He read the bright pink scripted letters over the door. The Cake Factory.

Andrew swallowed hard. Mixed feelings surged through him—pride, envy, and denial.

Dawn had told him Kelly had opened her own bakery. Pink had always been her favorite color, and this was right next door to her folks’ cafe. This had to be it.

He leaned forward, trying to get a better look. It was a big place.

Mom and Dawn had tried to keep him up-to-date about what was going on with Kelly over the years, but he’d stopped them mid-sentence every time. It had been his choice not to come home seven years ago. He had to live with the consequences.

But in his mind she still worked at the family restaurant while selling her baked goods out of a tiny shop in town. Seeing this fancy storefront had caught him off guard. As wrong as it was, seeing her succeed…without him…gnawed at him.

Where would we be right now if I’d made a different decision seven years ago? Married. They’d had a wedding date. An inner torment had his mind reeling, making him question his decisions. They’d once dreamed of their own restaurant and bakery.

He slowed down, taking in all the changes from the anonymity of his rental car. There were a few new businesses. A gym, a used bookstore, and a clothing boutique. A frozen yogurt shop sat right next to a new dry cleaner where the old arcade used to be. He’d pounded flippers in that place for hours a day until he was old enough to drive.

Main Street had gotten an upgrade since he’d been gone, with shiny black lampposts and new benches between the storefronts. Planters of brightly colored pansies and evergreens adorned every corner. It seemed brighter, and more upscale than the small town he remembered.

Across the street, a woman made her way through the crosswalk with the fattest little dog he’d ever seen on a harness with a sparkly leash. The lumbering animal didn’t seem to be in much of a hurry as they crossed while he sat at the red light.

The woman turned and headed down the alley road behind the row of shops.

Pretty flags lined Main Street in green and gold with the new Bailey’s Fork pine tree logo on them. He’d once carved initials in that tree. AY + KM with a big heart around it.

Bailey’s Fork Flower & Gift had new awnings and a fresh coat of turquoise paint. He thought to stop and get Mom some flowers. She’d always loved flowers, but there was no way could he get in and out of the flower shop without Mrs. Chalmers spreading the word that he was back in town. It was hard to keep a secret in a town the size of Bailey’s Fork.