Chapter 114

I was sitting at Wictor’s kitchen table while he and Anthony put the finishing touches to the Sunday dinner. They had invited me over. I suspected they wanted to check up on me, but I didn’t mind. Anthony had been almost as excited as Wictor regarding the baby. He had skipped the proposal, which I was happy about. Because I was a good sister, I would take Wictor’s little outburst and idea of getting married to the grave. Unless I could use it to mess with him in the future. As a good sister I had an obligation to use sensitive information against him if the opportunity presented itself.

“You need to start thinking about getting some help in the bakery,” Anthony told me as they joined me at the table after bringing out a roast with all the side dishes.

“Yeah. I have been thinking the same thing,” I said.

“Good. You can’t be lifting all the heavy things, and someone will have to run it for a couple of months after you give birth,” Wictor pointed out. I made a face. The idea that I needed to hand the bakery over to someone else didn’t sit well with me. But I also knew I wanted time off to recuperate and bond with the baby.

“I know. I just need to find the right person, someone I can trust and that sees the place like I do.”

“Babe, no one sees the place like you do. It’s your first child and you love it. But please set your expectations a little lower. Find someone you like and can trust,” Wictor said.

“Okay,” I agreed.

When Monday came around and I had a calm moment in the bakery, I tried to put together an add. I used a template Wictor had made and printed flyers and put in the window and then I published it on a couple of sites online. When Friday rolled around I still hadn’t heard from Hunter and was slowly accepting that he was no longer a part of my life. I had also received a number of applications. Mostly from people going to school, needing a part time job even though I had clearly stated it was a fulltime job. I had decided to take the add down and I reached out to a man and a woman that both had experience in the retail field. They seemed responsible and nice when I talked with them and set up meetings for Monday. The last applicant I set up a meeting with was a woman. She had almost no working experience and no real education. But something about her made me curious. So I set up a meeting with her as well. Worst-case scenario, I would turn her down and go with one of the other candidates. I spent the weekend reading up on pregnancy and what was in store for me. I also ordered some books regarding being a single parent. I walked around the apartment and looked at it. I liked living here. Cuddles liked the place as well. I didn’t want to move and I would never find a similar place as cheap as this. I could redo my office into a nursery. I could move the desk into the corner of the living room. It would work. We had the park across the road to go to. I needed to look into daycare and schools. There were so many things to consider.

Monday came faster than I expected. I started the day by making a doctor appointment. I needed the pregnancy confirmed. In between customers I held the two first interviews. They were both nice and responsible people. But I didn’t click with either of them. I was starting to think I would need to call more people. When my last interview walked into the bakery I was just finishing up with a customer. When I was done and the customer had left, I smiled at the woman. I knew she was a couple of years younger then me. She had her brown hair braided in a loop around her head and her soft brown eyes fluttered around, often going to the windows to look outside.

“You must be Mary? Hi, I’m Hana, the owner,” I said as I walked around the counter to shake her hand. She gave me a nervous smile.

“Hi. Yes, that's me,” she said. She sounded frail and uncertain.

“Let’s sit down at the table. I’m sorry to do this out here, but I don’t have anyone looking after my bakery,” I explained as we took a seat at the small round table. She took the seat that let her look out of the windows.

“It’s fine. I guess that’s why I’m here,” she said. I smiled at her.

“Yes, it is.” I started out with some small talk to make Mary relax. It seemed to help. We discussed what type of work would be included. “Do you have any experience working in retail or in the restaurant industry or similar?” I asked. Mary looked nervous again.

“No, ma’am. I haven’t really worked before,” she said and glanced out of the window.

“Would you be willing to do training in food safety?” I asked.

“Oh yes, I would be open to any training that is needed,” Mary said and she seemed excited about the idea.

“Good. Do you have any experience in baking?”

“Not in a business.”

“But at home?” I wanted to know.

“Definitely. I’m used to baking bread on a daily basis and sweet treats at least once or twice a week,” she told me. That was promising. Something about her felt familiar. She kept darting her eyes to the busy promenade outside.

