Chapter 3

Picking Madi up off the sub seats. I situated her on my hips so I could rush the the station and not worry about her falling for the second time today. We were so so late! Although I wouldn't have minded staying a little bit longer with the detour of "Tall, bronze, and gorgeous". Aha. I made a funny... Wait... Stop thinking about that, your in a rush remember.

Finally getting out from under the Seattle city I turned to the left and started walking. Madi was going on about what she hoped to do today in school. I "Hmm'd" and "Mmhm'd" when I felt it was necessary. After walking a few blocks down 8th Avenue, we came to the green building that read, 'Mother's Place Child Care'. Setting Madi down and handing her her backpack with all her spare clothes and such, I grabbed her hand and opened the door, emitting a small 'ding' through the front room. Angela looked up from her desk, smiling as always.

She was so gorgeous. Long black wavy hair. Big brown eyes. Petite in the right way. Smiling back and sighing I spoke;

"Hey Ang! I'm sorry! We're so late. We woke up late and then breakfast, and then we had some problems at the Sub Station." sighing again, trying to keep the Subway God from my thoughts, I kept on, "Anyway I gotta head out, we have a lot to do today. Sweet 16 cake that is needed today, and we haven't put the fondant on yet."

Angela smiled brightly again, standing up and coming around the desk.

"Good morning Madi! Why don't you go put your stuff in your cubi and get to your table. I think they've already started the activities for today." She said, bending down and hugging Madi real quick.

Madi smiled at Angela and nodded before she looked up at me, "Bye momma. Wuv you."

I smiled and bent down and kissed her forehead. "Bye sweetie, have a good day. Be good. I'll see you at 5:30."

She smiled and ran off through the door at the other end of the room.

"So Ben and I were wondering if you and Madi wanted to have dinner with us. On Friday?" Angela asked after she left the room.

"Oh, uh. I don't know, Jake wanted me to go to this thing with him, but I don't remember when it was, I'll call him tonight and then let you know tomorrow, or tonight if we talk. And I don't know if Madison will come, James might have her this weekend. But that's never set and stone. So I'll have to call him this weekend too. Sound good?"

"Yeah. That sounds good. Invite Jake too, if you can do it anyway." She laughed under her breath to herself.

I smiled and nodded, "Of course! But I really need to go or my crew is going to flip some cupcakes, if you know what I mean." Angela laughed, nodding. "See ya at 5:30!"

Angela smiled and waved as I walked out of the building, turning. Lucky me, 'Piece of Cake' was only one block and around the corner. Works out pretty well, don't you think? I always thought so. Turning the corner I saw my second love in my life. My bakery. We were one of the top bakeries in Seattle. Which is good, but really stressful. I'm actually really lucky to even have this. I mean. I'm only 19! It was actually my Grandmothers. But she passed away when I was 16 and left it to me. I got it when I was 18. And went to culinary school, but graduated really early, seeing as I worked with my grandmother since I was 12, helped her back since before that. I'm very thankful for my life. I don't complain.

Walking into the shop, waving and saying good morning, at the couple sitting on the one table outside, sharing a cupcake and drinking some coffee. To say it was a little crazy inside was an understatement. Going behind the counter and maneuvering through the workers, smiling and wishing them a good morning, putting my things under the counter. Before heading up the stairs to the work area.

"Hey everyone! I know I'm late! I'm sorry!!" They all said hey, before I walked over to the table where they were working on the Sweet 16 cake. "Oh good, you got the fondant rolled out! Thanks Mike, you saved me yet again." Mike nodded at me.

"No problem-o boss lady." He smiled, before Jane and Demetri walked over with the 3 cakes. For the fondant to be put on.

"Thanks guys. So, this Sweet 16 cake is actually pretty simple. But the main thing that may take a little time, is Jane, I need you to cut out some red and black stars, maybe... About 20...21 of them? The top and bottom of the cake are gonna be white and black zebra print, and the middle is just red. For the border of all 3 cakes is balls of black, white, and red, fondant. Savannah is a pretty simple girl. I like it. So Jane if you could get started on those stars, that'd be great. Demetri and Mike, go help some other people. I can do the fondant, that's the easy part." They all nodded and headed off to do what they were supposed to.

I first cut the black fondant to various different shapes of strips for the zebra print. After that was finished I put butter cream frosting over the cakes, to hold the fondant, before slowly setting the fondant down on the first cake and smoothing it out, then doing the same to the other two. Then slowly started sticking the black stripes onto the white cakes. After that was done I set the cakes onto each other, making sure they were on the stand right. Situating them perfectly, then got the extra fondant and started rolling them. I was gonna need at least 80 of them, maybe more.

