Take the Cake by Sandra Wright

batch of cupcakes to Wren and had personally taken care of the window display, before retreating to the kitchen again. She had worked methodically all morning, and now there were over five dozen cupcakes iced and decorated, waiting to be put on display. Wren regarded her for a long moment. Kate couldn’t return her gaze.
    “You gotta bail for a while?” she asked. Kate nodded and bit her lip. Wren stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her. “All right, then, take care of you,” Wren said in a soft voice before releasing her and stepped back out into the shop area. Kate stood blinking against the rush of moisture, and then gathered up her bag. She left the store without a word, leaving Wren and Emily standing behind the counter in silence watching her go. Kate stood outside and looked at the chalkboard then back at Wren, offering a small but genuine smile before she left.
    ~~~
    Michael shambled toward the television, yawning and stretching, pausing to grab the waistband of his pajama bottoms that slipped perilously low on his hips as he picked up the remote. He turned toward the sofa, aiming the remote over his shoulder and thumbing a button at random. The flat screen TV came to life as he threw himself onto the sofa with a muffled thump, and he turned a basilisk gaze toward the screen.
    After an hour of mind-numbing morning television, Michael gave up on the diversion and powered up his laptop, glancing at the calendar widget that appeared on the screen. The weeks were starting to blur into one another, and he still had very little to show for it. He’d had enough of staring at screens. It was time to get outside and interact with people, and he knew just the person. Scrolling through his contact list, he gave a quiet grunt of satisfaction when he found the name. Decision made, he dialed the number and grinned when the familiar voice answered.
    “Watson,” he began, and laughed at the war whoop of recognition. Plans were made and a few minutes later he hung up feeling satisfied. Other than the bakery, he hadn’t had contact with many people at all over the last few weeks, so getting out and seeing an old friend would be good for him. He got up from his seat and stretched again before strolling back into the bedroom to get changed. It felt nice to have a sense of purpose about the day.
    Michael was near Washington Square Park, standing at the light, waiting to cross when movement on the other side of the street caught his eye. It was Kate. She stood alone in the crowd, her gaze turned inward, but that wasn’t what held his attention. For the first time that he could recall, she wasn’t smiling, and he didn’t think he had ever seen her look so lost. Her gaze drifted and for a moment she seemed to look straight at him. They stared at each other across the traffic for a moment, and then Michael lifted his hand and gave her a tentative wave. She gave no sign of recognition as her gaze moved on. Michael paused then lowered his hand. Something was wrong.
    The light changed and people surged forward. Michael stuffed his hands in his pockets and crossed the street, keeping a watchful eye on Kate. She walked straight past him, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. She passed close enough for him to catch a waft of her scent, which was warm with a hint of vanilla musk, making him think of cake and sunshine. He reached the curb, and then turned around to catch another glimpse, his shoulder colliding with another pedestrian. He apologized, and then turned again to see where Kate was headed. He caught a glimpse of her hair, and then a bus turned the corner, obscuring his vision. By the time the traffic had cleared, she was gone.
    ~~~
    Kate entered Washington Square Park and followed the path toward the dog run. Once there, she leaned against the fence with her face propped in her hands and watched dogs of all shapes and sizes gamboling and playing with each other. From time to time, dogs would wander over to where she stood