Page 8 of Heart to Heart
My brother Josh appeared from the kitchen when a buzzer connected to the door alerted him of my arrival. Flour clung to his black T-shirt in blotches—a poor choice in wardrobe selection on his part. A fuck-my-life expression clung to his face. If not for the fact that my brother had sprung forth from my mother’s womb with the same sneer, I would have been offended. He had been born the human version of Grumpy Cat.
“It’s only Avery, Ma, no one important,” he called behind his back to a cacophony of clattering pans and baking sheets.
“I love you too, little brother. Even though it looks like an entire flock of seagulls took a shat in your hair on the way in this morning.”
All traces of smugness melted away from his face, like icing on a cinnamon roll. Josh’s vanity would be his downfall, just like Narcissus. I prayed he’d never see his reflection in Lake Michigan.
Grumbling under his breath about his coiffured hair being fluffed to perfection, he headed back into the kitchen just as my mom appeared, carrying a tray of freshly frosted rolls, which my stomach demanded through a series of obnoxiously loud grumbles.
“Avery Bug!” she exclaimed, enthusiastically shoving the tray into Josh’s hands and motioning for him to fill the display case under the counter instead of disappearing into the depths of the bakery where he was heading. “I didn’t expect to see you until later.” She smelled of brown sugar. Her curly salt and pepper hair was pulled back into a messy bun, stray strands breaking free.
“You’re never that happy to see me,” Josh grumbled, donning a plastic glove like a surgeon.
“You have to leave before I can miss you, sweetie.”
The thing about Claire Martin, the woman had some sick burns.
“And for crying out loud, put a hair net on.”
“Rude,” Josh retorted, shoving a roll inside the case before reaching behind the counter to grab a hair net from a box situated in a drawer underneath it.
“It’s not like I had anything else going on, what with Kiki spending the weekend with Ethan, putting in the dock at his parents’ lake house and, you know, being freshly single and all.” I’d been doing a fine job of not dissolving into a puddle of tears whenever the topic of Guy came up, and I’ll be damned if I was going to break my streak now.
My mom, being my mom, saw right through me. “Come here.” She threw her arms around my waist, drawing me in for a hug I knew would break the levee. “Give him time, and he’ll come around. If he doesn’t, I’ll charge him double when he comes in for those scones he likes.”
“I’ll just deny him service,” Josh chimed in, and I couldn’t help but smile despite the burning pain emanating from the inner corners of my eyes as I struggled to fend off tears.
Even though I knew Josh coming to my defense was more out of his propensity for being, well, a dick, rather than his brotherly love for me, it was still nice to hear. He and Guy had never really hit it off, choosing instead to ignore each other’s existence outside of an eyeroll here and there whenever the other would speak.
“You were the best thing that happened to that boy.” Releasing me from her grasp, my mom held me at arm’s length, appraising me. By some miracle, I’d managed to keep the tears from falling. I’d make sure to reward myself later with the container of vanilla frosting I’d purchased for just such an occasion.
“I don’t know, Jane Austen is pretty incredible.” Puzzled, my mom scrunched her face together as though trying to decipherthe riddle I’d thrown at her. “Never mind,” I answered her confused expression.
She smiled, though I could see the pain in her eyes. “Have you eaten? Are you hungry? Josh, get your sister a cinnamon roll.”
A sigh as exaggerated as a caricature emanated from behind the display case, followed by a blue, plastic-gloved hand reluctantly reaching over the counter with one of our mom’s rolls tucked securely in the palm.
“That will be four-fifty.”
“Add it to my tab.” I snatched the pastry from his hand just as my stomach emitted its loudest rumble of the morning, taking a bite that was large enough to be embarrassing if it had been done in front of anyone else but family.
“How come she gets freebies and I don’t?”
“I beg your pardon?” our mom interjected. “It’s called free room and board and unencumbered access to the refrigerator.”
Josh rolled his eyes, standing up straight from behind the counter, all six-foot-one of him dwarfing us. I still hadn’t gotten used to my seventeen-year-old brother being taller than me, even though he’d surpassed my height two years ago and had only been adding inches since. The only thing that reminded me that he was still a kid was the clumsy way in which he carried his long, lanky limbs.
I finished off the remainder of the roll and glanced up at the clock, noticing that it was a quarter after nine and the bakery remained empty. When it was first opened, there was a line halfway down the block. Pastries were sold out, doughnuts annihilated. It was weird seeing it empty. I’d just assumed the insanity would last or that at least one person would be perusing the cases by now.
“Josh, did you put the money from the deposit bag in the register yet?” My mom asked, scurrying around the lobby, straightening chairs that didn’t need to be straightened.
“Uh, no, I was kind of toiling away in the back, helping you keep your business afloat, if you’ll recall. I think we’re fine. People aren’t necessarily beating the door down to get in.”
My mom flinched, and I suspected the same thought that had crossed my mind had been crossing hers as well. Except, I wondered how long it had been like this.
“I can make myself useful,” I piped in, flashing a dirty look at Josh who stood behind the counter oblivious. “Josh, you just stay there and keep Joshing.”
“Thank you, Avery,” my mom said. “It’s…”
