The silence of the bakery enveloped me as I sat there alone. My conversation with Lauretta had left me in a sour mood, which left me with no choice than to ignore my customers. In fact, I'd lost all enthusiasm for the shop altogether.
The tag on the door read "Closed," a reflection of my current state of mind, because my mind was already closed, no atom of hope at all.
The doorbell rang, causing me to look up and Vera's confused face peered in. "Is everything okay?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowed with concern. “Why are we closed?”
She slipped inside, dropping her bag on the table she got to me.
I stared at her for a while, the memories of our time in this shop played in my mind. I didn't respond immediately, unsure of how to share the turmoil brewing inside me.
Vera's eyes searc
