“Good work, honey.” Grandpa Jim was always her cheerleader.
Her grandma cleared her throat. “So, we’re not upset that you did this while we were gone. But I don’t think we can support it going forward.”
A lump rose in Robin’s throat. “What are you saying?”
Her grandparents shared a long look. “We’re a bread bakery, honey,” Grandpa said at last. He reached out and took her hand. “There’s not enough room in that kitchen for all of us. I’m not sure what your future plans are, but I don’t see how continuing with cakes here would work.”
That was okay, though, right? Because she wanted to get back to Paris.
Or did she?
Stiffening her spine, she resolved to reignite the passion she held for France. Besides, she could never live a big life in this small town.
Her grandma headed for the door again.
“Wait!”
Grandma paused at her outburst. Robin closed her eyes briefly, pasted on a smile. Her insides roiled. “You know how I said there was a leak?” They nodded. “I had to change the cabinet and sink because the pipes leaked everywhere and the wood was ruined. And then the floor needed to be replaced because of the warped floorboards. The shelving needed to be moved to make room, but then I discovered it worked better over on the right, so I just left it…” She trailed off, put her hand over her eyes. “I’m sorry. I should’ve asked before doing all of this. I can move everything back. I can’t change the floor or the oven, but I can put the rest where it was before.”
Her hands felt like ice.
Her grandma spoke. “We’re not mad at you, honey.”
Wait. What?
Her grandma opened the swinging door and ushered them through.
A silence fell over them as her grandparents looked around. Robin resisted the urge to bite her fingernails. A wrinkle appeared between her grandma’s eyebrows.
“I should show you the best part.” She pulled her grandma over to the sink and pointed to the fox floor tile. “Sammy found this tile and thought it belonged here.”
“Oh.” Grandma put her hand to her mouth. “It’s beautiful. Jim, come look.”
“I like what you’ve done to the place,” Grandpa chimed in. “The new arrangement makes sense.”
“What about not changing anything?” Had they really absolved her?
“Oh, I didn’t know what I was saying.” Grandma Elaine wrapped an arm around Robin’s waist. “I was so worried about your grandpa. Of course you should have made the space your own while you were using it.”
“Then why do you still look angry?”
“I’m upset with myself. If you felt you had to keep this a secret from us, maybe we didn’t do enough to show you how much we love you.”
“Even when I mess up and don’t confess?”
“Of course even when you mess up. Love doesn’t quit just because things are hard or people mess up. Do you stop loving someone if they make a mistake?”
“No. Absolutely not.”
“Right. And God doesn’t feel that way about you either. Love doesn’t quit even when you try to push it away. We love you even when you make mistakes because God has taught us how to do it. He loves us even in our most screwup moments. We can only hope to do the same for others.”
Like the Grinch, her heart grew three sizes at that moment.
Her grandpa came to their part of the kitchen just as her phone pinged with an incoming email. She glanced at it once, then again. The address line read La Patisserie’s Distinctive Bakes. “Give me a second.” She moved away from her grandparents, swiped open the message.
“We are delighted to inform you…” She gasped when the meaning of the words became clear.
“What is it? What’s happening?” Her grandma put a hand to her chest.
