Double Lines

After dinner, Melina showed me two bedrooms I could have upstairs, one for me and one for my baby. I burst into tears when she showed me the baby’s room. It was a smaller, rectangular room in the corner of the building, with boxes and a desk placed haphazardly inside. Melina thought I had cried because of the mess, stating that we could clean it up and prepare it for the baby.

But that’s not why I cried. Seeing the room brought the realisation of my predicament down on me. I was going to be a single mother. My baby’s father had no idea I was pregnant, and I was keeping my pregnancy a secret from my family. Melina offering me the room and wanting to be there for me was more than I could have ever asked for. I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t have her.

I woke the following morning feeling much better after all the crying I had done the night before. Once I had begun crying, it was like the floodgates had been opened. I told Melina everything. How Noah and I had been growing apart, his proposition and what had happened between me and Ethan as a result. I told her what had happened the following weekend and how Noah and I had broken up afterwards. Me moving into the dorms and seeing Noah with Andrea. I told her how slutty I felt and how I felt when I found out I was pregnant. Everything came spilling out.

Melina just held me close, letting me cry. She didn’t say much, letting me talk as she listened.

“Things happen for a reason” were the words she said that resonated most with me.

I climbed out of bed, grateful for everything this woman, whom I hardly knew, offered me. If it weren’t for her, I’d be screwed, and I’m adamant about that.

After my shower, I walk downstairs and into the kitchen. Next to the jug is a note with my name on it. Mikaela, if you want, see me at work. Love M. I scrunch up the paper with a smile and find a bin underneath the sink to throw it into.

I wonder if Melina sells coffee in her bakery. If you can sit down and eat the food there after you buy it. Running to my room, I grab the multivitamins my doctor recommended and shove them into my handbag. Then I take the spare keys Melina left for me on the table and head downstairs for her workplace.

The door to the bakery is closed, and I knock on it, wondering if someone will open the door for me. When no one does, I open the door myself. What I find is a busy kitchen. One person is icing some cupcakes while another one is washing dishes.

The male icing the cupcakes looks up at me and speaks another language rapidly. I have no idea what he is saying, suddenly wondering if I was wrong and if this was not Melina’s bakery.

“Miguel! Shut up! I bet she can’t even understand you!” the girl at the sink yells back.

“Lo Siento, I’m sorry! You look just like her!” the man exclaims, “you could be her daughter! Eres guapa!”

“I’m Amelia,” the girl at the sink says, wiping her hand on a tea towel and offering it to me to shake, “and this dummy is Miguel,” she continues, introducing me to the short male by the cupcakes.

“Hi,” I smile.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, eres deslumbrante,” Miguel says, taking my hand and kissing my knuckles.

“Give it a break, Miguel,” Amelia scolds, “he’ll try to get in your pants if you let him, then throw you out like last night’s dinner,” Amelia explains.

“Amelia! Don’t tell everyone my secrets!” Miguel cries, making me laugh as I watch Amelia roll her eyes.

“Your aunt is up front talking to a customer,” Amelia tells me, indicating a door.

“Thank you,” I nod.

I walk out the front, where I see a bustling shop. The door from the kitchen opens to a small rectangular walking space behind some food display cabinets. A proper coffee machine and cash register are on one side of the walkway, and the other opens to a small customer seating area.

While Melina talks to a customer, another woman is at the coffee machine making drinks. A short line of customers waits to be served.

“How can I help you today?” I ask the first person in line. The woman smiles and makes her order.

“Oh my gosh, thank you!” the other girl I haven’t officially met yet greets me. While serving customers, I learned her name was Tamsin, but we were too busy to stop and chat.

“Yes, thank you for that, sweetie. Tamsin, this is my niece, Mikaela. Mikaela, Tamsin,” Melina introduces.

“No problem. I worked at one of the cafés on campus,” I explain.

“Sorry! Sorry! What did I miss?” Amelia asks, rushing in.

“That’s okay; Mikaela helped out,” Tamsin sneers.

“No problem, Amelia. Can you start the pastries?” Melina asks. Amelia nods and walks back into the kitchen.

“As you can tell, the girls don’t get along,” Melina adds once Tamsin is busy with a customer.

“I noticed,” I reply.

“But they’re both great workers, so I can’t fire either of them, you know?” I nod. It must be hard to manage a group of people who don’t get along. All three of Melina’s employees seem friendly, though, which must make it more challenging.

I spend the rest of the morning helping in the café, serving customers, and wiping down tables. While working, I’ve learned that Amelia and Melina work both the front and back of the shop, while Miguel and Tamsin work in their areas, respectively. I also learn that Melina’s shop is well-known in the city, with day-to-day customers coming in for a drink and a snack and businesses ordering food for meetings. The customer Melina was talking to earlier had ordered one of Melina’s unique baked on-premises cakes for a birthday.

“Right, I’m going to deliver the food to Pinnacle. If you need me, just call. Otherwise, speak to Miguel,” Melina says at eleven.

“Okay,” Tamsin says.

“Want to come?” Melina then asks me.

“No, if it’s okay, I should go do some work for uni,” I explain.

“You don’t have to ask me. Go, do your work,” Melina tells me. I nod and thank her.

//\\///\\\//\\

“Okay, I love you. See you,” I smile, pressing the end call symbol as I hang up on Xander. Xander is twenty-five, four years older than me, and since I left for university, I’ve always tried to make fortnightly phone calls to him. Like Cassie, he is among the few people I trust with my deepest darkest secrets and thoughts. I’ve told him I left university and am now living with my aunt, but I haven’t told him why I left. Cassie knows, though. I rang her up a few days after I settled in with Melina and told her everything.

