Love At Last

An almost perfect day

Lily

It was yet another 8am in the bakery shop and everything was going as hoped for, including Cayden not coming to take his usual morning order. As much as I wanted my customers to always come back every day, Cayden was unfortunately not on that list, at least not anymore, not after the whole debacle at his place yesterday. That was more than enough drama to last me a lifetime and I wasn’t subscribing for anymore.

“Hey baby girl, do you have a minute?” Jarod rallies my attention back to planet earth as I stare at the door in hope that Cayden would not be the next customer to walk in.

“Sure I do, what’s the matter” I swerve back to his direction

“You’re absolutely gonna love what I just found” Jarod ransacks one of the front pockets of his apron and his hand emerges with loosely folded flier-like material that he begins to open up with excitement painted all over his barely sweaty face.

“What’s that” I ask with a now brimming curiosity

“This my dear, is a flier for a pastry contest that I’m a million percent sure you’re going to win if you participated. Now registration closes in a few days so I would hurry and go get registered for the competition before such a date… and before you say no, you should take a look at the grand prize”

“Two hundred thousand dollars! Jesus Jarod!” I scream in awe and almost immediately cover my mouth to curtail the noise.

“Yes my dear, you are welcome!”

“And you wonder why I love you so much, you’re the best Jarod thank you so much!” I could see his cheeks turn pink in those briefs, trust me to seal the moment I lean forward and give him a tight hug, so tight that I could almost feel his groin in-between my thighs… maybe it was kitchen equipment but I sure as hell don’t wanna know.

***

We highlighted from the bus with a part of my caramel gown tautly bound in Jacek’s hand. We made our way through the inside lanes of the market square. But just as my day was going amazingly, the universe blew a certain human being my way yet again. Cayden was calming strolling down the lane I was on, a few steps ahead of me with what seemed to be another one of his many flings. But unlike the witch I previously had an encounter with, this lady was far younger, maybe even two years younger than myself and still had a voluptuous figure to compliment her youth.

Atoms of cringe crept up my skin as I watched the girl point almost every they went by in the market with her manicured hands. I stared for quite a longer period than was normal and decided to take an alternative route to the registration spot in pretense that I did not see them but just as I bent to whisk my Candy’s hand from my fabric, I spotted him sporting his tiny legs to where Cayden was. And like a spell was casted on him, Cayden lifted Jacek from the ground and up as he began to make his way to where I stood, with my futile attempt to escape him now in the drain.

“What’s this Cayden? you never told me you were married” the girl begins to lament in disgust “and who has this child you’re now carrying?”

“I don’t understand, where’s this coming from, do you see a ring on my finger” he replies in shock

“Oh please! Many of you men this days no longer wear their wedding ring… you’re all just the same”

“I don’t know where you fetched such ideas from but you should really calm down” Cayden answers in a rather more refined pitch now and hastens his pace towards me.

“Oh really! So who’s that disturbed looking lady that’s staring head-on in our direction?”

“Oh that’s Lily, his mother”

“You know what, I think I should be on my way now, I won’t be a side piece to anyone. Go rekindle with your family”

“What in God’s name is wrong with women?” He is baffled as the girl walks away and even gives me the reaper’s stare as she walks by me.

He finally gets to me with my son “You’re happy now aren’t you?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well you succeeded in chasing every viable option for me to get a woman”

I let out a brief congealed laughter “I don’t know what you’re talking about but I’d like to have my son now”

“Would it kill you to at least smile whenever you see me and not that soar look on your face? That was the major reason she left yunno” he sets Jacek down beside me and them stares me back in the eye with an unfazed gaze.

This sent butterflies meandering round the walls of my belly, the fact that I was an influence in his life and that he was disturbed about it.

“That’s none of my business, I have somewhere to be now”

“Oh no you don’t, not until you agree to remedy this situation… believe me when what I had going with that lady was very intentional until you came around, now you’ve made a very precarious situation a whole lot worse”

I laugh out more loudly now but his person was unfazed, his face remained emotionless “look I have a contest I need to go register for that gives me a chance to win two hundred thousand dollars. Now that man can go a long way for my business and Jacek’s school so if you don’t mind, I have a future to go secure” I attempt to walk away but then he grabs my wrist but surprisingly not in a manner enough to infuriate me. He lets go and I restart my walk.

“Okay hold on a sec, you really do not understand how bad this situation is. You’ve got to do something”

“Look, Cayden…