I watched Rex give Joel a look as we all stood at the trunk of my car and Brock carefully handed out bags filled with cake boxes and stacked pie holders to his sons. Joel caught Rex’s look and they both visibly struggled with quelling their laughter.

I answered Brock, “I did the calculations.”

Brock straightened from the trunk with the last bags and slammed it shut.

Then he looked at me, saying, “You did the calculations.”

“Yes,” I answered, holding a bundle of flowers, a six pack of bottled Bud, and a bag filled with a tub of Cool Whip, canned whipped cream, a carton of the real stuff not yet whipped, and a gallon of gourmet vanilla bean ice cream

Brock continued not to move and also continued to stare at me.

So I asked, “What?”

“How many slices do you get out of a pie?” he asked back.

“That isn’t the point,” I informed him.

“What is?” he asked me.

“Well, it’s Thanksgiving and people look forward to it and everyone has something they look forward to about it. So, say you’re looking forward to a piece of pumpkin pie and I only made one pumpkin pie. One pumpkin pie isn’t enough for seventeen people should, even though it’s unlikely but it could happen, all seventeen people want a slice of pumpkin pie. Then, say, you didn’t move fast enough so you didn’t get your piece of pumpkin pie. Think of how disappointed you would be. So I made two pumpkin pies, two pecan pies, and two apple pies, the traditional pies of Thanksgiving. That way everyone can be sure to have what they’re looking forward to.”

Rex and Joel continued to quell their laughter, however not entirely successfully as I heard snickers.

Brock continued to stare at me but now he was doing it like he thought I may be a little crazy.

I kept talking.

“Then, just in case there are those who wish to venture out of the traditional, I made a maple buttermilk pie, which isn’t traditional but it is autumnal so it fits with the occasion. And there might be those who want a little something different but a taste of traditional so I made a pumpkin cheesecake. And for those who just might be in the mood for cake, I made a crowd pleaser of chocolate with whipped cream frosting.”

Brock continued to stare at me and now he was doing it like he didn’t have any doubts about the fact that I was crazy.

“Jeez, Tess, how long did it take to make all this?” Joel asked and I looked to him.

“Honey, I own a bakery. I do this for a living. Even in my kitchen at home, I whipped all that up in about three hours.”

This wasn’t true. It took more like five.

“Awesome,” Rex muttered. “She’s like a cake baking superhero.”