Exiting the hospital, Lynn held my hand, I couldn't shake off the doctor's words: leukemia. The weight of the diagnosis pressed down, suffocating me with dread.
"Mommy, did you see the clown?" Lynn babbled happily.
"Yeah, he was so funny!" I forced a smile, burying my worries beneath layers of false cheer.
As we approached the car, the burden of my responsibilities weighed heavily. How could I afford Lynn's treatment? The question gnawed at me, filling me with helplessness.
Arriving at my small bakery, Lynn holding my hand, I noticed Linda and Micheal standing outside, their expressions wrought with concern. Something is definitely wrong.
"Layla, go inside and play with James." I knee to her height.
"Ok mommy."
Ignoring the knot of anxiety tightening in my chest, I approached Linda and Micheal still outside.
"What's wrong?" I asked, my voice tinged with unease.
Linda hesitated before handing me the tax papers, her eyes filled with concern. "The bakery... it's in trouble," she murmured.
My heart sank as I scanned the documents, the reality of our situation sinking in. "Oh my..." I whispered, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Lack of customers is our problem," Linda explained. Lynn's treatment and now the bakery? I don't know what to do. I don't have anyone to rely on, my parents are dead and my husband is also dead.
"We have to do something," I said, my voice tinged with desperation. "We can't lose the bakery. You guys know how much I cherish it."
"But what can we do? I think we are lacking customers because the bakery is old fashioned, I mean nothing is wrong with what we bake, you should know people these days judge a book by its cover." Michael said. I never wanted to change anything about the bakery cause it's something my mom cherished and built but I think that was a bad idea.
We stood in silence, grappling with the weight of our predicament.
"You know," Linda said with a mischievous grin, "I heard that coffee shop next door is doing pretty well. Maybe it's because of the hot owner." Linda said trying to cool the air.
"Oh shut up, how did you know that?" Micheal asked.
"What does a gay like you know?" Linda said and giggled in, Micheal followed right behind and they were exchanging words. I wasn't really worried about that, I have a lot on my mind, I'm helpless and don't know what to do.
I looked at the shop next to mine and it was filled with people, I sighed and made my way inside.
"I don't know what to do," I confessed, sinking into the chair next to Linda.
When my husband, Ethan passed away, I felt so alone. Thankfully, I had my husband's cousin to turn to. Linda was the only person in his family I was closest to. Linda helped me cope with my grief and made sure I didn't sink into depression. We became even closer after my husband's passing, and she became like a sister to me..
"Babe, we will come up with a solution. What did the doctor say?" Linda's voice was steady, her hand reaching out to grasp mine.
"He said... She has leukemia," I replied, my voice catching in my throat as the weight of the diagnosis settled in.
"Oh my God. What did he say about the treatment?" Linda's concern was palpable.
"It's a lot of money and I don't have that," I admitted, feeling the crushing weight of financial uncertainty pressing down on me.
"We will find a way," Linda reassured me, her voice filled with determination.
"How? I have to get her hospitalized in like a month so it doesn't get worse. Where am I going to see such money in a month? I'm also about to lose the bakery," I lamented.
"Calm down, we will find a way. Let me think," Linda urged.
"What was the feedback from the company in Couston?" She asked.
"They said they weren't interested," I replied with a sympathetic sigh.
I had tried everything, even venturing to other towns to sell my pastries, but the response had been consistently disheartening. The prospect of giving up loomed ever closer, leaving me feeling exhausted and defeated.
"Don't worry, I will think of something. Just go and bake while I figure something out," Linda reassured me, her unwavering support a source of strength in my darkest moments.
"I don't know what I'd do without you. I love you," I confessed, squeezing her hands tightly.
"Then make me some of your croissants, maybe I would be convinced you love me," she teased, a playful smile tugging at her lips.
"Mia! Mia!" James' voice interrupted our exchange as he burst into the room, clearly distressed.
"Calm down, what happened?" I urged, rising to my feet in concern.
"I... I..." James struggled to catch his breath, his words coming out in short gasps.
"Just breathe and tell us," Linda urged gently.
"I lost Lynn," James finally managed to blurt out, his face pale with panic.
"What do you mean you lost her?" My heart plummeted at the thought of Lynn being missing.
"We were buying ice cream outside and I turned for just a second, but when I looked back, she was gone. I've been looking for ten minutes. I'm so sorry," James explained, his voice trembling.
I felt a surge of panic rise within me, my mind racing with terrifying possibilities. Did someone kidnap Lynn? Was she hurt?
"You could've told us immediately you lost her," Linda scolded gently, her concern evident in her tone.
Without another word, I rushed out of the my heart pounding in my chest as I frantically searched the areas near the ice cream truck, calling out Lynn's name in desperation.
"Lynn! Where are you?" I cried out, the tears flowing uncontrollably as fear and anguish threatened to consume me.
As I searched, Linda wasted no time alerting our neighbors, mobilizing a community-wide effort to find her.
"Mommy, I'm here," Emberlynn's voice broke through my panic, and I whirled around to see her standing there, licking an ice cream cone and holding hands with a man, one of his arms covered in tattoos.
My heart leaped into my throat as I rushed to her side, enveloping her in a tight embrace. "Where were you, Lynn?" I demanded, my voice trembling with a mixture of relief and fear.
"I was with this man," Lynn replied innocently, gesturing towards the stranger beside her.
I shot a glare at the man, my maternal instincts kicking into overdrive. "A kidnapper in town? I will call the cops on you," I threatened, reaching for my phone.
"What?" He furrowed his brows.
"You heard me. You will regret ever trying to kidnap my daughter," my voice laced with fury as I dialed the emergency number.
But before I could complete the call, the man snatched the phone from my grasp, his eyes blazing with anger. "I think you should learn how to take care of a kid, 'cause I don't think you know how to, or if you're worth being a mother, how did your daughter leave your sight? If I wanted to kidnap her, she wouldn't be here," he spat, his words cutting through me like a knife. He yanked my hand open, thrusting my phone back into it with a forceful and angry gesture.
My breath caught in my throat as I stared at him, the weight of his accusations crushing me. I had trusted James to watch over Lynn, but now I realized the gravity of my mistake.
"Excuse me, you are in no position to lecture me," I retorted.
"Stop arguing," Lynn said softly, stepping between us.
"He's a bad guy, I warned you not to follow strangers," I insisted, my protective instincts kicking in once more.
"No, Mommy. He's a nice guy," Lynn protested.
"I brought you a man, I want you to marry him."
Before I could respond, the man scoffed and left.
"He's so lucky my anger has gone," I muttered under my breath.
"Lynn, it doesn't work that way. Don't ever try this again."
"But you're always crying because of Daddy. I don't like seeing you cry," Lynn confessed, her innocent words piercing straight to my heart.
"I wasn't. Maybe you were mistaken," I replied softly, kneeling down to her level and brushing a stray hair from her face.
"You told me you would always make me happy. Marrying the nice guy will make me happy too," Lynn insisted, her eyes wide with earnestness.
"Enough, okay? I don't ever want to talk about this again," I replied firmly, guiding her inside the bakery.