Hello, Goodbye

Chapter Twenty-One

First thing in the morning was much earlier than she was used to. And despite the fact she'd been terribly exhausted all day, she found that she couldn't get to sleep. Every time her eyes began to droop, she'd think of Vance Montgomery. He was so young when he'd died. Zeke's age. So young to die, and yet could he have survived long enough to leave behind a living legacy? She really hoped Vance was the answer to all their questions. And yet part of her, a part she didn't dare share with anyone, secretly dreaded the answer. If Vance was Zeke's dad, then that was it. Their summer quest was over. No more laughing together in the graveyard. No more deep conversations about family and loss. She would move on her with life. Get a job. Start earning money. And Zeke... he'd have a family to get to know. He wouldn't have time for her anymore.

She fell asleep at around three in the morning after spending hours tossing and turning in her bed. And roughly three and a half hours later, her alarm went off, and she was so tired she felt sick to her stomach. For a brief moment, she considered turning her alarm off and going back to sleep. But she had a mission to accomplish, and she wanted to get it done before Zeke came back from whatever he was doing in the city. So she got out of bed, took a hot shower, dried her hair, caked on her makeup in the hopes that it would cover the bags under her eyes, and changed into a white cotton peasant dress with a pair of jean shorts underneath.

At 7:30am, she hopped in her grandma's old car and began making her way to Oak Harbor. There was a tiny tick under her left eye, like even the nerves in her face were exhausted. She let out several yawns in the car by herself as she left Coupeville, sucking in oxygen in the hopes that it would rejuvenate her tired brain. It worked somewhat, but she still couldn't wait to get her hands on a nice cup of coffee. She desperately needed the caffeine, and wished she'd made some before she left her house. But she wanted to get to the bakery the moment it opened. Hoped to talk to Sal before the place grew too crowded.

She pulled into the bakery parking lot just as a very petite woman with short blonde hair and a nose ring was unlocking the front door. Turning the ignition off, she jumped out of the car and ran to the door at the exact moment the blonde woman flipped the closed sign to open. Emersyn pushed the door open, startling the woman, who was clearly not used to a customer coming in so early. Her surprised eyes quickly morphed into friendly ones as she smiled at Emersyn and said, "Good morning! Welcome to Sal's Cake Corner. Can I help you with anything today?"

The smell of sugar was so strong that Emersyn felt like she could fall into a sugar coma at the mere scent. She could almost taste the powdered sugar and chocolate on her tongue as she walked up to the counter, staring down at all the delectable treats behind the glass. Her mouth watered as she stared down at a chocolate croissant. But she shook her head, breaking the sweet spell as she gave the woman a polite smile and said, "Yes, actually. I was wondering if you knew what time Mr. Montgomery would be in?"

She didn't know what she'd do if the woman said he wasn't coming in until later. It would ruin her whole day. All her plans. But thankfully, the blonde woman, who Emersyn just now realized was named Yvette based on the nametag she wore on her chest, smiled and said, "Oh, Sal's here now. He gets here at about four in the morning to get started on the baked good for the day. I can go grab him if you want." Emersyn nodded her head, pleased to find her plan was working perfectly. "Great. Um, can I get your name?"

"Oh, um, yeah. Emersyn. My name is Emersyn Collins." Yvette nodded her head before disappearing in a back room Emersyn assumed was the actual bakery. She looked back down at the baked goods, telling herself she'd order a chocolate croissant and a coffee before she left. It seemed like she was waiting for a long time, but really she was only standing at the counter for a couple minutes when a man with thick curly hair pulled back in a manbun and dark brown eyes stepped out of the bakery. His hands were covered in dust that she assumed was flour, and he had a streak of what looked like cream on his right cheek.