“And you are available to work full time?”

“I am. And I can start right away,” she said. I nodded.

“I’m going to ask a question and if you feel I’m crossing a line, please tell me it’s none of my business. Is someone looking for you Mary? Are you safe?” I asked her as it finally had occurred to me why her behaviour felt familiar. I had behaved the same just after I left Simon. I had expected him to show up at any moment to drag me back. Mary froze and looked at me with fear. “You are safe here. I’m not going to tell anyone or make you go back,” I added and she relaxed a little.

“I-I had a fiance,” she said.

“He wasn’t a good man?” I asked. She shook her head.

“I was raised in a very religious family and I was homeschooled and kept fairly secluded. I didn’t like that life, but I was holding out for my eighteenth birthday. I had a plan to leave and then I would be able to do all the things I wanted to do. But my dad arranged my engagement and instead of being controlled by my parents, I was controlled by my future husband. And he wasn’t a good man,” she told me. I slowly, not to frighten her, reached out my hand and put it over her.

“Thank you for telling me. I know it’s hard to talk about. Do you have somewhere safe to stay?” I asked. She nodded.

“I’m staying at a cheap motel. I have enough money to rent the room for a week or two. That’s why I need a job. But it has been hard to find one as I don’t have any experience.”

“It wasn’t that long ago I was in a similar situation. I know how it feels to finally break free. I was lucky to have someone to catch me and help me. Would you allow me to help you?”

“Help me?” she asked.

“Yes. I think you would be a good fit for me and my bakery. I can see us getting along fine and I think you are a hard worker.”

“I am. I will do my very best,” she told me with more energy than she had shown at any other point. I smiled at her.

“For full disclosure, and I would be grateful if this stays between the two of us for now. I’m pregnant and that is why I’m looking for someone to help. There is still time for me to train someone and get them accustomed to my bakery. But in the end I need someone I can trust to run this place for a month or two after I have the baby. The dad is not in the picture, so there will be times when we will have a baby here before I can get daycare,” I told her. She gave me a bright smile.

“Congratulations! I would be up for that, if you feel you can trust me. I promise, I’m used to hard work and I’m loyal,” she said.

“I believe you. So here’s what I can offer. I’m offering you full time employment and I will pay for evening classes in food safety and basic bakery classes. I’m only able to pay you minimum wages at this point. But you will have healthcare and if you want to move out of the motel I will offer you to stay at the apartment above the bakery rent free,” I told her. Her eyes had grown big.

“You would offer me a place to live?” she asked.

“Yes. It’s not a large space. We can have a quick look at it. But it’s close to work and I have a state-of-the-art alarm system, so you would be safe. I would also have someone to look after the place, so I get something as well.”

“And classes? I feel like I should pay you for all of this,” she told me. I laughed.

“Not at all. I get a good employee, someone that is dedicated and someone to look after this place. And it gives me peace of mind. Which I really could need right now. I wasn’t as smart as you and I married my ‘not a good man’. I would be more than happy to be of help.”

“The father of the child?” Mary asked.

“No. The father is a good man, but not that open to babies.” She nodded. “How about we close the bakery for fifteen minutes and look at the apartment? It’s empty at the moment. But I could order some furniture if you want,” I said as I got up and locked the door and put up the sign that said I would be right back.

“That won’t be necessary. I have some savings left so I can buy the necessary things and then I would like to decorate the place myself. If that is okay?” Mary asked.

“Absolutely. It’s your place, you can decorate how you want. Just ask before you paint the walls or something of that kind,” I told her as we walked up to the small apartment.

“Oh this is amazing!” she exclaimed as we walked inside. “No need to paint the wall, I love this place. It feels like a home.” I smiled. Something told me this was a good decision on my part. Mary was everything I was looking for, and I would keep another woman safe. It was the best outcome I could have wished for. I was feeling optimistic about the future again. Things were falling into place.