Honeysuckle | M.A

Chapter 2: Breakfast On Newspapers

September 21, 1972

Jaroldine had woken that morning planning to spend the day reading that dusty book she found at the back of her book shelf, Little Women, as she was unable to do that the past few days. She had been helping her mother with house chores; dusting, wiping, shining and cooking, which, yesterday, included a particularly difficult dessert that needed perfectly crystallised honey and took them all evening.

Once she'd gotten out of bed, she got dressed into the cream evening silk robe her mother had sewn for her during the time in her life where she sewed day and night. It had spaghetti straps and reached right above her knees, she paired it with a loose brown belt and put her hair in a beige babushka scarf.

Jaroldine smiled, remembering a particularly messy attempt at the creme brûlée they had yesterday, when her mother burnt it black and upon seeing and smelling it, Nancy thought it was a chocolate brownie and wanted to eat it.

Her thoughts drifted to Nancy, who, even though it was later than usual, hadn't come into the room yet. Furrowing her brows, she left her room and went to Nancy's, the door was slightly ajar, and Jaroldine pushed it open slowly, cringing when it creaked loudly.

Popping her head into the room, she saw Nancy fast asleep, Jaroldines face softened and she pulled her head back out, smiling to herself and walking to the kitchen.

She hurried to the bakery, which was within a light fog of steam from the recently baked pastries, she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, allowing all the wonderful scents to invade her senses and licked her lips.

She looked down at the assortment of pastries on display, half of which were already gone as it was mid morning.

Almost everything had honey incorporated, honey lavender macarons, lemon honey tarts, crystallised honey bread and croissants, hardened honey discs and even raw honeycomb topped many of the usual sweet pastries on display. Everything looked rich, and fragile, like it would crumble into bits in your fingers.

'Morning Miss Anne,' The youngest Gardetto greeted with a smile.

'Goodmorning,'' she responded, returning the smile.

"What could I get you today?" He questioned, gesturing to the array of pastries that lay before them.

Jaroldine licked her lips, tempted to get much more than she needed.

"4 honey breads and 4 honey lavender macarons please," She said. She had been eyeing the macarons since yesterday when they were first put on display.

She had almost forgotten Larry wasn't present. Perhaps he had come earlier?

***

Back at home, she was shocked to find the kitchen empty and creeped around the house, to eventually find everyone in Nancy's room.

A wet cloth was set upon her little sisters forhead and her parents sat on the bed and floor next to her. They turned around when the door creaked.

"Good morning darling. Could you pass the bread please, we shall eat it with no condiments today as your sister is ill and we do not want to leave her side." Her mother said, smiling weakley.

"Yes mother." Jaroldine quickly hurried to their side and looked over at her sister.

Her face was pale and little nose red, it seemed a common flu as her eyes were open and she was sniffling.

"Hi.." Nancy said, looking at Jaroldine, who shook her head, and snapped back into reality; she had been analysing her sister's face for an awkward few seconds.

"Oh, hi," She responded, turning back around.

She got a new newspaper her father had just finished reading moments before she arrived and ripped out five sheets.