"So, for now I'll just have you on register since that's easy no brainer work. Before hours and after hours I'll teach you the baking process and when you're comfortable enough then you can move into baking during hours," Emily smiled at her niece who was nursing her coffee cup. The girl looked exhausted but eager. She didn't get home until 1 in the morning since Quil started driving like a grandma in the snow after she was finished making snow angels. Quil walked her across the icy driveway and even made sure she made it inside. He knew that he couldn't tell her secrets yet but he was glad to help wade her mind by confirming she wasn't crazy.
"We open at 8am daily and we close by 5pm. Sunday's we are always closed. We can now open Saturday though since I have some help which will bring in a lot of money. Whatever tips you make are yours. You can wear what you like and the music choice for the shop is yours. You do have basic cleaning duties of course. Wiping the counters down, wiping the tables down, sweeping and mopping, washing the windows, getting the mail. The other stuff like dishes and cleaning the back baking area is something I can take care of. You start daily with 250 in your till and at the end of today I'll show you how we take out the earnings from the day," Emily had high hopes for Claire. She knew that this would be the perfect fit for her. Plus it would let her keep an eye on her niece while her memories start coming back, especially the memory of Quil being what he is.
"I really appreciate this," Claire cleared her throat and gave a small smile. She was extremely thankful for this opportunity. She knew this could be the perfect thing to take her mind off of not dancing and her mother. Working nine hours a day will keep her busy and after work she can run.
"Now, Christmas is next week which means we have a lot of orders. I'm baking pies, cookies and some cakes for families that have placed orders. They've already paid so when they come in to collect they should hand you a receipt I gave them and then you just have to check this fridge here for the goodies," Emily knew Claire could obtain a lot of information all at once so she knew she wasn't moving too fast. Claire was always good at listening and retaining.
"Do you have a menu I can study so I know when people order?" Claire asked as she stared at the baked goods placed in a clear window at the front. She didn't want to seem stupid. She wanted to do her best here. She knows she was given this job so she was going to make sure she was the best at it.
"Oh, of course! Let me run to the office and I'll get you one. You can just go ahead and play with the register until it's time to open. Get familiar with it all. I already have you listed on payroll, pay is every week on Friday morning," Emily called over her shoulder as she disappeared into a room off to the left. Claire let out a giant breath she didn't realize she was holding. She took a look around while she was alone.
The inside of the shop was cute as the outside. The outside was like a log cabin with Emily's Bake Goods burned into a sign out front. The place had a garden out front that would be beautiful in warmer weather but right now everything was covered in snow. The inside had light pink walls and the tables were white with chairs that were black. Some pictures hung on the walls which were of the goodies sold here. There was a small picture hunting behind the counter of Emily and Sam with a grand open sign above them, they both looked proud. The menu hung above the register for people to look at and a glass case was off to the side that would hold some goods while others stayed in the back. The place was cute and small.
"Here you go," Emily handed Claire a pale yellow folded menu. They both smiled at each other before Emily left her alone up front to go over the system. It was simple, everything was listed easily in the computer with a picture beside it. All she had to do was click the item, add the quantity and then grab whatever they just ordered along with the money. The computer even told her what change to give back. Simple. Claire looked over the menu though to memorize it but then she saw the double chocolate fudge brownies and was hit by a memory.
"Please Aunt Emily," a young Claire begged Emily who was starting to put all the desserts away for the boys later. The brownies were Claire's favorite by far. They were gooey and creamy and absolutely delicious. She had dance practice in an hour and Mary had a strict rule about no food before practice so she didn't throw up.
"Baby, I can't. You know your mom would die if she found out," Emily looked upset and uncomfortable saying no to the child. She believed Claire should just be a child and be allowed to eat a brownie but she wasn't her mother and couldn't break the rules. She knew if she broke any rule then it might fall back on Mary taking Claire away from them all.
