“If you’ll mix up another batch of caramel sugar, I’ll show you how to blow the shapes for the cattails.”

She didn’t hesitate. She mixed the ingredients and took it straight to the temperature like he’d said, and trusted the thermometer for the right time to pull it and then add the colors.

“You’re a fast learner.”

“Thanks.” She went through each step, even the part where she warmed the sugar in the oven to 275 degrees. That made so much sense now.

She finished the amber-colored sugar and handed it off to Andrew, who worked on blowing the sugar glass, much like a real glass blower, into long, tubular shapes for the cattails, then attached them to solid sugar glass rods he’d rolled out of the leftover mix earlier.

She took note as she finished up the chocolate crumb coat and laid the iridescent fondant over the cake.

“Okay, time for the big test.” She moved the mesh rack where they’d poured the sugar over the balloons to the sink. She popped the balloons and let the water run into the sink, then carried the rack back over to the counter and lifted the blue glass. “This is amazing. It seriously looks like blue water splashing up. Crazy!” She positioned it on the far-right edge of the finished cake.

“The size is perfect.”

“It is. Can you bring the fish over? He’d better fit.” That would be her luck. She didn’t want to have to remake that now that the water had turned out so great.

Andrew positioned the fish in the center of the water sculpture and pressed the dowel into the cake. “It’s absolutely perfect.”

She clapped her hands, jumping and hugging his arm. “It’s awesome. We can put the cattails right over here on the other side.”

“Yep.” Andrew handed her the glass pieces.

She set them in place carefully.

“What do you think?” He smiled. He already knew the answer.

“Thanks for your help. The sugar work makes it.”

“It’s easy once you get a little practice. Took me forever to get it right. We once had a guy from Japan come and demonstrate actual candy glass sculpting. It was amazing what he could do.”

“I can imagine you’d have to work really quickly.”

“Yes, the master pastry chef said that before he ever picked up the first piece of soft sugar glass, he had to know exactly what he was making. Once that stuff begins to harden, you have to be done.”

“I bet that was inspiring to watch.” In awe, she realized what a wonderful experience it must have been over there. Learning and doing so many things. Being exposed to things she hadn’t even heard of. It had been an amazing opportunity for him, and he’d taken it seriously.