Unfortunately, I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with them in the first few weeks. If it hadn’t been for Bishop’s quick thinking, I might not have made it to the hospital alive. Even taking the cracked skull and broken ankle into account, I was lucky. His new crutches had saved both of my arms from breaking because, as soon as I went down, they fell away, allowing me to roll without my arms snapping. I shuddered. It was an awful thought, but I was so grateful he’d had the forethought to get them for me. After six weeks of healing, and another four weeks of physical therapy, I finally got the brace that would change my life. I was mobile again, active, and back working in the business I loved so much. Unfortunately, the accident required us to postpone our tenth-anniversary celebration at The Fluffy Cupcake. Haylee said as long as we did it this year, it didn’t matter that we couldn’t do it on the exact date of our opening. Instead, we ran specials and added new surprises every week since August to keep our customers coming back to celebrate with us.
“Hey, bestie,” Hay-Hay said as she approached. “You’re standing over here all by yourself, and I mean that literally and figuratively.”
My eyes creased at the corners with joy. “Pretty awesome, right? It might have cost the price of a small house, but it’s worth every penny.”
“I couldn’t agree more. Considering what we have going on, we’re going to need you here.”
I laid my hand on her six-month-along baby bump. It turned out that the first test she took all those months ago had been wrong. It wasn’t a scare, it was real, and now, they were going to make me an auntie. “And I’m going to be here taking care of the place while you and Brady raise your little able bakers.”
Her laughter filled the room, and I stored it in my heart for when she wasn’t here as much. “I can picture this tiny Able Baker Brady following his daddy around carrying baguettes bigger than he is.”
“Or a little Able Baker Haylee with ringlets in her hair and cupcake frosting on her face.”
She nodded, but her chin trembled a little. “I heard there’s a good chance this little cupcake will be sporting those ringlets in her hair after all. Can’t confirm, but we’ll know for sure in a few weeks.”
My hand went to my chest and my own chin trembled. “My heart just melted,” I whispered. “I can’t wait to hold her in my arms. She’s going to be the sweetest baby this side of St. Paul. I love you, sis. I know you’re going to be a wonderful mother because you know what it’s like to not have one.”
“I had one, and she’s wonderful. Come to think of it. I had two. It’s just that one happened to be my age.” She hugged me again, her arms tightening when she spoke. “Happy anniversary to my partner, bestie, sister, mother, auntie, and everything you are to this community. I know The Fluffy Cupcake is going to be okay when everything changes again because you’re here to make sure of it.”
“Darling,” I whispered, “it’s going to be better than okay. It’s going to be the legacy for our little ones—a place to grow up in and to make memories in that they someday tell their children. The Fluffy Cupcake isn’t a building or a business. It’s our life. It’s our dream of building a community to support our community. We’ve done that. We’ve supported our community, and they, in turn, support us. It takes a village to raise a child, and this is our village.”
She had her arm around my shoulder as she gazed out at the family we’d built over the years. “It sure is. We’ve taken our dream of having a little place to sell cupcakes and turned it into a business that is about to witness a new generation. I don’t know how that happened, but I do know I can’t wait to have our little ones under our feet, sneaking cookies out of the case, and chasing each other around the same way we used to.”
“Our little ones?” I asked, feigning shock and surprise.
“Yes, our little ones. I might be going first, but I know you and Bishop will follow close behind. I sure hope so, anyway. We’ve done everything else together, and I can’t imagine not raising our little cupcakes together, too.”
“That would be a berry sinful thing to do,” I said, laughter on my lips.
“What are you two whispering about over here?” Bishop asked, walking over to us with a drink in his hand. “Thirty years old and still whispering like schoolgirls.”
“I was just telling Amber how I was looking forward to us raising our little cupcakes together.”
He shook his finger at my bestie. “One teeny tiny cupcake and one even tinier tart.”
Haylee laughed with abandon and pointed at him. “You got me, Mr. Halla. I’m so happy that you’re here to celebrate with us this year, Bishop, and that you saved my best friend’s life so she could be here, too. I love you both.”
She pulled us in for a group hug, and I rubbed her back, knowing her pregnancy hormones were leading her emotional responses, but loving every minute of it. “We’re building a wonderful family,” I whispered, “Now, go find that man of yours before he sends out the police. You know he will, too.”
Hay-Hay laughed and waved as she weaved her way to
