Chapter 1: The Woman in the Uniform
Who does she think she is? A cleaner? Perfect. I've got a job for her.
Kendra's eyes traveled from Lorraine's neatly pressed uniform to the polished floor beneath her shoes. A small, satisfied smile appeared on her face.
Lorraine had no idea what was coming.
She was holding a white bakery box against her left forearm, tied with a pale gold ribbon. Inside were two dozen miniature lemon cakes, each decorated with a tiny sugar flower. She had spent most of the previous evening making them.
Today was supposed to be special.
Her son, Darius, was opening his first bakery.
And she had come to celebrate.
Lorraine approached a chair beside the waiting area. Before she could sit down, Kendra pulled it away.
Lorraine stopped abruptly.
The chair scraped loudly against the floor.
"Here," Kendra said.
Before Lorraine could ask what she meant, Kendra pressed a used cleaning cloth into her right hand.
Then she pointed toward several scraps of decorative paper scattered near the counter.
"Those need picking up.""
Lorraine stared at the cloth.
For a moment, she wondered whether there had been some misunderstanding.
Kendra folded her arms.
"Well? We have customers coming in.""
Lorraine looked at the chair, now sitting several feet away from where she had intended to sit. Then she looked at the cloth in her hand.
"I came to attend the opening," she said quietly.
Kendra gave a short laugh.
"Then you should have dressed appropriately.""
Lorraine blinked.
She wore a simple navy-blue blouse beneath her gray cardigan, dark trousers, and comfortable black shoes. Her clothes were clean and modest. Nothing about them suggested she worked at the bakery.
But Kendra had already decided what she wanted to believe.
She pointed toward the rear hallway.
"The help goes out back.""
The words landed harder than Lorraine expected.
She slowly pulled her hand away from Kendra's direction.
"I'm not an employee here.""
Kendra raised an eyebrow.
"Then don't dress like one.""
Before Lorraine could respond, a tall man stepped closer.
Troy, the bakery's floor supervisor, had been standing near the display counter, watching the exchange. He held a clipboard in one hand and a paper coffee cup in the other.
He looked Lorraine up and down.
"She's giving you instructions," Troy said.
"You should probably listen.""
Lorraine turned toward him.
"I believe there's been a misunderstanding.""
Troy shrugged.
"Not really. We've got enough people wandering around today. We don't need someone pretending to be a guest.""
"I'm not pretending.""
"Then who are you?""
Lorraine opened her mouth.
"Darius is—"
Kendra interrupted before she could finish.
"He's busy.""
She tapped her watch impatiently.
"He's got suppliers, photographers, and investors to deal with. He doesn't have time for this.""
Lorraine tightened her arm around the bakery box.
The ribbon had begun to loosen.
She carefully adjusted it with her left hand.
"I came to congratulate him," she said.
"I made these cakes for him.""
Kendra glanced at the box.
"Food deliveries go through the kitchen.""
"They aren't a delivery.""
"Then what are they?""
"A gift.""
Kendra let out an exaggerated sigh.
"Look, I don't know what your situation is, but we're trying to run a professional business here.""
She pointed at the scraps again.
"So make yourself useful.""
Lorraine looked down at the cloth.
It smelled faintly of lemon disinfectant and old coffee.
She remembered another morning, years earlier, when Darius had been eight years old and had stood on a kitchen chair beside her, trying to decorate his first birthday cake.
He had gotten frosting on his nose.
"Mom, one day I'll have a bakery," he had announced.
She had laughed.
"Then you'll have to make me your first customer.""
He had shaken his head.
"No. You'll be the most important guest.""
Lorraine swallowed.
She had not told him she was coming today because she wanted to surprise him.
She had chosen her clothes carefully, baked his favorite cakes, and driven across town with the box secured beside her.
She hadn't expected a red carpet.
She hadn't expected special treatment.
She had simply expected to be welcomed.
Instead, a stranger had taken away her chair and handed her a dirty cloth.
Kendra leaned closer.
"Are you going to stand there all day?""
Lorraine looked directly at her.
"I don't work here.""
Kendra's smile disappeared for half a second.
Then she turned toward Troy.
"Can you believe this?""
Troy chuckled.
"Some people just don't understand how things work.""
Lorraine said nothing.
She wasn't going to argue with people who had decided not to listen.
Then a door opened behind the counter.
A man's voice came from the hallway.
"What's happening out here?""
Kendra immediately straightened.
Her expression changed.
"Nothing, sweetheart. Just dealing with a little confusion.""
Darius stepped into the bakery.
He wore a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a dark apron tied around his waist. There was flour on one sleeve and a pencil tucked behind his ear.
He looked toward the waiting area.
Then he saw the woman standing beside the displaced chair.
His mother.
His eyes dropped to the cloth in her hand.
Then to the bakery box.
His face changed completely.
"Mom?""
Kendra stopped smiling.
Troy lowered his coffee cup.
Darius walked straight toward Lorraine.
He didn't ask what she was doing there.
He didn't ask why she was holding a cleaning cloth.
He simply reached for it.
Lorraine released it.
Darius turned toward Kendra and placed the used cloth directly into her hand.
He waited until she had taken it before letting go.
Then he pulled the displaced chair back into position.
"Here, Mom.""
He placed one hand behind the chair and helped Lorraine sit down.
She settled carefully, keeping the bakery box balanced on her lap.
Darius crouched beside her.
"Are you okay?""
Lorraine nodded, although her eyes were beginning to shine.
"I'm fine, sweetheart.""
He looked at the box.
"You brought something?""
"Your favorite.""
He smiled faintly.
"Of course you did.""
Then he stood.
Kendra still held the cleaning cloth.
Her fingers tightened around it.
"Darius, I thought—"
He looked at her.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then he asked a question that made Troy take one step backward.
"Do you still think my mother has to go out the back?""
Kendra stared at him.
Her lips parted.
Her eyes moved from Lorraine's uniform to Darius's face.
May you like
Lorraine sat upright, the beautiful bakery box resting on her knees.
And she waited to hear what the woman would say.
