by K. J. Emrick
Madison went down the hallway to him, standing face to face with him. They studied each other for a long few seconds and then she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. “Of course I’ll give you a ride,” she told him. “That’s what family is for.”
“What changed your mind?” Cookie asked him.
“Well. I, um, decided you were right. Clarissa needed me, just like you said. I wasn’t going to be there for her if I kept going down the path I was walking. I needed to stop hiding my troubles and face them before I ruined both of our lives.” He looked over at Clarissa, his eyes surprisingly clear. “You were right, Cookie. I have to do this. For her.”
There were goodbyes to be said, and more hugging, and it was a long time before they actually got ready to leave. Clarissa had decided to stay here, because she and Rick both knew if they tried to say goodbye at the treatment facility that it would be a hundred times harder. She and Cookie would stay here and hang out in the apartment all day. She didn’t want her granddaughter to be alone. This was going to be hard on her. Even if it was the right thing, being away from the people you love was always difficult.
When it was finally time, Madison led Rick to the stairs. He turned to wave one last time, and Cookie’s heart went out to him.
“Oh, wait,” she said, as a sudden thought occurred to her.
She rushed to the fridge and from inside she took out one of her clear Tupperware containers. There were five vanilla cupcakes inside that she had made two days ago. The smell of sweetness filled the room when she opened it up and took one out. She gave it to Rick.
“Everything will be all right,” she told him, “as long as there’s cake. Take this with you. I’m proud of you, Rick.”
He took the treat from her, blinking at it like it was the best thing he had ever seen in the world. Then he looked up at her and smiled. “Maybe,” he said, “you should start calling me ‘Hamish’ again.”
Cookie couldn’t agree more. “I’ve always liked you better as a Hamish. Be good. We’ll be ready for you to come back and help at the bakery as soon as you feel up to it. The next chapter in your life will be a good one, I can tell.”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” he told her. “I can’t wait to see what happens next.”
It was after he and Madison were gone that Cookie sat Clarissa down at the dining table and began making them something for breakfast. She was only a little surprised when she felt a tear in her own eye. It was a happy tear, warm and wet as she wiped it away.
“Grandma?” Clarissa asked her. “Are you okay? How do you feel?”
She couldn’t help but laugh. With everything that had happened to her granddaughter, she was still worried about everyone else’s problems. That was who Clarissa had always been, and now she would have the chance to be that person again. Cookie smiled at her.
“Yes, my beautiful granddaughter, I’m fine. I feel… young again.”
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About the Author
K.J. Emrick
Kathrine Emrick writing as K.J. Emrick is the author of the popular Darcy Sweet Cozy Mystery series and the Pine Lake Inn Cozy Mystery series.
Strongly influenced by authors like James Patterson, Dick Francis, and Nora Roberts, Kathrine Emrick dreamed of being an author for the majority of her life.
She never quite gave up on the idea of being a published author and at the age of 51, thanks to the self-publishing explosion, she finally realized her dream. Her maturity allows her to bring a variety of experiences and observations to her writing.
She lives in beautiful South Australia with her family, including several animals. Kathrine can always be found jotting down daily notes in a journal and like many authors, she loves to be surrounded by books and is a voracious reader. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering at the local library.
Her goal is to regularly produce entertaining and noteworthy content and engaging in a community of readers and writers.
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