She finished off the final piece and tried to shake the crumbs into her mouth. Instead, they got all over her shirt. She giggled again. Time to take a long hot bath and begin to discover who she was.

Tori ran the tub, sprinkling Epsom salts under the spigot. Her doctor told her it was safe to use it in a warm bath and it would help with any stress. She thought about it. Stress. It was odd that she didn’t feel it. Not at that moment. She felt invigorated. Maybe it was her hormones. She slid farther down into the cozy water and propped a rubber pillow under her neck. She strained her mind, trying to remember the last time she had treated herself to this kind of relaxation.

She thought about the past twenty years. How had they gone by so quickly? Retracing her life, she remembered the excitement of their first year of marriage. Sure, there were ups and downs, but they kept, or maybe she kept believing they would have a good, solid, happy life together. For the most part, it was solid. Financially comfortable. He was paid well and had benefits. Good? Yes, when her son was growing up. Happy? Not so much anymore. It was the same old adage about growing apart.

After Brendon was born, she went back to work at the restaurant, but the hours were tough. She managed to juggle her schedule for several years until her son was in grammar school. With Brendon being involved in a lot of activities, doing the chores, shopping, and working, Tori was beginning to feel weary. And she was only twenty-six at the time.

One of the restaurant’s frequent customers owned a small law practice in town. He was several years her senior. Maybe the age her father might be now. He was a kind man who usually ate alone. If it was a slow night, she would stop by his table and chat. He seemed to appreciate the company. They would talk about her son mostly. How fast kids grow up. Over the years, she discovered he was a widower and had a couple of grandchildren. One evening, he told her his receptionist-assistant was going to retire and he needed to replace her. Much to her surprise, and out of the blue, he offered Tori the job. “Why don’t you come and work for me?”

Tori was dumbstruck. “Mr. Layton, I don’t know anything about the law.”

“You seem like a quick study, and I’ll pay you double what you’re making here.”

“But you don’t even know what that is!” Tori smiled.

“I can guess.” He paused. “I’ve seen how you manage the crowd here. I know you’re in charge of ordering supplies and making the schedules. You’re a bright young woman. I think you’ll do fine.”

“Seriously, Mr. Layton. I am truly speechless.”