While she waited for him, she moved back inside the bakery. There was so much to see—so much to enjoy.

She turned on the lights in the new display cases. She lightly clapped her hands as she grinned while bouncing on the balls of her feet. This was like taking all of her childhood Christmases and bundling them into one day. No. It was better.

On the wall behind the display cases was the giant mirror she’d opted to turn into a chalkboard. On the board in white chalk was scrolled out: Welcome to The Elegant Bakery.

This moment felt wrong to experience by herself. Ethan should be here with her. Without him, none of this would have been possible. She ran back to the bottom of the steps and yelled, “Ethan, hurry. Please.”

She worried he was purposely avoiding her until he left sometime tomorrow. She placed her foot on the bottom step, but then she hesitated. She’d give him a little more time.

Hannah stepped back into the bakery. She turned in a circle, taking in the navy and white tile floor that fit so perfectly with the classical charm of the bakery. The walls and ceiling were sanded and painted in a soft white. How did he get this all completed so quickly?

Unable to wait another moment, she ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time. She had to thank him. She had to tell him what an amazing job he’d done.

She rapped her knuckles on the door. “Ethan?” She knocked louder. “Ethan, please don’t ignore me.”

Nothing.

She tried the doorknob. It turned. “Ethan?”

Inside all of the lights were out. She checked the time on her fitness watch. It was too early for him to be asleep. Maybe he was hanging out with Greg.

Hannah expelled a disappointed sigh as she closed his door. She moved to her apartment and let herself inside. Her excitement over the bakery abated a bit without Ethan there to share it.

They’d been partners through the whole process. She’d been the visionary and he’d made it a reality. The bakery was their creation. They’d been an amazing team.

She flipped on the lights and then closed the door. On the floor she found a white envelope. She picked it up and found her name scrawled on the front. Not sure what it was, she opened it.

Hannah, by now you’ve seen the bakery. I hope it’s everything you wanted. I made the table from some scraps of wood. I knew you wanted a special piece for the middle of the room and with your limited budget, I thought you might like this until you find something better.

I can’t take credit for getting the bakery done so quickly. I had a lot of help. The guys at the fire department wanted to chip in. They worked in shifts to get it finished.

Hannah’s legs grew weak. She leaned her back against the door and slid down to the floor. Guilt assailed her for keeping her distance from the firehouse ever since her father’s death. She would have to do something special for them, starting with Firefighter Monday where they received free donuts. Her father would have approved of it. He loved donuts.