Sweet on You

Chapter 32

The last month of Lydia's contract was busier than ever. Not with the enterprise, but with her bakery. It was spring, which meant she was on the brink of wedding season. There were so many orders to fulfill and very little time to do everything.

Rhia was incredibly helpful now that she was out of school with her graduation coming up shortly, she was able to work more and was happy to do it. Lydia had never met anyone as passionate about baking aside from herself than Rhia.

Her coworker was piping the finishing touches on her latest order when she cocked a dark brow. "When do you think that friend of yours will be placing her wedding cake order?"

"Evie?" Lydia chuckled. She shook her head. "No idea. From the sounds of it Mason is ready to propose but she likes keeping him on his toes."

Rhia looked amused by Lydia's answer. "Sounds like my girl as well."

Lydia smiled at the fondness in Rhia's voice when speaking about her girlfriend. The two of them continued to work on their orders while the new trainee, Camila, worked in the front. After a few more minutes of silence, Rhia broke it once more. "Xander seems quite taken by you as well. Maybe we should be planning your wedding cake instead."

Lydia burst into a fit of laughter. "We may gone a little fast with living together after three months of dating but I do not think we will have a wedding any time soon."

"Bah," Rhia said with a wave of her hand. "Time is a mere concept."

Lydia shook her head. She loved Rhia. She loved her boldness, the way she lived her life without worry of other people's opinions. Lydia rolled out the foundant for her next cake, some intrecate one with various milestones from the couple's relationship when Rhia said, "Speaking of your bodyguard boyfriend, where is he?"

"At the hardware store," Lydia hummed. "He wants to update the bookshelf in the living room because it's quite frankly on its last life."

"I think that man may love his books almost as much as he loves you," Rhia observed, amusement laced in her voice.

Lydia looked to her coworker, her friend, who stared right back with her dark hazel eyes. They were silent for a moment before Rhia grinned and the pair broke out into a fit of laughter.

#

Lydia had expected Xander to be home by the time she was done her work at the bakery. Yet, as she walked through the front door, there was no trace of him save for the books littered throughout the kitchen and living room while he shopped for supplies for a new bookshelf. Lydia didn't mind being alone for a while, so, she started the kettle for a cup of tea and weaved her way through the piles of books, careful not to knock any over as Xander planned to have them arranged in a specific order once the shelf was completed.

Unfortunately, Lydia was unsuccessful as she walked past the coffee table, her knee hit a pile of books, a paper flying out of one of them. Lydia sunk to her knees to pick up the books and set them back to how she found them. It was Xander's Tolkein pile, Lydia realized, as she plucked multiple editions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Hobbit. Her hands stilled on the copy of the Hobbit her father had lent to her mother. It was the book the paper had flown out of. Lydia set the book on the table and picked up the paper. She expected it to be some sort of unimportant note her mother likely used as a bookmark. Her father never used bookmarks, just everyday things like receipts or scrap paper, Xander had that habit too, she suspected her mother was the same.

But Lydia was wrong. As soon as she unfolded the paper, her eyes landed to her name, which was written in a feminine cursive at the top. It was her mother's writing, Lydia was certain.

Lydia,

I have been sitting at my desk for the past hour, wondering what words I could possibly say that could make everything all right. I heard about your father's passing and I am terribly sorry. We may have not been right for one another, I may have made some mistakes -- not having you in my life is certainly one of them -- but he was a good man and I know he loved you wholly.

This book was the last one he had lent me before I decided to leave, the last thing I have of him, save for you. I intended to give it to him someday but it seems that day is no longer possible. Quite frankly, I wonder if I will ever have the courage to give it to you, along with this letter.

There are so many things I wish I could say, do, to fix this. I hate how I handled things, I hate that I left you. I hate that you do not know your sister as well as you could have had I set my own pride aside to allow you to be a part of my life. I was young and foolish and convinced it was the right decision. Your father deserved someone who loved him. You deserved a mother who loved your father. The longer I stayed away, the more I sealed my fate.

Alas, these are all excuses, none of them are good enough. You deserved better.

I hope you see this some day, even if I am not the one giving it to you.

-Mom

Lydia looked up from the letter, unsure how to react. There were tears in her eyes but none of them fell. She never truly understood why her mother left. She understood she and her father were not a healthy couple. Her father wanted to marry and settle down, while her mother wanted to expand her business and wait. All of that, Lydia understood. But she could never understand how she could leave her child behind, not having anything to do with her save for the occasional birthday card or lunch every few years. Lydia still didn't understand, but now, she forgave. Her mother was never the emotional type, never confided to anyone, but Lydia could tell by the letter she tried and she supposed that was enough, it had to be.