Without discussion, Jess let go of her arm and took a step back.
Lena fled before she could embarrass herself even more.
The café was nicer than expected but lacked organization. The outside seating was scattered around a couple of trees, and Jess clearly saw a more efficient placement of the tables and chairs to maximize space and serve more customers. But at least she had enough room next to the table to park Ella’s stroller.
It was their first outing as mother and daughter, but Jess had no time to stress about that as she concentrated on keeping up a conversation with Diana as well as thinking of ways to find out more about Lena.
She rolled the little cookie that had come with her decaf coconut latte between her fingers.
Coconut. She couldn’t believe that neither her mom nor Lena had mentioned the café was vegan. And the waitress had reassured her that the cookie was gluten-free, not that she had asked. She usually enjoyed her gluten-filled pleasures with real milk.
Was Lena vegan too? Could vegans be criminals? As long as they didn’t use a horse to flee, they could probably still rob a bank. Or old widows like her mother.
A waving hand appeared between her eyes. “Hey, Jess. You haven’t heard a word I’ve said, have you?”
Oops. Maybe she hadn’t been as successful as she’d thought in keeping up with the conversation. She set the cookie on the saucer again. Gluten-free or not, she was on a diet. “Sorry. Just… It’s the first time I’m out with Ella.” Good. Babies were a wonderful excuse.
“It’s fine. I told you work was boring, but you asked about it anyway.” Diana smiled and gestured to the stroller. “She’s super cute. Isn’t it nice to have some extra weeks at home with her, no matter the reason?”
That was a very glass-half-full approach to her cardiac situation. One she hadn’t even considered. “I like your way of thinking. It’s not what I had planned, though.”
Diana took a bite of her vegan carrot cake and nodded. “You said the same thing before she was born. What were your plans?”
Did she want to go there with Diana, someone from work? Maybe the short version would do. “Usually, I’m very organized, and even before I got pregnant, I had a schedule worked out and dates set for the C-section and when I would return to work afterward.”
“You returned early, didn’t you?”
Jess shrugged. “My boss was desperate to get me back. And I never expected this illness to throw a wrench in my plans and ruin my fitness.” She grinned. “But you’re right. It does have some unexpected positive side effects. The time with Ella is wonderful.”
“And you’re looking great. How are you doing?”
The waitress showed superb timing in interrupting them before Jess needed to come up with an answer. “Is everything okay? Can I bring you anything else?” She smiled encouragingly.
Jess was tempted to order one of the many baked goods that smelled so delicious, but the tight fit of her jeans reminded her why she needed to remain strong. She was about to send the waitress away but then remembered her mission. “Everything is great. But…I was wondering about the other woman I saw working here recently. Her name is Lena? Is she here today?”
“Lena? No. Did you have a problem?” The waitress frowned and swiped a few of her long braids behind her ear.
“No, no problem. We were talking about, um, a recipe. For, um, jam.” Wasn’t that what her mom had said Lena made for the market?
“Oh, her preserves are excellent. We even sell them in the café. She works here most days. Maybe you can come back tomorrow. That’s typical of Lena, promising you the recipe instead of selling you her product. She is much too nice and has absolutely no business sense.” She said the last bit as if it were a compliment.
Maybe it was in a hippie vegan café. “So she’s nice to everyone?”
“Oh, yeah.” The waitress warmed to the topic and nodded vigorously. “Last week, we had an awful customer, super demanding. She made Ethan cry. Lena comforted him, talked to her, and solved the problem. I have no idea what she said. Ethan couldn’t hear her because she never raised her voice, not like the customer did. But the woman seemed to be happy in the end. She left a big tip. Lena took over his tables for the rest of the shift because he was too distressed to work, but she gave him all of the tips, and he said it was a lot.”
No business sense seemed like a correct description. If Ethan were her resident, she’d have told him to suck it up and get back to work. But she guessed her opinion wouldn’t be valued here. “That’s nice.”
Before she could ask more questions, another customer caught the gaze of the young woman and she excused herself.
Diana chuckled. “You said this was the first time you were here?”
Busted. “Yeah, well…”
“Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me. You’re obviously a bad liar with a crush on this Lena.”
Better to let Diana believe that than to explain. Apart from wanting to protect her mother, Jess couldn’t give a good reason why she was snooping. Maybe it had been a mistake to come here. Jess stared at her fingers, coated with cookie crumbs. She wiped them on her napkin, taking more time than necessary. The queasiness of her stomach made her glad she hadn’t ordered anything to eat.
Ella pierced the uncomfortable silence with a cry, and Jess reached inside the stroller to put a steadying hand on her. “Shush, honey, everything is fine.”
Ella didn’t believe this lie for a second and cried harder.
With her other hand, Jess moved the stroller back and forth. The motion didn’t help either. She stood and took Ella out, holding her to her shoulder.
“What do you need? Fresh diapers? Food?” She could provide the first without problem but had forgotten to pack formula. It
