I’d be there for a month or two and then
leave—my usual work pattern—but I stayed. Every once in a while, one of them
would give me a little cooking lesson, and eventually I was working on the
line. My favorite things to make were breads and desserts. I worked my way
through culinary school and saved enough to open a bakery of my own.”
Helen spoke the last three sentences with a
casual voice and a shrug, as if the journey had been as simple as
one-two-three, but Jenny knew better. The effort and discipline required to
start from scratch and build a new life were awe-inspiring to her. She felt an
inexplicable sense of pride in Helen’s accomplishments, and she wasn’t sure
why. She’d had nothing to do with Helen’s life before this, and she had no
stake in her future. She didn’t understand how an attachment seemed to be
forming between her and Helen, but she had to stop it before it got strong
enough to threaten her life’s work.
And she would stop it. Later.
Right now, though, Jenny gave in to the itchy
feeling in her fingers and she reached out to touch Helen’s hair, tucking a
strand of gold behind Helen’s ear. She let her hand linger there, feeling the
warmth of flesh and heartbeat.
“You seem to fit here,” Jenny said, feeling
somewhat sad because she herself didn’t fit anywhere. “After accomplishing so
much, I’m sure you’ll have no trouble making your bakery a success.”
Helen gave a bitter laugh. She straightened
and pushed away from the wall, breaking all contact between them. “Thanks, but
I’m already on my way out of business. Everything I read told me to have at
least six months of living expenses saved before trying to start a new
business, but I only had saved enough for maybe three when I found the
opportunity to rent here. I thought I’d be okay since the summer season was
about to start, but then…”
“But then…” Jenny echoed. The spill. The
damaged beaches and wounded animals. Jenny had seen this happen again and
again, when lives were ruined by this type of disaster. She did her best to
help everywhere she went, but somehow this felt different. She was inside, with
the rest of the community. “You’ve been doing more than your share of work, but
we can get by if you need to spend more time at your bakery. And all the
donated pastries you bring each night—you really don’t need to feel responsible
for feeding everyone here. It must be costing you a fortune in ingredients.
I’ll come to your store with cash when I need my sand dollar fix.”
Helen laughed. “I’d much rather be here doing
something good than sitting in my empty bakery and watching the empty street. I
like bringing food, too. I crunched the numbers, and if I stopped it would only
delay the inevitable. I wouldn’t save enough to make a real difference. But I can
make a difference here. I think I’ve always felt like it was me against the
world, but now I’m part of a team. I don’t want to lose that feeling, even if
it’s only temporary.”
“I’ve always been the team coach,” Jenny said
with a grin. “But I’ve never really been part of it, until—”
“Jenny, there you are. I have a surprise for
you.” Mel’s voice broke into their conversation, shattering the intimacy Jenny
felt growing between them. Jenny turned to see Mel framed in the open doorway,
backlit by the bright fluorescent lights. She didn’t have to hear what the
surprise was since she recognized the two silhouettes behind Mel.
She sighed and walked toward them, away from
Helen. “Hello, Mom. Dad. It’s good to see you both. Why didn’t you tell me you
were coming?”
*
Jenny opened the door to her room at the inn
and dropped her mom’s light canvas bag on the floor next to the bed. She
shouldn’t have been as surprised as she was to see her parents at the center
tonight. She knew they were in the States—albeit on the other coast, in
Florida—and they often came to see her and help with her
leave—my usual work pattern—but I stayed. Every once in a while, one of them
would give me a little cooking lesson, and eventually I was working on the
line. My favorite things to make were breads and desserts. I worked my way
through culinary school and saved enough to open a bakery of my own.”
Helen spoke the last three sentences with a
casual voice and a shrug, as if the journey had been as simple as
one-two-three, but Jenny knew better. The effort and discipline required to
start from scratch and build a new life were awe-inspiring to her. She felt an
inexplicable sense of pride in Helen’s accomplishments, and she wasn’t sure
why. She’d had nothing to do with Helen’s life before this, and she had no
stake in her future. She didn’t understand how an attachment seemed to be
forming between her and Helen, but she had to stop it before it got strong
enough to threaten her life’s work.
And she would stop it. Later.
Right now, though, Jenny gave in to the itchy
feeling in her fingers and she reached out to touch Helen’s hair, tucking a
strand of gold behind Helen’s ear. She let her hand linger there, feeling the
warmth of flesh and heartbeat.
“You seem to fit here,” Jenny said, feeling
somewhat sad because she herself didn’t fit anywhere. “After accomplishing so
much, I’m sure you’ll have no trouble making your bakery a success.”
Helen gave a bitter laugh. She straightened
and pushed away from the wall, breaking all contact between them. “Thanks, but
I’m already on my way out of business. Everything I read told me to have at
least six months of living expenses saved before trying to start a new
business, but I only had saved enough for maybe three when I found the
opportunity to rent here. I thought I’d be okay since the summer season was
about to start, but then…”
“But then…” Jenny echoed. The spill. The
damaged beaches and wounded animals. Jenny had seen this happen again and
again, when lives were ruined by this type of disaster. She did her best to
help everywhere she went, but somehow this felt different. She was inside, with
the rest of the community. “You’ve been doing more than your share of work, but
we can get by if you need to spend more time at your bakery. And all the
donated pastries you bring each night—you really don’t need to feel responsible
for feeding everyone here. It must be costing you a fortune in ingredients.
I’ll come to your store with cash when I need my sand dollar fix.”
Helen laughed. “I’d much rather be here doing
something good than sitting in my empty bakery and watching the empty street. I
like bringing food, too. I crunched the numbers, and if I stopped it would only
delay the inevitable. I wouldn’t save enough to make a real difference. But I can
make a difference here. I think I’ve always felt like it was me against the
world, but now I’m part of a team. I don’t want to lose that feeling, even if
it’s only temporary.”
“I’ve always been the team coach,” Jenny said
with a grin. “But I’ve never really been part of it, until—”
“Jenny, there you are. I have a surprise for
you.” Mel’s voice broke into their conversation, shattering the intimacy Jenny
felt growing between them. Jenny turned to see Mel framed in the open doorway,
backlit by the bright fluorescent lights. She didn’t have to hear what the
surprise was since she recognized the two silhouettes behind Mel.
She sighed and walked toward them, away from
Helen. “Hello, Mom. Dad. It’s good to see you both. Why didn’t you tell me you
were coming?”
*
Jenny opened the door to her room at the inn
and dropped her mom’s light canvas bag on the floor next to the bed. She
shouldn’t have been as surprised as she was to see her parents at the center
tonight. She knew they were in the States—albeit on the other coast, in
Florida—and they often came to see her and help with her
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