Chapter Eighteen
Thursday night, Daisy was sitting up in bed surrounded by a revamped business plan and a new profits and loss statement as she calculated how much money she would need to fill the five orders she’s already collected this past week.
Although her family had offered to float her any kind of loan she needed, she couldn’t shake the principal that, at least for now, she needed to try and finance this on her own, even if it was on a smaller scale than she’d first envisioned.
Which was why on Sunday night, she’d put together a list of past customers, business owners, and managers, who had once placed special orders for Daisy’s unique menu items. And on Monday, she’d spent her day off baking her newly perfected poblano and cheese empanadas, chocolate salted caramel empanadas, Mexican spice pumpkin bread, and a few of the other recipes she’d been working on. So that by Tuesday morning, she’d delivered everything personally, at no cost, to her potential clients. Along with an order form that said at the top simply Daisy’s Catering and her phone number.
Her personal phone number. Because she might not be able to open her bakery right now, but she could still operate her catering business out of her own kitchen until she had the money to take that next step. Something that in the past few days, as the orders started trickling in, she became more confident would become a reality.
It wasn’t a lot of money, not after taking into account the new mixer she was going to buy and the ingredients she’d need to fulfill those orders, but it was enough.
Especially after her carpenter brother, Dominic, made a few adjustments to her kitchen to help ease the crowding, and Cruz and Payton helped her put together a gorgeous new website for her business. Aunt Glenda and her parents were also taking turns watching the kids so she didn’t have to fork over a small fortune in day care anymore. And Daisy had even agreed, albeit reluctantly, to Kate’s offer to a reduced monthly rent payment.
Benny was the only one who balked that there was nothing she could really offer to help things along, but with Benny’s wedding only two days away and a long awaited two-week honeymoon on the horizon, it hadn’t seemed practical. Although Daisy had assured her that should something come up, she’d definitely ask her sister for help.
Unable to restrain a yawn, Daisy stretched her arms and pushed the papers into a pile she set on the floor until tomorrow. She was about to turn the light off when she heard footsteps coming down the hall and looked up to see a sleepy-eyed Paul walking through the doorway.
“What’s wrong, hon? Did you have a bad dream?” she asked, patting the spot on the bed next to her.
Paul didn’t answer immediately as he crossed the room and slid under the covers with her. “No. I can’t sleep.”
She ruffled his hair, and smiled. “Can’t sleep, huh? Is something on your mind?”
“I’m scared I’m going to mess up Aunt Benny’s wedding. I’ve never been a ring bearer before and there’s going to be all those people staring at me.”
She bit back her laughter, knowing that this was serious to him. “That’s why we’re having a rehearsal tomorrow night, remember? To give you a chance to practice. But no matter what, I know you’re going to be great, and your aunt Benny is just happy that you’re going to be a part of it.”
He rubbed his eye, still looking hesitant. “But Dad never showed me how to knot my tie correctly. He told me he’d do it and he never did. Do you think that Jack will still help me like he promised?”
Daisy’s heart clenched, and she sucked in her breath as she tried to manage her pain. Pain not just for the loss she felt acutely this week in not seeing or talking to Jack, but also the pain and disappointment her kids were going to feel as the reality set in that Jack—and Lily and Ollie—wouldn’t be a part of their lives anymore.
She smoothed his hair again. “I don’t know if Jack’s going to make it, buddy. But I know that your uncles and your grandpa all know how to tie one and they’d be happy to help you if you asked.”
He nodded. “I just kind of miss them. How come we haven’t seen them in a while?”
She closed her eyes for a moment. “Things right now are really complicated, baby, and…well. We might not see them like we used to.” She couldn’t yet say ever, it was still something she was adjusting to herself.
“Kind of like dad?”
Another stab to her heart. This was exactly what she had feared would happen. And she didn’t have an answer for him. Instead, she leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. “Why don’t we talk about this after you’ve had a full night’s rest? The next couple of days are going to be busy and you’re going to need all your sleep. Okay?”
He nodded. “Can I sleep with you then? Just for tonight?”
“Okay. Just this once.” It wasn’t like she was getting much sleep these days anyhow.
She turned the light off, sinking down under the covers. Soon enough, Paul flipped to his other side, taking half the covers with him, his foot pushed up against her back.
She felt like Scarlett O’Hara when sleep finally overtook her sometime in the early hours, after telling herself that she’d think about it tomorrow.