By mid-afternoon, my head was throbbing. Domenic had all but ignored me the entire time, and Matteo was his usual prickly self, shouting orders and instructions without so much of a please or thank you—even when I introduced him to Mum’s lemon ricotta cake. A simple one-bowl cake that is so quick and simple to throw together and always ends up perfect. The citrusy tartness of the cake which is half cake, half cheesecake in texture is always a winner. And it was. It sold out within an hour of being in the display cabinet. But I got nothing from Matteo. Just a curt nod. Not that I wanted praise or accolades, but a few niceties wouldn’t have gone astray.
My phone buzzed in my pocket as I wiped the main bench ready for the evening prep. A shot of excitement ran through me—at last something to
