Triple B. Baking Co.

by Michel Prince

  “So, that’s your problem?” Harlan asked. “You want to keep your men employed? We can do that. Even put them in management positions.”

  “Management.” Hank laughed. “Nothing like a corner office in a pig pen.”

  “How about seventy five thousand a year?” Harlan called after the men.

  Hank halted his steps. “You’d pay me seventy five a year to run your plant? You think I’m a damn fool.”

  “You are if you don’t take it. It’s guaranteed money. No longer would you be subject to the fates of a family farm. Money won’t be tight because of an illness or tragedy.”

  Austin’s stomach dropped and his jaw clenched.

  “See,” Hank said as his hands clenched into a fists. “You had me there for half a second, but the good thing about working for a family is you become family. Now, if you want to see what happens when you bring up bad memories…keep it up. I would advise you hop in the foreign piece of crap that no respectable man who works for a living would drive and take off. Maybe next week, you can try a better line than sorry your boss’ kid died.”

  “Go back to Clinton,” Austin ordered. “There is nothing you can offer me.” His phone buzzed giving him the out he wanted from the moment Harlan shook his hand. “This is Austin.”

  “Austin, it’s Laurie.”

  The stomach that had just hit the floor came up and tightened into a ball. He pulled down on his hat as he turned away from the men.

  Laurie continued, “You’re gonna wanna come to town. She’s fading. Do you want me to call Brad and Gretchen?”

  “I’ll call them on the way into town.” Austin looked at Hank and he knew before Austin hung up what the call was about. “You got it here?”

  “You know I do.”

  Austin got in his truck and headed into town. The first call he made was to Merryn. There wasn’t hesitation in her voice at all. She said she’d meet him at his mom’s. Next, he called his sister, but her phone had been disconnected. He’d send her an email when he got to his mom’s. It was the only way he knew to find her when her phone was off. Not knowing her neighbors, he had no other option. The final call he had to steady himself to make. Brad and he hadn’t spoken verbally since Christmas.

  The thought of speaking to him made his head pound, if his sister had just picked up he could of dropped the responsibility on to her. Instead, he was stuck with it. No matter their relationship, he would hate himself for the rest of his life if he didn’t reach out and give Brad the opportunity to say goodbye to their mother.

  A failed attempt to Brad’s cell phone left him with only one other option.

  “Harrelson, Frog and Runyon family law,” the chipper secretary answered.

  “Is Brad Larsen available?”

  “He’s in mediation right now, can I take a message?”

  “This is an emergency can he be pulled from the room?”

  “Can one of our associates help you?”

  “I’m his brother I need to speak to him.”

  “I’m sorry I’ll see what I can do.”

  Hold music mixed with an important sounding man explaining the benefits of protecting your family through wills streamed through his truck as he pulled up behind Merryn’s Jeep at his mother’s house. He didn’t want to have this conversation in the house. Somehow, if he said the words in there, his mother might take a turn for the worse. He couldn’t have that on his conscience.

  “Austin, I don’t work with animals I can’t step away from at a moment’s notice,” his brother snapped.

  His snide voice made Austin miss the classical hold music. “Mom is dying, thought you might want to find your way to her house. My bad. I’m sure you’re deciding who get’s the good China.” Cutting off the phone, Austin tossed it against the passenger door and gripped the steering wheel. Shaking the stationary wheel, so he could leave his rage in the truck, he yelled. He pounded his palm against the wheel as he struck it five time sending shocks of pain up his arm all the way to his shoulder.

  He wasn’t ready. Less than five steps kept him from his mother. As long as he was out here—she was alive. She was vibrant with eyes shimmering in recognition as the local PBS channel ran a special on the moons of Jupiter. She could try to grip his hand as tight. Barely moving her hand, but he remembered when he was young and she would hold his hand to make him feel safe. She had a cherry lotion she’d rub into her hands to keep them soft no matter how much manual labor she’d done over the years. Her hands were strong, but soft. They gently ran through his hair when he sat on the floor with his head in her lap as he cried for being a failure. To her, he never was. She only saw the good in him. The positive.