"Okay...could you save me one for tomorrow?" Claire was trying not to cry. She wasn't sad that she was told no. She was said because Ben and Sarah both got to have one but she knew she wasn't allowed. She would rather just quit dance and eat a brownie.
"Of course I will," Emily reached down and kissed her forehead before moving the desserts to the island. She wiped her hands on her apron before leaving the room. She couldn't stay and watch the girl look so miserable because if she did she was sure to give in. Claire went and sat at the kitchen table and continued coloring. She listened to Ben sing the soundtrack to The Little Mermaid in the living room while Sarah yelled at him to shut up. The pack soon came in and started to break them up, Leah handled Ben while Seth handled Sarah.
"What's wrong buttercup?" Quil asked as he walked in the kitchen to see Claire by herself. He knew something was wrong by the way she slumped her shoulders and colored lazily.
"I can't have a brownie because I have dance soon," Claire knew it was silly to complain but she couldn't help it. She was only a toddler and felt like it was unfair that she couldn't enjoy normal things. Quil rolled his eyes and walked over to pull a brownie out of a box. He knew of the silly rule her mother implicates and loathed it. She was a toddler! She shouldn't be told no about these sort of things when everyone gets to enjoy them.
"Here," Quil broke a brownie in half before eating one half and giving her the other. Claire took it gently before looking behind her, worried about Emily or her mother coming in to yell.
"Don't worry, I got you covered," Quil winked before standing up and going back to stand at the kitchen doorway, he was keeping lookout. Claire quickly ate the shower and wiped her mouth on a tissue that was on the table. She took a huge gulp of her milk before getting up and going to hug Quils leg. He was the best.
"Claire? Go ahead and turn the sign to open," Emily called out from the back knocking Claire back to present day. Claire walked around and flipped the sign over and before going back and slipping on an apron that Emily laid out for her. She pulled her hair quickly into a messy pony tail. She straightened out her black long sleeve and pulled up her blue jeans a bit, they were still baggy even being a size 0. She could finally gain weight now which she was excited for.
"Hi, could I get a pink sprinkled donut?" A little old lady asked as she stood in front of Claire pulling out a single dollar bill to pay with. Claire nodded and entered it into the computer before taking her dollar and putting it into the register. She then grabbed a plastic glove before grabbing the donut from the glass container and putting it into a brown paper bag.
"Here you go," Claire have a smile to the woman before watching the woman smile back and exit the shop. Easy enough Claire thought to herself. The rest of the day went in the same fashion. Little old people would teeter in to get some baked goods for themselves or their grandchildren. Every now and again a tourist would come to eat a famous Emily pastry. By the time Claire even realized Emily was calling out front to turn the sign over to closed.
"How did it go? You didn't have to ask for help at all," Emily smiled proudly as she pulled the till to take it into the office and count it. Claire went ahead and grabbed the broom along with the mop to start cleaning the front area.
"It went good. Easy," Claire answered while spraying the counters and the glass container since Emily took all the good that didn't sell today to pack up for Sam and the boys that were always at her house.
"I'm glad to here it. Is Ben picking you up or do you want a ride?" Emily asked as she brought the till back up to place in the register for tomorrow morning. She reached into the tip jar on the counter and put all the loose bills and change into a ziploc baggie before placing it in Claire's purse.
"Oh, I didn't even think to ask Ben," Claire didn't want to ask Emily but knew Emily would not let her walk home in the snow.
"Then I'll give you a ride after you finishing mopping. I'll go start the car now," Emily have a smile before slipping on her jacket and grabbing her car keys. Claire mopped the floor until it looked brand new then placed everything back into the little janitor closet in the very back. Before she left to go get in the car while Emily locked the door Claire caught sight of a cluster of photos in the office. Sam and Emily on their wedding day. Emily and Mary when they were young kids. Emily when she first started the shop. Claire, Ben and Sarah all sitting on a log at the beach. Claire and Quil.
Claire looked about three and Quil looked about sixteen.