Cool Mom

98: Dress Fittings

"Hazel I'm leaving!" I call out to her from the kitchen's side door which opens into the back of the bungalow which is a huge field. Hazel is watching dad water his plants.

She says goodbye to him and runs inside to join me. Daniel has a headache so he's sleeping it off and Sebastian is asleep with him.

Hazel buckles herself into the car seat as I back the car out of the driveway.

"Are you excited to see what the dress looks like?" I ask Hazel, looking at her in the rear view mirror. Tess told her over lunch yesterday about her getting to be a flower girl.

Hazel nods in reply to my question as she looks out of her window at the foreign sights.

I know the dress store where Tess is having her dress made. It's a local boutique in the heart of Bern. We used to visit the crafts store next door often with mom so I know the route without having to use a map.

"Mom! Ducks!" Hazel points out as we drive past a pond.

"I used to come here with grandma and grandpa every Sunday morning to feed the ducks." I tell Hazel.

"Will they still remember you?" Hazel asks, making me laugh.

"We can stop on our way back and as them." I say, making her laugh too.

It's a short drive to the boutique. I find a parking space a few stores away and park the car. When Hazel hops out of the car, she at once swivels around with pleading eyes.

"Can I please get cake?" She asks, pointing towards the bakery we're in front of. And right there in the display window is a chocolate cake.

"Okay." I tell her and she hops in glee.

We go into the store and I buy her a slice of cake and a bottle of water. As I'm making the payment, Hazel opens the box, sticks the disposable spoon into the cake and takes a bite.

"Mhmm." Hazel nods in approval, making me and the lady at the cash register laugh.

"Do we have a cake lover in store today?" She smiles at Hazel and Hazel sheepishly nods.

The lady hands back my credit card without swiping it, "The cake's on the house."

"Oh no, please I insist." I shake my head, holding out the card again.

"When my daughter was little she used to love cake. I used to bake so much for her that I decided to turn it into a business!" The lady sighs and from the look on her face I can tell that they are happy memories for her.

"What is your daughter doing nowadays?" I ask her.

"She works for a firm, PERKINS + WILLIS." The lady tells me.

"I work for them too!" I exclaim.

"Really? My daughter is at their Los Angeles office." She tells me.

I'm surprised at the coincidence, "Really? I overlook all operations in California. What's her name?"

"Lina Accola." She tells me and then asks, "Wow! You're her boss?"

I laugh at her observation, "Well, not exactly her boss. But boss of a boss, you could say."

"It was an honor to serve Lina's boss." She says, shaking my hand.

"It's a small world. I'll surely ask for her when I get back to America. And my name is Emma Aaron, please ask her to reach out to me if she ever needs my assistance." I tell the lady.

"Thank you so much." She smiles at me and then looks over the counter at Hazel who has gobbled down half the cake slice by now.

"Thank you for the cake." I tell her and once Hazel's thanked her too we step out of the bakery and head for the boutique.