Page 7 of This Moment

“I would call that a sign, little brother.”

I nodded my head as I stared down at my desk. “A sign. A moment.”

“I’m assuming you want my advice.”

“Please.”

“Quit. Go back home, take some time off, and enjoy the last bit of winter and the beginning of spring in Moose Village. Aunt Opal will be over the moon, not to mention Sally. You need a place to clear your head, and I hate to say this, but detox from our mother and father.”

New York City wasn’t home for us. Sure, my mother and father had a law firm in New York City, but we had grown up in Upstate New York in a small town called Moose Village. Granted, most of the time, our parents were in New York City, but me, my sister, and younger brother Mark lived in Moose Village. It was where my parents were born and raised, and they wanted us to have the same upbringing. Right down to our parents being MIA like theirs had been. Sally, our nanny, was the one who raised us. We turned out the way we did because of her. Once we were all grown and moved out, Sally’s role turned to caretaker of the house.

“Home.”

“Yes. I’m sure Sally would love to take care of someone. She’s lonely in that big ol’ house all by herself.”

Smiling, I leaned forward and stared at the briefs that needed my attention.

“You’re right.”

“So you’ll take some time off then?”

I stood. “I’m going to do more than take time off. I’m going to quit.”

My sister started to cough andthen cleared her throat. “You’re going to quit?”

“I am.”

“Lord above, please don’t let Mom know you talked to me. You know I’ll get blamed for this.”

With a laugh, I assured my sister I would keep her out of the conversation.

“Hey, Kian?”

“Yeah?”

“I think you’re doing the right thing. The happiness has been gone from your eyes for far too long.”

Smiling, I replied, “I love you, sis.”

“Love you more! And good luck!”

Cadie

When I stepped into the back entrance of Batter Up Bakery, I drew in a slow, deep breath through my nose and exhaled. Freshly baked bread mixed with the smells of citrus and cinnamon. Those were some of my favorite smells. I instantly missed my mother and grandmother. It had been the longest I had ever gone without speaking to my mother. It felt like a hole was slowly opening up in my heart.

I closed my eyes and pushed the feelings away.

“That smells heavenly,” I said as I walked in, hung up my coat, and put my purse in one of the small lockers that Opal, the owner, had for the handful of employees she had. It had been pure luck that the bakery was hiring someone when I ended up in the small town of Moose Village. It wasn’t close to Boston, but it wasn’t far away. The last thing Michael would think to do is look for me in New York or Massachusetts. The first thing he would do was head out to Oregon, where my family lived. That is, if he even bothered to look for me.

Opal looked up and grinned. It was the same grin she gave me when I walked through her front door and pointed to the now-hiring sign a month ago.

“You got experience working in a bakery?” Opal had asked.

“Some,” I said, hiding my smile because the last thing I would do was tell her I owned a bakery in Boston. “I learned from my granny. She taught me everything I know.”

That part of my made-up life had been true. Everything else, including my name, driver’s license, and Social Security number, was fake.

“That is my famous multigrain sourdough!” Opal stated, wiping her hands on her apron. “You getting used to getting up so early? Getting here at five in the morning is a big ask, but it’s a baker’s life.”

---