Precious cargo

Pearl's POV:

It was New Year's Eve. I was thrilled because it aligned with my birthday. In addition, with the new year beginning, I will be the sole owner of the bakery. The problem is, the future is inevitable, and no one has a clear picture of what will happen in the next minute, or second, or hour. If only I knew what the future had in store for me, I would have stuffed my face with sweets.

Anyway, the meal preparation was going well as my mother had invited everyone around our hometown to celebrate with us. Unwelcoming wouldn't describe my personality, but I wished mama didn't invite them. I was unsure if she liked them here or if she was trying to show everyone she had everything under control. I just didn't know.

The kitchen was buzzing, I stood at a safe distance, watching everyone working. I was the lead chef and I loved it. with everyone busy doing their work. I was the lead chef, and I loved it. Yes, at least something came out of the situation.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of mama. When I turned and wished immediately I hadn't. Mama was glaring at me as if I killed her bee, I had gotten used to it so I waved at her, the smile on my face widening. She smiled back but it wasn't the same smile I knew. It was dangerous, dirty, and forced. I took longer stretches to her and asked mom, you are creeping me out."

Huffing, she waved her arms around. "Hurry up. We don't have much time."

"Of course, mom," I answered and practically ran away from her, her look gave me chills.

I took it all in, never caring why she did that. I felt for her, I surely did. My mom's life had taken a toll after she got pregnant with me, well, at least that was what she told me. She settled in this hometown and started her bakery.

Five years ago, karma slapped her so hard I never thought I would watch her even eating. She lost her taste bud. I was around sixteen then, and I watched my mother turning from full of life to an empty shell, and with no father, I had no other choice but to drop out of school.

When it came to baking, I was excellent, I provided the best services and even weddings from the next town came to make their orders. I had been happy, happier that I didn't have to do homework, study up late, and all that.

An empty shell turned into something intolerable, and I became a mother to my mother. An ear she yaps to. Instead of crying out, I got used to it because in this town it was normal for a child to be a parent and vice versa. In this town, you...

"Pearl, why are you so gloomy?" Catriona, my girlfriend, cut me off from my trail of thought. A smile appeared on my face so easily, she looked around the kitchen. With a proud look, she pecked me on the cheek and then whispered, "I am leaving you to it."

We finished cooking and we began the next part. Baking.

Yay me!

I had already made enough dough for cookies, cakes, and queen cakes, the only thing remaining was to put them in the oven. As I waited for them to get ready, everyone slid out of the kitchen, leaving me alone to stare at the three ovens my mama worshipped.

Around five beautiful hours later of me happily in my head, my mother and Catriona streamed into the kitchen. They took the meals to the sitting room and left me to arrange the cookies in the tray. The aroma filling in the kitchen was the reason I woke up in the morning, the reason I believed a new dawn meant good and new things.