I'm No Cinderella

Chapter 2

An Unexpected Invitation

    I grudgingly squinted my eyes open as my alarm clock chimed from the nightstand beside my bed.

    The time read five in the morning.

    A heavy sigh slipped from my lips as I turned off the annoying sound and rolled onto my back, staring blankly up at the ceiling.

    As I looked on, I wondered if it would really be so bad for me to take one day off, just once, in all of these long years.

    Shaking the selfish thoughts from my head, I rolled out of bed and opened my dresser, pulling out a random pair of jeans and another loose cotton shirt without looking. Once inside the bathroom I shared with the rest of my family, I turned the water on in the shower, and prepared myself for the day.

    After showering, I headed downstairs. I was rummaging through the cupboards for breakfast, when I heard the muffled sound of socked feet descending the steps. "Morning, sis," Ash chirped cheerfully, crossing the room to pull a carton of milk from the refrigerator.

    "Mornin'" I grumbled back, not nearly the morning person that he was, even after all of these years.

    He chuckled as he grabbed the box of cereal from my hand. Before I could protest, he dumped cereal into two bowls and poured the milk over them both. I mumbled a quiet, reluctant, "thank you," as I grabbed two spoons out of a drawer and sunk them into the bowls. Together, we carried them to the table and sat down.

    After eating, we got up and walked to the door where I slipped on my old, worn, leather boots, then waited for him to lace up his own.

    Once outside in the crisp fall air, we walked in comfortable silence until we came across the familiar fork in the road. There, we hugged and exchanged goodbyes and I love yous. We made sure to do this every morning, even if we were running late. In a world like ours, you learned quickly to make sure to tell your family you loved them every chance you got.

    You never knew when it might be your last.

    He turned down the path to the right, toward the fields and plantations, while I turned to the left and headed to the center of town. As I shoved open the heavy wooden door to the little bakery, I could hear Heather, the owner, already scuttling around inside.

    "'Morning, dear," she said, cheerfully.

    "'Morning, Heath," I replied, attempting to mimic her happy tone.

    I followed her behind the counter and through another set of doors leading to the kitchen. Not slowing her pace, she swooped up a tub and emptied its contents onto the counter, "Knead this dough, would 'ya dear? And when you're done, I'll need it split into ten loaves. Then, I'll need chocolate cupcakes made, decorate them however you like."

    I smiled and nodded in acknowledgement, as I pulled my long, dark hair up into a ponytail and set to work.

~*~

Hours later, I was pulling my apron off of my body and hanging it on a peg in the wall as Heather flipped the sign in the front window to read 'closed'.

    "Have a good night, Heather," I said as I slung my bag onto my shoulder.

    "Goodnight, dear," she responded, flipping off the light switch on the wall. "Oh, one more thing, Rose," she called as I turned to walk out the door.

    "Yes?" I asked, cautiously.

    "I'm hiring a new worker starting next week," she said, joining me outside and locking the door behind her. "A young man. I thought that I should let you know, seeing as you will be responsible for most of his training."