As the end of the school year quickly approaches, the pressure of what college to attend is the daily topic. I know my aunt and uncle want what’s best for me, but I still haven’t decided yet. I do know that I want to stay in the city. Gabe and a few other friends have all chosen to attend out-of-state colleges, but it’s not for me.
After washing up in the back of the bakery, I walk out to the front entrance to clean up our outside patio. The winds are starting to pick up as a nasty storm heads our way.
“Roman, make sure to bring in the chairs from outside!”
I glance inside the store as Aunt Maggie cleans the cookie cases.
“Working on it now!”
Lifting the first bistro chair, I haul the chair inside and into the back, securing it against the wall. I head back out and remove the remaining chairs from the patio. I grab a paper towel and wipe down the tables, ensuring I don’t get crud all over my hands. Once all clean, I carefully lift each bistro table and bring it to the back of the shop.
“Be careful darling. Those tables are heavy.”
Aunt Maggie always worries, but who can blame her?
“Yes, I know. I’m almost done bringing all the patio furniture inside, then I’ll help you.”
A few minutes later, I clear out the remaining tables and make sure nothing is left outside that could cause any damage to the store. Looking down the block, I see other shop owners also clearing away their furniture. The dark gray sky blackens the area as if it were ten at night when in fact it’s only late afternoon.
I offer to assist the neighboring fruit stand but they don’t need any help, so I head inside, ready to help Aunt Maggie. She’s received several wedding cake orders and I’ll admit, I love to bake. After washing up, I put on an apron and grab the ingredients to prepare the batter. Aunt Maggie turns on the radio as we bake together. It’s moments like this that I will always cherish: just Aunt Maggie and I baking cakes on a rainy day. With so much loss in the world, especially unexpected loss, I always tend to try to live in the moment because in a split second, all of it could be taken away.
After we finish the batter, we pour the contents into the baking pans and place them in the oven. I decide to study for my finals while I wait for them to cook. Taking a seat at the small seating area inside the bakery, I pull out my physics textbook and dive right in.
The sound of crashing thunder startles me out of my zone and I look outside. The pouring rain batters against the glass, causing my eyes to squint, unable to see beyond to the other side.
I glance toward the back and see Aunt Maggie still jamming out to her tunes while she prepares the cake frosting. She loves to dance. In fact, there’s never a day that I don’t see her dancing. Whether it’s at home, in the bakery, in the car, or even at the supermarket, she’s always moving. She doesn’t even need music because there’s always music playing in her head. A small smile curves along my lips as I watch my aunt bask in her happiness.
Overcoming the distractions, I turn back to the textbook and concentrate on the material. Writing down notes and key points, I outline what I think is important to focus on. As I read the textbook, the bakery entrance opens and someone comes rushing inside. I glance up to find myself staring at a soaking wet Melanie. This is the fifth time I’ve seen her and every time I lose my train of thought.
Her dripping wet hair clings to her cheeks as her clothes drip on the tile floor. Her breathing is ragged as though she just finished running. She turns in my direction and lets out a deep breath when she notices me.
I jump out of my chair and step closer to her. “Are you all right?”
She looks down at her disheveled outfit. “Yeah sorry. I was walking home from school and I thought I’d make it home before the rain, but obviously not.”
“Oh no. I—”
Aunt Maggie interrupts as she enters the front. “Oh! I thought I heard someone. Goodness my dear! You are soaked! We need to dry you off. Roman, how could you let the poor girl just stand there?”
I scoff. “I was just about to get a towel.”
“Well hurry up. She could catch a cold!”
I glance at Melanie and offer an apologetic smile. “I’ll be right back.”
Walking into the back, I head to the employee restroom to grab a towel for Melanie and a couple paper towels to wipe up the wet tiles. Heading back to the front, I hear Aunt Maggie conversing with her about the storm.
“You should not be walking in this weather. You could get very sick.”
“It’s not a far walk from school, but honestly, I thought I had more time.”
“Well, do you need a ride home? Roman can take you.”
My eyes grow wide as my heart skips a beat. My lips curve into a smile as I hand Melanie a towel. “Sure I can drive—”
Melanie places her bag by the table and begins to squeeze the excess water out of her hair.
“Actually, I’ll just text my boyfriend. He should be out of lacrosse practice soon anyway. Can I wait here until he can pick me up?”