Angry Baker's Arc

Chapter 12 of 13

Allan unlocked the bakery at six the next morning. The tuxedo still hung in the back room beside the flour. He pulled out a tray of croissants and set them in the oven. The wedding was nine days away and Melissa still didn't have a dress. They'd agreed to shop together today, but he didn't know what that would solve. Melissa came downstairs at eight with dust in her hair. She was holding a wooden trunk with brass latches. "I found something in the attic," she said. She set the trunk on the counter and opened it. Inside was a wedding dress, white fabric with flowers stitched along the hem. "It was my mother's," she said quietly. Allan stared at the dress. The embroidery was faded but the flowers were still clear, small petals in soft colors running up from the bottom. "You want to wear this?" he asked. Melissa nodded. "I didn't want a new one. I wanted something that meant something." Allan touched the fabric. It was thin in places and the waist looked too small. "It needs work," he said. Melissa's face fell. "I know. Maybe it's stupid. We can still go to the shop." Allan shook his head. "No. We'll get it fixed." He closed the bakery at noon and they carried the trunk three blocks to the alterations shop. The woman at the counter looked at the dress and then at the calendar. "Nine days is tight," she said. "But I can do it. Fifty dollars and you pick it up on the twelfth." Allan pulled out his wallet. The money came from the honey cake sales, the customers who'd come back, the work he'd put in to rebuild. He handed over the bills and the woman wrote up a ticket. They walked back to the bakery without the trunk. Melissa took his hand halfway there. "Thank you," she said. Allan squeezed her fingers. He'd spent weeks worrying about money and customers and proving the bakery meant something. But this was what the money was for. Not just to have it. To spend it on something that mattered. The dress would be ready in time. The wedding would happen. And for the first time in months, Allan felt like he was moving toward something instead of just trying to hold on.