Cassie is also studying out of state. We went to different universities, and like my relationship with her brother, we tried to keep in contact at least once a fortnight. So yeah, she already knew about my breakup with Noah and why it happened.

I’ve handed in all my essays for this term and now have a two-week break for the holidays. Next term, I have a practicum at a school, and I’ve already been given a list of schools that work with my university. I’ve had a look using google maps to see where the schools are located and have selected my top three to apply to.

Shutting my laptop, I look around the room I’ve made into my personal study. I’ve cleaned it up, and with the help of Melina, I’ve already furnished it with a cot, change table and cute little wardrobe. Because I’m only four months, and I haven’t yet found the sex of my baby, we’ve decided to have a lemon and white-colour scheme. The colour is happy yet calm. I like it. Melina has been going baby crazy and bought a whole bunch of lemon and white coloured onesies, saying that I’ll probably need at least three or four changes of clothes daily. She’s been reading up on the topic and asking questions on the Kidspot website.

I go down to Sweet Temptations to see if they need any help. Melina has given me some work in the afternoons and weekends, which I appreciate. Although I’m sure, she gets no benefit from employing me. I’m just an extra pair of hands. Most days, though, I’ve come down to help to give myself something to do. Studying online is much easier than actually going to classes. I’m either sent PowerPoints or videos from my lecturers to watch or professional readings.

“Hola!” I greet as I walk into the bakery kitchen.

“Hola!” Miguel replies. He stops what he’s doing, comes up to me, and kisses my cheeks.

“Ugh, I’m going to have to wash my face now,” I tease, making Amelia laugh.

“Oh, thank goodness, Mikaela, you’re here,” Melina says, walking into the back room, “I am so busy today. Can you do a delivery for me?” she asks.

“Sure…” I nod. I’ve done a couple of deliveries for Melina on my days off, which she’s tried to pay me for.

“Good. Amelia will help you load up the van, and I’ll write down the address for you. David Rosebank has ordered lunch for a meeting, and I’m running late because of this wedding cake we’re making,” Melina explains, sounding rushed.

“It’s okay. I can do that,” I assure her.

“Great!” she says, running to her office. I turn to Amelia, who smiles.

“Take this box. The van is already unlocked,” she tells me. I nod and walk out the door with the box.

When I return, Amelia places another box into my arms, walking out with me this time.

“Okay, so when you walk into the lobby, explain who you are and that you’re going to Pinnacle for David Rosebank. He’s the CEO. The receptionist there will lead you to the board room, and someone should be there to tell you where to set up. David loves Sweet Temptations and orders from us regularly. But don’t screw it up, okay?” Amelia tells me. I nod. I can do this.

“Oh, Mikaela!” Melina yells, running into the carpark, “Here’s the address. Park underground and get Rosie to stamp your card so you don’t have to pay for parking. When you get to the foyer, just tell the lady there you’re…”

“I know. Amelia told me,” I cut in. Melina and Amelia smile at me.

“David’s a nice man. If you get to meet him, send my apologies,” Melina says. I nod and close the can doors, aware that Melina and Amelia are watching me. Setting my phone up (the new phone I bought after I arrived here), I type the name of the building I’m going to into google drive and wait for it to give me directions.

I drive into the city, which is the furthest I’ve gone since I arrived. Tamsin and Amelia have taken me out (at different times) to get my new phone and do other things, but this is the first time I’ve driven into the city. I find the building in no time; it’s a large skyrise with the name Pinnacle on the side of the building. I knew Melina had clients in the city, but I’m surprised she had one that owned a whole building.

I have three boxes to deliver and decide to take one up first to scope the difficulty of taking it to where it needs to be before I deliver the other two.

“Floor fifty-two,” the friendly woman in the foyer directs me. I thank her and head for the elevator.

“Floor, miss?” a man in the elevator asks.

“Fifty-two, thanks,” I tell him. He presses the button for me, then turns to give me a cheesy grin. I roll my eyes and step back, trying to ignore his presence.

“Sweet Temptations… what exactly are you selling?” the man asks. His innuendo makes me want to vomit. Creep.

“Cat got your tongue?” the man says, stepping forward. He reaches for me, making me flinch when the elevator stops to let people in and out.

“Daniel, can’t you tell she’s scared of you? Dick,” a woman says, walking in.

“What? Can’t I have any fun?” he asks, turning to the woman. I stare at my box, feeling my cheeks heat up.

“Just ignore him; like I said, he’s a dick,” the woman says, turning to me and winking. I continue looking at the box, ignoring the couple. Eventually, they get the hint and begin a conversation of their own.

When the elevator hits level fifty-two, I sigh with relief. I watch as Daniel and the woman head out and follow them.

“Hi, I’m here for…” I begin when I see the receptionist.

“Sweet Temptations. Hi. Let me show you where to go. I’m Willow,” the woman at the reception greets.

“Thank you,” I smile.

Willow leads me to the boardroom and shows me where to set up. Once I’ve brought the last two boxes in, I set them on the plates provided.

“You’re not Melina,” someone says as he enters the room. I see a handsome older man in a sharp business suit standing in the room.

“No, I’m her niece,” I smile.

“And you look just like her; you could be her daughter”, the man smiles. I nod. I’ve heard that a lot since I moved in with Melina.

“I’m sorry, I should have introduced myself; I’m David Rosebank.”

~

Lo Siento – (Spanish) = I’m sorry

Eres guapo/a – (Spanish) = You are beautiful (o for men, a for woman)

eres deslumbrante – (Spanish) = you are stunning

~ edited