When I got all that done, I started working on something else until Jane had the stars done. About 20 minutes later, Jane came over with a tray full of the stars. Smiling brightly and grabbed them, "Thanks Jane."

"Sure sure!" she smiled before walking back over to her station and doing whatever else she needed. While I started putting the stars into the cake where I thought they should be. I smiled while wiping my hands on my apron and admiring the work.

"Looks good Bella!" Mike said. I smiled at him.

"Thanks Mike. Wanna help me get in the fridge so the fondant doesn't start falling?" He nodded and helped. After we got that done, I started doing whatever else was to be done. Cupcakes. A few small birthday cakes. So on and so fourth. At one point during the day I went down stairs and helped behind the counter and all that.

When 5:30 rolled around, I was ready to get Madison, get some dinner, because I didn't feel like cooking tonight, and go home. I have calls to make too. Walking into the daycare, I saw Madi sitting at a table in the front room with Mrs. Weber.

"Hi Anne!" I smiled. She was such a nice women. So generous and sweet. If it wasn't for her, Madi would have to come be bored for an hour at the cake shop, although the times she does come to the shop, and I let her decorate a cupcake for James, Angela, or Anne.

"Good evening Bella." She replied, before telling Madison to go get her jacket and backpack. "She has a few colorings and activities we did today in her bag. No important papers for her today."

"Okay, sounds good. Was she good today?" By now Madison had come running back and was smiling widely at me, handing me her bag and jacket, as I helped her put it on.

"An angel as always, Bella, you should know better then to ask." She smiled warmly and I returned it.

"Of course she is here... Well we need to go get some dinner, I'm not gonna cook tonight. See you in the morning Anne." She smiled and waved as I took Madi's hand and we walked out of the door.

"What do you want for Dinner sweet cheeks?" I asked Madison teasingly. Which she giggled in response.

Putting a finger to her chin and 'Hmming' she then looked up, "Happy Meal!" she yelled cheerfully. There was a McDonald's on our way home. Seemed better than anything I guess. I usually don't eat there. The food is so fake.

"McDonald's it is little lady!" After getting our food and eating there, Madison played in the ball pit there, for about 20 minutes, before we left for the sub station, being there made me think of Edward... But I quickly pushed that out of my mind. When we finally got home, Madison went to watch cartoons, The Power Puff Girls, were on. I went to the kitchen to make my phone calls.

Just as I picked up the phone it rang, it was James. James and I used to fight all the time, and I do mean a lot. It was really hard, when I found out I was pregnant with Madison, I also found out that he was cheating on me with Victoria, they just got married almost a year ago.

I was in High school when I met James, and he was in college. We started dating when I was 16. Started having sex when I was 17, and then Madison happened. We get along now because I don't love him anymore, and mostly for the sake of Madison.

"Hello James, how has your day been." I said into the phone as I absentmindedly went through the mail.

"Hey Bella. My days been good. How about you. How's the shop?" he asked politly.

"My days been great, the shop is great, but hey, I was wondering, before I forget, Are you taking Madison this weekend?"

"Yeah, that's why I was calling, I was gonna see if it was alright if I picked her up from day care early Friday? Vick and I were thinking of taking her to the zoo before it gets to cold? If that's okay?"

"It's alright with me but you'll have to ask your daughter." Pulling the receiver away from my ear I cupped my hand over the mouth, "Madison! You dad's on the phone." I heard a "Daddy!" and scrambling of feet, before she was in front of me taking the phone away.

"Hi daddy!... Yeah!!.... The zwoo!?...Yes pwease!" I smiled picking up the mail and reading the bill. "Okay, wubb you daddy, herew's mommy." I took the phone from her and put it to my ear.

"So I take it that's a yes?" I said laughing.

"Yup, so I'll talk to you later. Have a good night Bella."

"You too James, goodnight." CLICK. I put the phone back on the receiver before making the rest of my calls after finishing the letter. The ball thing, was this weekend with Jake, so I called Ang and told her that we couldn't, and chated with her for a few minutes, before finishing up, looking at the clock I saw it was almost 9. Going to the living room and sat with Madison and watched cartoons with her before I knew it, it was 9:30.

"Madi, baby, it's time for bed." She groaned. But stood up.

"Otay mommy..." I turned off the tv and the lights except the kitchen oven light, and we walked down the hall to her room, pulling out some pink moose PJ's we put them on her, before I tucked her in and kissed her good night, and turning out he light, leaving the door open of course, I left.

Getting to my room and pulled my hair back into a messy ponytail. Before going to my dresser and pulling out, a Dark Navy Blue cami and some blue boy shorts and putting them on for PJ's. (Both outfits on profile). Before laying down and slowly falling asleep. The last picture that popped into my head, was the man of my dreams, from the subway. Please let me see him again...