  “Austin you will be a wonderful father,” she said after the initial shock had worn off. “We’ll make sure Rae graduates I promise.”

  “I’m going to marry her,” he said and his mother closed her eyes. “We’ve been together for years. I’m not just doing this because she’s pregnant.”

  “I know Austin, I just wished you’d done more.” Her hands surrounded his face then brushed back his long hair from his eyes. “You were meant to be a father I suppose. It must be God’s plan. He’d never give you a gift at the wrong time.”

  His father had stormed out, refusing to deal with the situation.

  Having worked at the high school for so many years, his mother had dealt with more than one teen pregnancy, she just wasn’t sure she was ready for it in her own home. “At least it’s not Gretchen,” she said with a smile. “That might of killed your father.”

  A knock on his door window rushed his mind back to the here and now.

  Merryn stood with a solemn face on the other side of the window.

  He shook his head and no as tears muddied his eyes.

  She opened his door. “Not yet,” she said with understanding as she took his hand in hers. “I’m here for you.” Merryn walked him to the door and they both entered with the screen door snapping behind them.

  His mother was in her bed, an IV pump flashed, but made no sound at the top of her bed while a bag of saline slowly dripped into a plastic vial then to the tubing. She lay so much frailer than she’d been just a few weeks before. Gasping for air, even with an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth. Her eyes were closed until Austin took her hand in his. With strained flutters, she opened her eyes. She knew it was time. There wasn’t a time when her eyes didn’t tell him the truth.

  Merryn set a chair next to the bed, but with how thin his mother had gotten, he sat on the bed next to her. “I was thinking about that lecture you gave when I was in physical science freshman year.”

  His mother’s eyes perked up a bit.

  “How for chemicals to bond, they each had to give a part of themselves or it didn’t work. You equated it to having a girlfriend. She was in band, volleyball and the church choir, so being a good boyfriend, you went to all her events. And she would go to all of yours, even though you might have more than her. Either way, the time you spent supporting the other bonded you. Just like hydrogen goes to the play and the softball game for oxygen. Two for one. I don’t know why I was thinking about that.”

  Merryn stood behind him rubbing his shoulders that were knotted up tighter than a new baseball glove.

  His mother shifted her eyes to Merryn then back to Austin. She blinked her eyes slowly as if to say I know why.

  “Was it hard having three kids who hated science?” he asked. “We loved the experiments. Blowing things up…always a crowd pleaser. You were an amazing mom.”

  Tears were streaming down his cheeks. The life was fading from her eyes as gray overtook the blue.

  Laurie was crying in the corner as she monitored his mother, but allowed him privacy.

  “Brad’s on his way,” Austin said hoping to have one more minute with her, but time between her breaths increased until her eyes closed and the rattle from the pneumonia in her lungs no longer sounded.

  Laurie crossed the room and checked for a pulse. After a full minute th
at felt like twenty, she turned to Austin. “She’s gone.” Laurie turned off the IV. “I’ll call her doctor.”

  “Thank you,” Merryn said as she sat on the chair next to Austin. “I’m so sorry.”

  Austin didn’t let go of his mother’s hand. He couldn’t. Her skin was cooling, but it was still so soft. The smell of cherry suddenly filled his lungs as he fought against the hard lump in his throat and tears that wouldn’t stop.

  “What do you mean?” Brad’s voice boomed through the house as the clomping steps echoed until he came to the doorway and saw Austin still holding their mother’s hand. “How long ago?”

  “Just a few minutes.”

  “Tell me the truth, was I your first call?” Brad snipped with a sour scowl on his face.

  “Yes,” Austin lied.

  * * * *

  Although Harriet Larsen had been away from most of the community for years, her passing rocked through the town. Death happened everyday in the world, but not here. Here, there were breaks in the grief, but a wave washed over the town as memories of the woman who’d taught the evolution of the species had evolved herself, as memorials filled the local paper.

