Darryl’s presence at the bakery shop caused a stir among the customers. As he attended to each person, his good looks and charming behavior made most of the customers flash him admiring glances.
Not only did they steal glances at Darryl, whispers and pointed fingers accompanied those stares. His presence made everyone wonder who this handsome young man was.
Darryl wasn’t the only subject of the whispers. The customers also wondered why Clara had found Darryl.
Mrs. Mara, who is never the one to miss an opportunity for gossip, seized the moment to share the news that Darryl was Vanessa’s husband. She told them that Darryl was the one everyone in town had been hearing about.
In no time, the rumor that Vanessa’s husband was at the bakery shop spread like a broad fire, drawing in more customers to the shop. Even if most of them came to satisfy their curiosity, they still patronized Clara.
As the bakery shop bubbled in whispers and glances, Darryl remained unfazed, enjoying the attention he was getting. As he continued to serve each customer with a warm smile, Clara kept flashing him a concerned look. She knew he had a friendly and approachable nature, but she couldn’t shake off the feeling that Darryl was helping them for a reason.
Since he came, he had done everything to stay with Vanessa, he had constantly followed her to the flower field even when he didn’t know how to tend to the flowers. Now, he was here, expertly serving cinnamon rolls and coffee like he had been doing it for ages.
Clara’s eyes remained on Darryl as he walked towards her with the menu. “Why are you here?” She asked, as she couldn’t hide her suspicion.
“Helping my new family,” said Darryl with a casual shrug. “Don’t get me wrong, you have been my family, but I’m trying to renew our bond.” He added with a broad grin on his face.
“I know the members of my family, and you are not one of them.” Clara replied, her tone resigned.
“Yet. Officially, I’m not a part of the family, but I’m working on that, and I assure you that in a matter of time, I will be a member of the family.” Darryl said, confidence with a flicker of excitement laced in his voice.
Clara stared at him in unbelief as he talked. “I wonder where you got such confidence. What makes you think I will accept you into my family?” she said, trying to reduce his confidence. She doesn’t dislike Darryl, she only wants him to do better for her daughter’s sake.
“Why do I feel like you are trying to get revenge?” Darryl’s eyebrows raised as he inquired. He didn’t take offense at Clara’s counter comments because he believed she was just playing hard to get, and it was fun for him, since he was playing along.
“You are a smart kid, Darryl. You figured it out already.” She said, her expression displaying the humor in her words.
Darryl, sensing that the tension between them had been reduced, took the clue to tell her the reason why he had come to the bakery shop. Dusting his hands on the apron, he called Clara’s attention.
“Clara, I want Vanessa to come back with me to the city.” He said, his heart hammering in his chest as he waited for Clara’s response.
On hearing him, Clara’s expression remained neutral like she was expecting him to say that.
“Why do you want Vanessa to come with you?” She asked him despite knowing the answer to the question.
“I promise to make things right between us and I will never break that promise. You have to trust me on this one,” Darryl pleaded.
“You should talk to Vanessa about it. She has the right to make her own decisions and, as you can see, I don’t really have a say anymore.” Clara said with a wary smile on her face.
The thought of Vanessa leaving her tormented her, but she had no choice than to watch Vanessa leave her again.
“But I want your blessings,” Darryl said, causing a frown to replace Clara’s worried look.
“I don’t give that twice,” she retorted, her voice firm and dismissive.
Darryl’s heart sank because of her reply, but he wasn’t ready to give up until Clara agreed to give him her blessings. “Clara, please.” he pleaded, hoping she would give in.
“I will only give you my blessings when your mother apologizes for what she did to me and my daughters.” Clara said, causing Darryl to realize he had a lot of work to do if he wanted to bring both families together.
He knew Clara was a stubborn woman and the same as his mother, but he knew he had to do something to reunite the family so he could be with Vanessa without a family feud.
“If that’s what you want, I will do my best to make it happen,” Darryl assured her.
“Vanessa can go back with you if she wants to. It may not look like it, but I want her to go back to her life in the city. But that doesn’t mean you have my blessings.” Clara explained.
Darryl nodded his head as he listened to her and also, agreed with her. She had a point by seeking an apology from his mother. If he said his mother had not done enough damage, he was lying. However, it is wise to forget about the past and think of a way to make the future better.
With a smile on his face, he took Clara’s hands in his, his eyes fixed on her. ” I will do anything to get your blessings, again.” Darryl said confidently, laying emphasis on the last word.
“I will be looking forward to that day,” Clara retorted, gently taking her hands out of his grip.
“Now, get back to work. We can’t leave our customers waiting.” She told him before leaving him to continue his work.
Feeling fulfilled, happiness etched on Darryl’s face as he went back to work, attending to customers effortlessly. The smile on his face never wavered as he interacted with the customers, especially the elderly ones who came to see Vanessa’s husband.
Either the conversation with Clara or the attention from the customers or the combination of both had put Darryl in a state of contentment. Whatever the reason may be, he couldn’t deny the sense of happiness that filled him as he worked at the bakery shop. At that moment, nothing else mattered, he was exactly where he wanted to be, and that feeling was all that truly counted.