PENNY
The air smelled of freshly baked bread, vanilla, and cinnamon.
I stood behind the counter, wiping my hands on my apron, watching as the crowd outside my bakery grew larger.
It was bigger than I expected.
Way bigger.
People had lined up across the sidewalk, some holding their phones up to take photos, others talking excitedly, pointing at the sign above the door that read:
Sweet Delights Bakery – Grand Opening
Pride swelled in my chest.
This was my place.
My dream.
And yet, even as I stood there, taking in the moment, my mind drifted elsewhere—back to last night, back to the conversation I had with my husband.
I sighed, rolling my shoulders as I arranged the last of the freshly baked goods onto the display shelves.
Croissants, buttery and golden brown.
Pain au chocolat, f
