Ginger Crisp's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Ginger stood at the bakery counter, wiping flour from her hands, when she spotted the registration form tucked beneath the cash drawer. Her husband's neat script filled every line. Mr. Crisp had entered the competition himself. She pulled the paper out and read it twice. The gingerbread man she'd married had gone ahead and done what she'd been too afraid to do. He'd signed his name. He'd committed. And he'd done it without saying a word. The prize she wanted was now something they'd be competing for against each other. She set the form down carefully and stared at his empty workstation across the shop. Everything had just changed. Ginger walked to the town square where the official board stood outside the marketplace. The gingerbread panel was already crowded with names piped in white icing. She scanned the list and found it near the top. Mr. Crisp. Not Mr. and Mrs. Crisp. Just him. Her chest tightened. He'd entered alone because he knew she wouldn't. He'd tried to claim her dream for himself. She pulled the pen from her apron pocket and wrote her name below his in careful letters. The icing dried quickly in the cold air. They would both compete now. If he could sign up without her, she could enter without him. The board looked different with both their names on it. Complete.