This is me being proud.”
And I am, although I don’t have a right to be. I had no idea she was going to school in addition to working two jobs.
“How do you have time to see Alex?” Mom asks, her gaze on me.
“We have the weekends,” I say. “Plus, you know the start-up takes a lot of my time. Finley’s okay with it because she’s so busy herself.”
Mom shakes her head as she places another slice of cake on a plate and hands it to me. “You work too much.”
“We’re close to finishing,” I say, taking the plate.
Her mouth purses. “You missed Christmas last year because you were close.”
“We hit a few snags,” I admit. “But I’m here now.”
She stops cutting, mid slice, and looks up at me. “Yes, and I’m so glad you are.”
The softness on her face makes my heart melt. I’ve missed being home, and I miss my mother even more.
After everyone is served, we all take a bite and Finley moans with pleasure.
