Sweetly & Home Economically ✔

The Truffle & The Cupcake

~ The Truffle & The Cupcake ~

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My blaring phone woke me up, playing my mom's designated ringtone. I felt the usual FooFliDay hangover as I reached for my phone to answer it. It was way too early to wake up after a late night of junk food and movies.

"Hello?" I answered her call without bothering to sit up or even open my eyes.

"Finally!" She shouted loud enough for me to pull the phone away from my ear. "We have a problem."

"What?" I asked, still groggy and wanting to go right back to sleep.

"Jennifer went into labor this morning!"

My eyes shot open. "What?!"

"Yes! The baby is coming early and I am all alone here on a Saturday morning," she rushed out. "So, Abigail, if you love me and don't want me to die from exhaustion or get crushed by the mosh pit of people that is forming right at this very moment, I suggest you get out of bed and come help me!"

I jumped up a little too quickly and tripped over a body. "I'm on my way!" Hanging up, I glanced at the body on the floor and the other on the couch. My friends would be more useless than me if I woke them up so early. Instead of disturbing their slumber, I huffed in jealousy and scribbled a note for each of them. Unsure where to put the sticky notes where Yvette and Jarod could find them, I opted for the obvious choice; their foreheads.

Rushing to my room, I threw on a short, floral skirt and a camisole with a chiffon blouse over it. I had to do a fast job with my makeup and hair, settling on the bare necessities and a messy bun. Stepping into comfortable beaded flats, I was out the door, in my car, and on my way in record timing.

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Now Hiring

Tilting my head at the sign, I went inside to ask my mom about it. There was a change of plans though when I saw the mosh pit she mentioned and her in the center of it as she tried to serve everyone. I weaved through the crowd, making my way to the counter. After tossing an apron over my head and knotting it in the back, I got to work.

I rang our service bell loudly, capturing everyone's attention. "People with a small order line up on the left side. Anyone who has a large order, line up on the right side. We'll be with you all shortly."

It was the way we always handled it when we were overrun with people. The bell was specifically for it; with such a shrill sound, it was easy to silence the bakery. It only worked when there was more than one person serving though, because the crowds could get restless very fast. My mom sent me an appreciative glance and made her way to the tables waiting to be served.

An hour later, the crowd was gone and there were only a few tables occupied. We made it through the morning rush. I allowed my shoulders to drop as I slouched on the counter.

"Hey, mom," I called to her in a tired voice. Due to the lull, I remembered what I wanted to ask her. "Why is there a hiring sign in the window?"

She came out of the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. "Jennifer is going to be gone for at least a month. We needed to hire an extra hand anyway. It's just sooner than we all expected, that's all."

I frowned. In the past, she always asked my friends to help out. Yvette was doing extra credit work for school, which kept her busy enough, so I knew she wouldn't be able to do it. "Why don't you ask Jarod?"