Chapter 1: What's Inside

"My hands pluck the things I know that I'll need

I take the sugar and butter from the pantry

I add the flour to begin what I am hoping to start

And then it's down with the recipe

And bake from the heart"

Maya Friar, waitress, pie baker extraordinaire. She'd been working at Feeny's Diner for the last 10 years. She made the pies- that was her thing. It came from her mom. Fellow waitress and baker. Well, it was until she died when Maya was 17. Within 6 months, she married her husband- Lucas. They married on her 18th birthday at the local county courthouse. To be fair, all they wanted was to have sex and sleep in the same bed. Lucas' mother was a devoted Baptist and wouldn't allow the two to engage in pre-martial sex or share a bed. He took her to a motel for their Wedding Night and it was awful- the sex and the room.

"I'm all you got now. Better treat me good and you'll be rewarded," Lucas spoke gruffly as he zipped up his jeans.

"What do you mean?" Maya was trying to ignore the pain radiating from her genitalia.

He turned to her with a huff, "Damn it, Maya. Don't you get it? You're an orphan and I'm all you got. If you want me to take care of you then you have to take care of me."

"You mean sex?" She felt extremely uncomfortable as she clutched the bed sheet to her bare body.

"Yeah, and money. You can't sit around on your ass all day and get fat and shit. You need a job," He smirked and tried to pull the sheet away from her grasp.

Maya flinched at his action and gripped the sheet tighter, "I've never held a job before…"

"Feeny's is hiring, hell, they're always hiring," Lucas chuckled.

"I guess I can apply tomorrow," The new Mrs. Friar felt small.

Lucas sat down in the chair opposite their motel bed and unzipped his pants, "Sounds good, baby. Now come over here and use that pretty little mouth of yours on me."

Fear flashed across Maya's eyes and she drew in a shaky breath. "I don't want to…"

"You what?" Lucas' voice was stern.

"I said that I don't want to, Lucas."

The tall Texan stood and walked over to his wife. He grabbed her by the back of the head and dragged her out of bed. "When I ask you to come love on me, you will do it. Understand?" He was still gripping the back of her head.

Trembling with fear, "Yes, sir."

"That's 'baby' to you, sweetheart."

Shaking her head rapidly, "Yes, baby."


How had it been 10 years? Maya was in the backroom of Feeny's cooking up a new pie idea as the thought crossed her mind. 10 years of pies, 10 years of friendship with Sarah and Isadora, 10 years of marriage to Lucas, 10 years of fear…

"Maya! Hustle, girl! We open in 10!" Zay, Feeny's manager, called from his spot in the kitchen with the grill.

"Hustlin'!" Maya called back as she finished up today's pie: Deep Dish Blueberry Bacon. She was about to step out into the kitchen when she felt her stomach turn…

"Shit, not now," She mumbled to herself.

The feeling surpassed, whatever it was, but her mind still drifted back to that night a few weeks ago. Wine. Candles. Kissing. That damn red dress. Calendar. Period. Tampons. Late. Very late.

"Shit."

"What's inside?

Everyone wants to know what's inside

And I always tell them

But I feel more than words can say

You wanna know what's inside?

Simple question, so then what's the answer?

My whole life is in here

In this kitchen baking

What a mess I'm making"