I wake with a groan, my head feeling like it's going to fall off. I blink a few times and try to focus on my surroundings. I'm in my bed, in my room, in my parents' home, on house arrest. Not literally, but I'm not allowed to go out. Because I just got out of an accident.
It happened when me and my brother, Caleb, were coming back home after a friend's birthday party. He was in the driver's seat, when someone jumped a red light and crashed into our car. We were rushed to the hospital, I had a concussion with a fractured leg, along with various cuts over my body. Caleb injured some ribs, which healed pretty well.
But I'm stuck with my broken leg, even after 2 months from the accident. I can't do anything, and it frustrates me to no end. But the doctor ordered for me to rest. I sigh and slowly sit up on the bed, trying not to put any pressure on my left knee. The pain has been going away slowly, now just a slight discomfort when I walk.
I have an appointment today with the doctor and hopefully, I can get out of this cast soon. I grab my crutches from the side of the bed and slowly get up. Walking out of my room, I call out for my mother. She appears from inside her bedroom and greets me with a smile.
"Good morning, sweetheart. How are you doing?" She asks me.
"I'm fine, mom. I don't feel much pain." I answer.
My mom works for an animal shelter, rescuing the ones in need and helping them find a safe home. Her timings are flexible, so she has been able to help with my recovery.
Dad is a lawyer, mostly working on cases that involve the wrongly accused. Caleb is 2 years older than me, and he works at the school as a math teacher. He is a total prodigy. It's impossible to separate him from his work.
I guess you could say the same for me. I work at a patisserie and I absolutely love it. I love baking in general, so it was a no-brainer when I had to decide what to do. It makes me feel good, the art of baking. And is the ultimate stress buster when I'm feeling down.
"That's good to hear. Maybe they will remove the cast today." She smiles. "How about some breakfast, then we'll head to the hospital?" I nod.
I have an apartment of my own, I moved there after finishing culinary school. It has been really nice staying in my childhood home, but I'm more than ready to get back to my normal life.
We have toast with scrambled eggs for breakfast, then head out for the hospital. Mom checks if I'm comfortable in the passenger seat before starting the car. After the accident, I get nervous sitting in the car, but mom makes sure I'm safe. She drives slowly, playing some soothing tunes over the speakers to keep me calm.
Dr. Shaw greets us when we reach the hospital, quickly checking up on me. He says I can remove the cast, at which I smile. Then the nurse helps me walk without it and my crutches. It is a little painful, but nothing I can't manage. He tells me that I can walk without the crutches as long as I keep my weight on my good leg, not putting any pressure on my left.
Back at home, I lay on the couch and browse through the television. Mom left for her work a while ago. I land upon a cooking channel where the host is baking a cheesecake. I realise how much I miss baking. I'm tired of sitting around all day. I turn off the television and stare at the blank screen in thought.
Slowly getting up, I carefully walk into the kitchen and check what ingredients we have in the pantry. I smile when I discover we have everything to make a brownie. It's a very easy recipe so I won't strain my leg. I preheat the oven and start preparing the batter. Once I'm done, I place it in the oven and set the timer. After cleaning up everything, I sit down at the table, waiting for the brownie to finish baking. It already smells delicious.
"Beatrice, I'm home!" I hear my mom at the door.
"I'm in the kitchen!" I call back.
"What's that amazing smell, sweetie?" She asks, coming to give me a quick hug.
"I made brownies. I hope that's okay. I know that the doctor told me to rest till I've completely recovered but I just hate sitting around doing nothing. And I promise I didn't do anything to make it worse. But I had to do something!" I ramble on.
"It's totally fine, Beatrice. I know how much you miss baking. And your father will love having dessert after dinner. You know it's rare he gets any." She giggles lightly.
"Thanks, mom." I let out a breath.
"Besides, if you don't mind, I can take a few pieces for my colleagues. They love your brownies."
"Of course! There's plenty for everyone!" I smile.
Mom starts making dinner and I help, just chopping and peeling the vegetables while sitting at the table. The brownies came out perfect and are cooling down on a rack. We chat about her work, and I listen to the stories she tells me about little puppies. It breaks my heart to hear about them being abandoned, but they will find their home soon.
After a funny story involving a cat escaping, I look over at my mom and hesitate to ask her something. Taking a deep breath, I find the courage to speak up.
"So, I was thinking about calling Tori up, asking her if I could join back soon. I'm feeling better these days, and I will obviously take the first few days easy, going lightly. What do you think?" I ask, tentatively.
"Are you sure, Beatrice? There are a lot of hours you need to spend standing. If your leg isn't healed you could backslide your progress. I won't stop you if you really wanna go back, but just be careful." She says.
"I know, mom. But I can do it. And I know you are gonna get hourly updates from Tori anyway. So you don't have to worry." I laugh.
"Okay, then." She laughs with me.
I speak with Tori and she is more than okay with me coming back to work, saying that she missed me and has had enough of the others. I chuckle and thank her for being so patient while I was healing. She brushes it off, and says she'll see me tomorrow. She really is the best. She opened the bakery about 4 years ago, and it immediately became popular. When I joined, our shared passion quickly made us become good friends. And since then, she has been like a big sister to me.
Later that night, I smile against the pillow, finally having something to look forward to again. Tomorrow, I will have my old life back. And I can't wait.
The next day, I rush through getting ready, barely able to contain my excitement. I pick a light blue dress, with comfortable shoes. Tying my hair back in a bun, I look at myself in the mirror. I look different, but I can't quite tell what it is. Maybe it's the accident that changed me. But I hope I can get back to myself again soon.
I eat breakfast quickly, making my father laugh. He wishes me luck as I slowly walk out with my mom, who will be dropping me off on her way to work. I sit impatiently as she drives, and not too soon, I see the sign, "Sweet Wave" round the corner.
Thanking my mom for the ride, I walk inside, careful not to put any pressure on my leg. Tori smiles when she sees me, coming to give me a big hug. I laugh and look around the shop, it looks like she made some renovations. We walk back door, into the kitchen, where the main baking happens, and I am immediately hit with that sweet smell of all things nice.
I greet everyone, going around and looking at what they are currently baking. There are trays of cupcakes at one counter, another has hundreds of macaron shells, and then there's a big wedding cake being frosted at one. It all looks so amazing.
"So, what should I do? I can help Claire make the red velvet batter." I ask Tori.
"No, you are not doing anything today. I already spoke to Natalie and she told me you need to take it easy. You will sit with me at the front counter." Tori replies.
"But I want to make-" I'm cut off as she gives me a disapproving look, shaking her head. I sigh and follow her out to the front, standing at the display counter filled with all the desserts. She wants me to sit, but I stubbornly stand, not pleased by the idea of staring at peoples' faces.
Just then, I hear the bell hanging over the door ring, indicating that someone walked in. I look up and see what can only be described as the most handsome man to ever exist. He's panting hard, like he ran to get here, looking around till his eyes land on mine. The most perfect shade of dark blue. And I get the most absurd, inexplicable feeling that it's him.
A/N: Hey guys! How's everyone? This is a new story that I had an idea about, it literally came out of nowhere. But I knew I had to write it. Please tell me how you liked this chapter by leaving a review! Next chapter comes soon!
