A Recipe for Starting Over

Chapter 4- Fresh Page

Bang, bang, bang. Lily heard the loud knocks on her door—someone was clearly there. It was none other than Alex, knocking to remind her that it was Friday and they had to go check the cooking school today since it would be closed over the weekend. This was their only chance, and maybe they’d even get to meet him.

“Meet who?” Lily asked, trying to stay awake but unable to resist snuggling her squishy little teddy. She reached for her phone to check the time. “Oh my God, Alex, it’s just 8:15. It’s still so early. Can’t I sleep for an extra 15 minutes? I still have to go finalize the divorce at Mark’s place so I can get this over with.”

Alex moved closer to the bed so she could see Lily’s face properly. “Lily, you have to decide. What do you want to do?”

“I’ll just go and finalize the divorce once and get it over with. After that, we can go to the cooking school together. Is that fine? What time does it close?” Lily asked.

“It closes by 4. When we get there, we’ll get all the necessary information we need by then. Is that fine?”

“Okay, get up and get dressed fast,” Alex urged as she stepped out of the room.

In the car

Lily and Alex sang with the windows down as the wind brushed through their hair. The mood was light and happy as both girls sang along loudly. Then Lily suddenly spoke.

“I’m so glad you’re going with me. I don’t want what happened last time to repeat itself again. Thank you so much for coming with me.”

“You know I always have you, baby. Anytime you want me or need me, I’ll be there. That’s what best friends are for. I’ve got your back always. I love you,” Alex said.

“I love you too,” Lily replied. They both squealed and turned the music back up.

At Mark’s house

Lily tried opening the door like she usually did, but a voice responded, “Validation failed. Please try again.”

“Oh, maybe it’s a mistake,” she muttered as she cleaned her thumb and tried again. The same message appeared. Alex rang the doorbell, and a maid came to open it. As they walked inside, Lily whispered to Alex, “We’re not even divorced yet, and he’s already removed my fingerprints from the lock. How pathetic.” They both giggled quietly.

The maid led them to where Mark and his lawyer were seated. Mark spoke abruptly. “Before you say anything, I don’t have time to waste. Let’s just get this over with. I have a meeting to attend.”

Alex replied sharply, “You think we’re here to play? Please. I’m already irritated. Lily, let’s read this and sign it.”

“And I’m also filing a restraining order against you,” Mark added coldly. “I don’t want anybody crying or weeping in front of my house in the rain anymore. A restraining order means you are not allowed to contact me in any way—no calls, texts, messages, or sending people to speak for you. You must stay a safe distance away from me and not come near my home, workplace, or any place you know I regularly go. You are not allowed to harass, follow, threaten, or monitor me, either in person or online. If you ignore these rules, the law will step in. Any information you have to pass to me must go through my lawyer.”

Lily scoffed. “You know I couldn’t care less about any of this, right? I don’t even care enough about you to want to text you. Trust me, this is the last time you’ll ever hear from me.”

Inside her mind, she thought, At least this is the perfect opportunity not to tell him I’m pregnant with his child. He has absolutely no right to know now.

She signed the restraining order, then the divorce papers. Grabbing her bag, Lily left with Alex, never looking back, as the moving crew collected her belongings from the apartment.

In the car

“At least we know that’s finally over,” Alex said. “But what was all that about the restraining order? What was the fuss about?”

“I’m just as surprised as you are,” Lily replied. “I didn’t even know he had that in him. When I was standing in the rain that day, he even acted like he cared by offering me an umbrella. I refused it immediately—I didn’t want anything from him anymore. Oh my God, that was so embarrassing.”

“I already told the packing crew to drop your things at my apartment,” Alex said. “We can head to the cooking school after that. It’s about an hour’s drive from here, so buckle up.”

“Oh my God, I’m starving,” Lily groaned. “Can we quickly stop somewhere to eat? I’m really, really hungry.”