  Merryn wasn’t sure how to deal with death and grieving.

  It had taken three days for Austin to find his sister. He hadn’t cried since the night his mother passed. Instead, he’d been spending his time organizing the funeral and cursing his family.

  Easter was early this year and as the search for Gretchen stretched out, it looked as if another holiday would be ruined for Trinity. At least this wasn’t a shock, but still to lose another family member and having to bury them days before, would have some psychological repercussions on the young lady.

  Austin couldn’t understand the duality of it all. The taking of life and although a part of him was prepared for his mother’s passing, it still came too soon. He knew she was frustrated being trapped in a body where the only thing that worked was her mind, but he had a way of communicating with her on a level Merryn envied.

  “It’s all set for Saturday,” Austin said as he flopped back on Merryn’s bed and let out a loud yawn. “Principal Harris said we could use the gym. The school’s closed for spring break anyway.”

  At first, they’d wanted something small, but calls were flooding in since Harriet had taught for over forty years. The number of lives she’d touched numbered in the tens of thousands, even coming from a place where the biggest class on record was fifty three.

  Merryn was cooking a stew to take out to the farm, since Austin hadn’t been able to help as much as he’d wanted to, as the sows were giving birth. Half had popped in the last few days. The piglets had to be the cutest things Merryn had ever seen. Potbellied and teacup pigs had been coming into fashion when she was leaving LA. Interesting as they were, she would have to say a newborn pig with its little squeals as it rooted around for its mother’s teat was cute as hell. A few were being rejected by the sows and the men were keeping them in a warmer as they bottle fed the runts.

  “They’ll be good pigs,” Hank had told her. “Sometimes, parents can’t see the potential.”

  Austin had heard the same thing from Hank when he was a teenager. It had stuck according to Austin. At the time, his own father acted as if Austin were a ghost. Rage over the pregnancy had him unable to focus on his son and what was ahead. Instead of nurturing the child who was going to have to be a man whether he wanted to or not, his father had taken the toss him in the lake and hope he swims method.

  “I’m glad everything is set. We can have the repasts in the bakery, if you want. Unless you think your mother’s place will be cleaned up enough by then.” Merryn looked into the bedroom.

  Austin had finally found sleep. The search for his sister and fielding of phone calls from relatives had made sleep the last thing on his mind.

  Just like the first night they spent together, she pulled off his jeans and turned him in the bed. She retrieved the extra comforter she had in her closet and draped it over him.

  He stirred just enough to roll over and snuggle a pillow into his arms.

  She went back and finished chopping up carrots then added them to the beef and potatoes. With Austin asleep and her stew simmering, she went down to the bakery to check on the customers. For the next two hours, it was non-stop in the bakery. She’d been able to sneak up a few times to stir her stew and each time, she saw Austin was still lost in the land of nod. Her heart melted seeing him with a relaxed look on his face and his body no longer a ball of tension.

  Kristy had been a Godsend over the last week, coming in on her days off and staying late. Today was no exception, but Merryn could see the exhaustion on her face as well. “How about you head home?” Merryn suggested.

  Kristy yawned. “Alright, let me top off old grumpy Gus, then I’ll head out.”

  “Sounds good.” Merryn began taking out the remnants in the display case to prepare them for the day old bin. With the cling wrap at the ready, she started the nightly process when the bell over the door chimed. “Can I—” Merryn’s heart stopped as she was caught by the million dollar smile of her ex husband.

  Erik stood in the doorway with his hands shoved into the pockets of a double-breasted, camel colored, leather coat. “Hello Merryn,” his voice was deep with that slight accent he’d brought over from Spain. With dark hair, dark eyes and tanned skin had caught her breath more than once.

  “Hey Erik, long time.” Merryn tried to act as if he were any customer coming in that she hadn’t seen in a few months and not the man she’d walked away from almost four years ago.

  “Am I catching you at a bad time?” he asked then looked at Kristy.

