Page 57 of This Moment

Katherine popped her head in and said, “Today at three, okay?”

Glancing at the clock, I nodded. It was one thirty, so that gave me plenty of time. “Sounds good.”

I quickly got to work finishing up the last batch of biscotti and decorated the last of the red velvet cupcakes before I placed the chocolate cake on my decorating station. I stared at it for a few moments, then got to work. I could feel Opal’s eyes on me now and then, but she left me alone and didn’t offer any suggestions, which I appreciated. I remembered that the four-tier cake Opal had designed also had some butterflies along the bottom since it was the little girl’s favorite thing besides being a princess, so I incorporated that into my decorations as well. At two-fifty, I stepped back and looked at the cake. I had done pink and white swirled rosettes on the cake and added a few little butterflies that could quickly be taken off before the baby smashed into the cake.

“That is beautiful, Cadie.”

I turned to Opal and felt my cheeks heat. “Thank you. I thought all the frosting with the rosettes would make it more fun for her to put her hands in.”

She nodded. “Yes, I agree. I like the butterfly touch.”

“I just remembered seeing them on the cake you did.”

“No, I think it’s a lovely idea, and this cake will look beautiful next to the other one. Well done.”

“She’s here!” Katherine called out as she poked her head into the kitchen. I picked up the cake and carried it to the front. The young mother gasped when she saw it. I couldn’t help but notice how tired she looked. She had circles underher eyes, her hair was falling out of her bun, and her blue eyes seemed like a storm in the middle of the ocean. I instantly felt bad for her.

“Oh my goodness. That’s so pretty I don’t want her to smash it.”

I smiled. “Nonsense. Let her dig those little hands all into it. You only get to turn one once!”

The woman looked up at me and smiled. “Winnie is going to love it.”

My smile faded briefly before I asked, “You’re Jake’s daughter?”

She looked up from the cake in surprise. “I am. How do you know my father?”

“Oh.” I looked behind me, but Opal wasn’t there. Facing her again, I said, “He, um, he came in here the day before yesterday and mentioned Winnie.”

“Right! He brought home some goodies for Winnie. He’s in town for her birthday party.”

“That’s wonderful,” I said as I felt Opal before I saw her.

“Hi there, Hope. So Jake Magoffin is your father?”

“Hey, Opal,” Hope said as I took the cake box from Katherine and started to put the cake in there. “Yes, he mentioned you two knew each other once upon a time.”

Opal nodded as Hope went on.

“He’s in town for a few weeks since we don’t get to see him very often since moving to Moose Village. I think the best thing we could have ever done was to move to Liam’s hometown. It’s wonderful here.”

I could tell Opal was forcing her smile. “How nice for you all and yes, I remember Liam from when he was little and used to come in here with his mother, Judith.”

It was Hope’s turn to force a smile.

“Well, I do hope Winnie has a wonderful birthday,” Opal said, this time her smile reaching her eyes.

Hope sighed. “I do, too, but my mother-in-law is stressing me out.”

“Judith can be…something else,” Opal stated with a wink.

I reached for her hand and gave it a light squeeze. “It’s your daughter’s birthday, not hers. Let her advice go in one ear and out the other, and if you have to, you simply tell her you appreciate her input, but you’ve got everything under control.”

Her eyes went wide, then her face softened. “That is excellent advice, and I think I will do just that. Thank you…um…”

I slid the cake box toward her. “Cadie.”

Her tired eyes lit up for the briefest of moments. “Thank you so much, Cadie.”

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