CORY
Holy fuck.The entire week I had been wondering how I knew her. She was sweet and friendly, and the more I came into the shop, the more she opened up. I knew that she loved baking, but that she wasn’t a big fan of the owner. I knew she had once been in business for herself and was looking for another opportunity, but she had bills to pay and didn’t really care where she worked as long as she could be in the kitchen.
But I didn’t know she was Patrick’s sister. That was where I had seen her. It must have been at some family event in college. I probably didn’t notice her then because there was so much going on. She was younger than we were, and so it was likely that the last time I saw her, she had been a teenager.
Her face had stuck with me, though, and the nagging feeling that there was some connection had been confirmed. I was shocked and pleased when she offered me a hug. Even though she was warming up to me, I didn’t get the idea that she was looking for a man.
Of all the bum luck, I had to pick the one woman in the city who was off limits. I couldn’t close in on my friend’s little sister. That would change the dynamic of the relationship with Patrick, and I wasn’t ready to do that.
Pat had really scored big in the family department. His mom, Bernie, was a gem. She was everything I would have wanted in a mother. My own had been distant up until her untimely passing. I knew Bernie from way back. In college, she’d often visited Patrick and taken us all out to lunch.
She was interested in things going on in my life. It was as if she had enough maternal energy to share with all of Patrick’s friends. When Patrick called to ask if I wanted to come with them to visit his sister, I jumped at the opportunity.
We met at the firm because that was a landmark we all knew. I stepped out of the cab and into the waiting arms of Patrick’s mom.
“It’s so good to see you, Cory,” Bernie said. “Now tell me everything.”
As we walked, I filled her in on my time in Boston. She deflected every question I asked her about herself, pretending that her life was too boring to mention. I knew for a fact that she got up to plenty of mischief, but I obliged her request and told her all about my own experiences. By the time we got to the bakery, I had explained everything there was to know about Boston and why I had moved back to Chicago.
Opening the door, I was pleased to see my favorite counter girl hard at work. But when she came out and hugged Patrick, I froze. She gave a hug to Bernie too and said the word Mom. Then she opened her arms and pressed herself against me. It was sweet and unexpected. I wanted to pull her closer, but as confused as I was, I didn’t budge.
It took me a second to realize that she was Patrick’s sister. That was where I knew her from. As Patrick and his mom took a seat, I whipped out my phone and sent a quick text to Gavin.
The bakery girl is Pat’s sister, I wrote. I knew he would get a kick out of it, since I had been going on and on about how much I adored her.
He responded with a laughing-crying emoji. I wasn’t sure what to make of that, but figured he was equally as shocked and entertained as I was. Pocketing the device, I pulled out a chair to join them. Petra sat down with us, glancing around to make sure she wasn’t needed behind the counter.
“You two know each other?” Patrick asked suspiciously.
“Not really,” I said with a shrug, “but hugs are great, aren’t they?”
Petra glanced at me, and I noticed with a bit of excitement that her cheeks were flushed a beautiful shade of pink. She was embarrassed. She had given me a hug without thinking about it and was wondering how to walk it back. I gave her a radiant smile, letting her know that I appreciated the gesture. She didn’t need to explain herself on my account.
“I’ve been coming in for pastries every day,” I told Bernie. “And it’s not just because they’re delicious.”
“Oh?” Bernie asked, glancing from me to Petra and back.
Petra cleared her throat. “I didn’t know you were a friend of Patrick’s.”
“We went to school together,” I said. “We were on the same baseball team.”
An awkward silence descended, and I realized I might have overstepped my bounds. Accepting a hug was one thing, but I had almost declared an interest in the young woman in front of her family. I would have to be more careful. I didn’t want to step on any toes or scare Petra off. I just couldn’t get over how beautiful she was.
“You’re working front of house again,” I observed.
“Yeah.” She sighed and looked away. “There’s no one to cover the two-to-five shift, so I’m it.”
“But you work such long hours,” Bernie complained.
“I know,” Petra responded. “But what am I going to do? It’s not like I can just walk out. I have bills to pay.”
“You could move back home,” Bernie suggested.
Patrick’s eyes went wide, and he looked helplessly at his sister. Petra was better at hiding her distaste, but I saw the conflict raging within her. I kept my mouth shut. This was family business, and it had nothing to do with me. Cleary moving home wasn’t an option she wanted to consider. I understood completely.
After a moment of silence, Bernie got the message. She shrugged. “It was just a thought.”
“And a wonderful thought.” Petra covered her mother’s hand with her own, giving it a few gentle taps.