  Kristy did what most women did when in the presence of a man who should have been on the screen, instead of behind the camera. She froze only catching herself after Darryl slapped her arm. “Sorry,” she said scrambling to mop up the spilled liquid with a dishrag and the paper napkins on the table.

  “Can I get you something to eat?” Merryn asked, as she stayed behind the display case afraid to move. “Coffee? I’m getting ready to close, so it’s not the freshest, but it’s still warm.”

  Kristy gave her a curious look, but with only Darryl in the bakery, she’d been leaving early when the customers got down, so she could go out to the farm.

  “No, I’m off gluten and refined sugar,” he said.

  Merryn swallowed hard. “Stacia I’m assuming.”

  “Yes, but I’m losing weight and feeling amazing.”

  “Good for you.” He didn’t need to lose the weight, but then again, he might be different now that he has kids. “Why are you here? It’s not like you went for a walk and went a bit further than you expected.”

  “I wanted to talk to you and the phone seemed too impersonal.”

  “So, you charter a plane or go commercial?”

  “Charter, I didn’t feel like driving for hours after landing. Cedar Falls is much closer.”

  “I’m surprised you didn’t have them open up the strip at the edge of town.”

  “There’s an airport here?”

  “No, just an old abandoned plant. They used to build planes here.”

  “This place seems nice, quiet…not you.” He scanned her frame and she wasn’t sure if he was judging the extra curve to her hips or admiring it.

  “Maybe you never knew me,” she said and came around the counter and they each took a seat. “You have a toddler, do you usually stay away until late in the night?”

  “It’s four here, two there, and what we needed to talk about shouldn’t take that long.”

  “Shouldn’t?”

  “Um…Merryn?” Kristy cocked her head to the side.

  “Kristy could you help Darryl check out and then I’ll close.”

  “Since when do you charge me?” Darryl asked from across the room. “How about I settle up with Austin?”

  “How about I ban men over ninety from my establishment?” Merryn countered.

  “You wouldn’t dar
e,” he grumbled.

  “It would save me thousands in your free refills.” Merryn waved as he checked out with Kristy who was still awestruck by Erik. Merryn was used to it. Everywhere she went with him, it was the same thing, only she wasn’t suffering from the leg melts today. She was nervous to be around Erik, but not for fear of falling uncontrollably into bed with him.

  “You look good,” Erik said as his deep brown eyes were reaching inside her.

  “Thank you.” She swallowed hoping the action would calm her nerves that erupted after his lips moved. “Now, what is going to take less than thirty minutes to talk to me about that couldn’t of been handled over the phone?”

  “The one thing I remember fondly from our marriage…the whole relationship really…is I never got enough of talking to you.” He played with the little Easter basket on the table. “I have a son on the way.”

  “Couldn’t wait huh?”

  “We got lucky at our last visit. He’s a bit of a show off.”

  “Ready for his close up.” She smiled. “You have the perfect little family. I’m happy for you.”

  “Now that I have it, I realize how stupid it was to give up the only woman I ever loved for something as small as a child.”

  “A child is not small.” Merryn’s heart clutched as he claimed the love for her.

  “No, you’re right,” he conceded and sat back on the spindle chair. “I do care for Stacia. You know what they say, don’t marry the one you love, marry the one who loves you.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because you can fall in love with someone who loves you, but if you love them more you’ll always be chasing them.”

  “That doesn’t balance out,” Merryn said. “At least not in a relationship.”

  “I believe it’s only the man that has to follow that rule.”

  “Hmm…” Merryn rested her head on her palm with her elbow on the table. “Stacia loves you then?”

  “She loves the life I provide and is willing to do anything to keep it. And I mean anything.”

  A chill ran down Merryn’s back. It didn’t make sense that Erik hadn’t just called her. There were many things they’d spoke about over the last few years. Those calls were always initiated by him becoming fewer and far between now, and she was happy about that. Still, there was something familiar between them. Comfortable. A friendship. She watched as his eyes became transfixed on the basket. There was no reason to prod him. He would speak when he found the strength.