“Okay, okay, I’ve heard,” Alex replied. “We’ll stop at the nearest café for an iced coffee and a chocolate croissant—your favorite.”

“Yay! I love you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Lily squealed.

“Stop fussing over breakfast,” Alex laughed.

“Oh, look, there’s one!” Lily pointed excitedly. Alex pulled over. “Just the coffee and croissant, okay? That’s what we’re here for—nothing else.”

“Okay, okay, I’ve heard you,” Lily said, dragging her into the café.

As they entered, both girls gasped. “Wow,” they said together, completely taken by the design.

“Oh my God, it’s so cozy and warm,” Lily said.

“It’s so beautiful,” Alex added. “I’ve never seen a place this beautiful.”

They wandered around like lost puppies before heading to the display counter to place their orders. Lily stared at the desserts in awe. “Oh my God, everything here is so delightful and enchanting. The desserts look absolutely breathtaking.”

She pointed to a funny-looking dessert with a custard-like filling on top. “What’s that? It looks so yummy.”

Alex nudged her. “Not what we’re here for, remember?”

“There’s no harm in trying something new,” Lily argued.

“Okay,” Alex sighed. “One croissant, one iced coffee, and one of that.”

Turning to Alex, Lily asked, “What would you like?”

“One scone, one jam tart, and a cappuccino, please,” Alex said.

The cashier wrote everything down. “That’ll be ready in five to ten minutes. While you wait, would you like to take a look at our library?”

Lily’s eyes lit up. “A coffee spot and a library? This is my dream place. Don’t take me out of here!” she squealed excitedly.

Then they wander around the library in excitement, checking each bookshelf until they realize ten minutes have passed. They head to the counter, where the cashier hands them their drinks and wishes them a good day with a warm smile. They take their drinks, all jolly, completely forgetting about the ride they are about to encounter ahead. ***** In the car

Already excited and in a good mood from the drinks, Alex reminds Lily, “You know you have to limit your caffeine intake now that you’re pregnant.”

Lily replies, sounding very annoyed, “Yes, mum, I’ve heard. Stop whining and take what I’m saying seriously.”

Ok ok ok, it’s alright, okay? I will reduce my caffeine intake. Are you happy now? Lily says sarcastically, and then Alex replies, “Yes, I am.”

“Now can you put the location on your Google map so we won’t end up getting lost?” Alex pleads.

“Ok, so you don’t even know where we’re heading to,” Lily says as she sluggishly puts on the location and puts the phone on the stand right beside Alex so she can see where she’s heading.

And then she reclines her seat, getting more comfortable for the ride as she plans on sleeping off after eating. “Caide, this is going to be a long ride, and then there’s traffic, so it’s going to make the ride even longer,” she says.

So yeah, she buckles herself up and gets set, and then she tells Alex, “Oh my gosh, this place is so nice, literally the best I’ve had in a while. That place is so good. You can feel the warmth without it being stuffy, like the space is breathing with you. Everything feels calm and inviting. It’s the kind of place where you can sit for hours, read slowly, sip something warm, and forget about the rest of the world. It’s the kind of place I’d want to spend my entire day in just diving into the books without having any worries. I think that’s going to be my new favorite spot — or what do you think?” Lily asks.

“And let’s not even get started on this drink — it’s literally so good, like I’m in love, with a gentle sweetness that feels familiar. Even though it’s cold, the flavor spreads softly, like a quiet warmth settling in your chest. There’s a creamy, rounded note that makes it feel cozy, almost like a hug in a glass, refreshing on the tongue but soothing at the same time. And this croissant is the best I’ve had — like it’s literally so good, and it just melts as I bite into it, and the feeling is just so perfect, and it’s so good, Alex. Do you think I should open something like this? It’s going to be so good. What do you think?” “I think that’s amazing, but first we need to get to your cooking school, okay?” Alex says, eyes still on the wheel.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Lily replies, eyes already shutting. “Wake me up when we’re almost there so I can touch up my makeup,” Lily says, clearly zoning off.