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I text Brett my address and pull myself out of bed. Then I head to the bathroom and brush my teeth before shuffling my way to the kitchen, where I prepare a pot of coffee and breakfast. After a few sips and an omelet, I'm not quite back to myself, but I'm at least managing.
Glancing up at the wall clock, I check the time. Nine sixteen. Plenty of time before the bakery opens at eleven.
And I will need every second of it to prepare for whatever drama lies ahead.
Hardly a day at the bakery has gone by without incident in the past couple of months. If I go in still suffering from a hangover, that'll only guarantee it will be bad.
I take another sip of coffee, but before I've even swallowed, my phone dings with a text message. At first, I think it's Sheila. But then I see Brittany's name appear on the screen.
Instantly, I groan.
Brittany Martin is the assistant manager at Sugar Breeze. And given everything that has happened there this week, I'm guessing her text isn't good news.
Just as I'm about to open her message, my daughter Sophia's face pops up on the screen.
I decide to ignore Brittany's texts and answer Sophia's call.
"Morning, sweetie."
"Morning, Mom," Sophia's voice chirps back. "Did you and Aunt Sheila have fun at the bar last night?"
I laugh nervously, and it sends my pain spiking through my head. "Sure did. But don't worry. I'm drinking coffee as we speak."
"I'm sorry I didn't call yesterday," Sophia says. "There was a small disaster I had to deal with."
"Uh oh. Everything alright?"
"It is now," she says a little bitterly. "One of my roommates put the wrong soap in the dishwasher. There were bubbleseverywhere. Farrah, the one who did it, ran off to class, so I had to stay behind and explain the mess by myself. But luckily, our RA just seemed to think it was funny."
I laugh. "Don't worry. You'll see much worse than that by the end of your four years. Remember the story about Lisa's boyfriend cooking pancakes while naked?"
"Ugh, Mom. Yes, I do, and I want to forget it."
I close my eyes, feeling a warmth run through me like sunshine.
It's so nice to hear my daughter's voice again.
When Sophia went to college last year, we suddenly went from seeing each other almost daily to being several miles apart. And with all that distance and my needing to focus on the bakery, I don't have as much time to talk to her as I'd like.
I sit in my little bungalow's kitchen as she tells me about the dorms, the snooty algebra professor, and a new friend from her English class. And as wonderful as it is to hear about it, knowing what's happening with her doesn't make me miss her any less.
"That all sounds so great, Sophia," I say warmly. "I'm so glad you're having a fun time."
As I'm about to tell her I need to go, she says, "And that's not all. Remember that guy Blake from my sophomore year summer camp?"
"Yeah? What about him?"
"He's here!" Her squeal rings through the phone's speaker. "And he's just as cute as ever! He remembers me, too. I think he's going to ask me out!"
Even though she can't see me, I can't help but grin. "That's wonderful, honey. I'm so excited for you!"
"I've already talked to Dad about it, and he recommended some things we could do if Blake asks me. To help it go well."
My happy mood curdles. "You… you told your father?"
Before telling me?
"Yeah," she chirps. "I'm sorry, Mom. Maybe I shouldn't bring him up."
