Callum was surprised not to see Thandie accompany her children the next day.

"Aunty, can I have this?" Meia asked Thiane.

"Sure. Royal, Kenya, go on, pick!"

The kids were reluctant to choose. They didn't have Meia's temerity. The little girl always succeeded in getting what she wanted. She already understood one of the odd principles of life: You can't get something if you don't ask for it. You must always try and ask.

Meia was the type of person not to take no for an answer, whereas her older siblings would even apologize for their attempts and for taking up one's time.

"Aunty."

Callum registered and watched the woman with the big afro come to the counter. She was tall like Thandie, but their traits differed. Thiane was mocha brown and had thinner features. Her nose bridge was long and delicate, and she had a feline gaze thanks to her almond-shaped eyes and long lashes that curved at the end like a finger saying follow-me. It gave her that seductive aura that made one forget her uni's hoodie, joggers, and sk8 high sneakers.

"It will be five pounds fifty."

"Wait a minute, please. ㅡRoyal, didn't you take something for your mom?"

"Mom doesn't eat cakes," the boy replied.

ㅡ Doesn't eat cakes.

ㅡ Eat cakes.

ㅡ No cakes?

The words echoed in Callum's mind. The comment came off unlawful for the baker, who thought there wasn't anything as sweet or scrumptious as a great-tasting cake.

Thiane shrugged, "ㅡI'll just have these then."

Callum cashed her in.

"Aunty, will you stay with us tonight?"

"Yes, I've got to do your mom's hair." Callum heard as the troop passed the door.

In the meantime, Thandie woke up. She gained an hour of sleep thanks to Thiane, who got her kids ready for school.

Getting out of bed was an endeavor. No one understood that though Moses wasn't dead, Thandie lived life like a widow in mourning. She had to remind herself that he wasn't there daily, and waiting to hear his voice was no use.

Her body ached from sitting on the floor. Thiane only took out the braids. And though Thandie was weary and it was late, she washed her hair. She had to wait for the evening and Thiane's return to braid up. This time, she would sit on the chair like her customers, and Thiane would have to deal with her height.

Thandie hurried to get to work. She realized how early it was only once she got to the post office. Not used to having time, the woman did things as she always did, and now Thandie had half an hour of pure waiting ahead. Thank goodness there were always people around the coffee machine and a little gossip or subject of debate to liven up one's morning.

"ㅡWe were on the phone, and suddenly she said,ㅡ I've got to go duty calls. And I said, what? Your dog? And she was like, no, my son."

"Gosh, you must have been shocked," Leroy replied.

"ㅡI went em, what? And she said I guess Chelsey didn't tell you I had a child."

And I replied no, she didn't when she played matchmakers. Then she said, "Are we still okay? I said we were good and hung up. We haven't spoken since. Chelsey knows I don't like children, and I don't touch moms. It creeps me out. A few of my friends said there's less chance for her to ask you to have kids with her, but I don't want to be involved in any formula with kids."

Leroy sighed and dabbed his forehead with his index as if he touched wood, "I'm glad I don't need to go through that. I find total fulfillment in my gayness. I will never touch a pussy. Let alone a mother's. Like the thing served and did its duty."

"Chelsey says I'm childish," Timothy looked about before saying, "but it's true, I can't go all in. I'm blocked. Like, I can't doggy a mom. I must be crazy."

Leroy shook his head, "No, honey, I read an article a while back that said Elvis Presley had a similar issue and that he rarely touched his wife after she gave birth. He literally ditched her for groupies. Some call it respect. Others say it's a phobia."

Thandie didn't want to listen, but the distance was too small, even for a whisper.

How to feel outdated?

Thandie wondered how Timothy saw a mom of not one but four children.

There are some bodies willing to take your trauma and all.

Nonsense.

Thandie sucked her teeth and got up, leaving her colleagues wondering if she had heard.

"See, Thandie is fit and all for her age. She has a great personality, but she has three kids or something. When I see her, I think out of use." Thandie heard Timothy say from behind the door.

O-U-T OF U-S-E.

Thandie doubted Thiane knew the level she hit in the dating realm.

How could Thiane say there was someone for her in a world where men like Timothy saw women who bore children as being out of use?

Who did Timothy think he was? He wasn't husband material, Thandie thought as she sat in her booth.

At the same time, men like Timothy weren't seeking to be that. He didn't even want to be a father. His opinion was as narrow as a teen matrixed by the beauty diktats of the world. He was probably part of the ageist who criticized women who lived their best life after forty and believed a woman's life span ran from eighteen to thirty. Beyond, she wilted.

For Thandie, those who ran after the young were insecure and immature. Suddenly Moses popped into her mind. He, too, shifted to youth. His new madame was twenty-six.

Did Moses think she was out of use?

Thandie always took care of her appearance. She wrapped her mommy's tummy and ensured she regained her waistline and measurements after every postpartum. Hair and nails, the woman kept the pace.

Sexwise, even broken-neck tired, Thandie powered up. Not only to satisfy but to nourish her appetite. She loved bedtime with Moses. Their children's presence attested to it.

She should have noticed the signs. Moses spent a lot of time in his office. He didn't respond when she initiated things. The foreplay sessions were shorted, but Moses wasn't stupid enough to make them null.

Thandie would have realized sooner if he had. Her husband kept their relationship as sweet as a lullaby, and Thandie slept on the pillow of her suspicions.

Her new life was the punishment she got for being a loyal wife.

No wonder Thiane didn't believe in marriage. Her sister evolved in a world where no one put their eggs in the same basket, where one could love multiple people at once with them being consenting.

Thiane didn't even wish to have kids. Thandie felt it was her fault. Failing her marriage didn't encourage her sister. Instead, it demonstrated how efforts didn't always pay, and that one had to be prepared for the lack of reward. Correction, one had to be conscience there wouldn't be any.

Thandie found purpose in her children but already foresaw the time when they would leave to live their lives and how obsolete she would become.

Thandie sighed out her pessimism and prepped to welcome the first transfer.

The day seemed endless for the mother who daydreamed about being touched, cuddled, kissed, and sex-up. There was nothing like a good-old sex session to boost her confidence. Thandie felt empowered and wooed when Moses pronounced, "I want you."

Yes, it was foolish of her. Thandie knew all Moses did was cradle her ego, but she felt unique and desired. Her current life lacked in that sense. She was anything but wanted, and she couldn't see things changing.

The day was long for Callum too. He forgot the survey concerning his date. Too tired, the man preferred to be fully awake to submit his answers, but the day held many surprises. One of his ovens broke down. Thus the issue absorbed his thoughts. There as his class worked on the Excel exercises he gave, the man had a new obsession. His oven and Maureen ranked way behind one sentence. She doesn't eat cakes.

Callum frowned and crossed his arms while reflecting:

Did she dislike sweet stuff?

Was she disappointed by a cake someday?

Callum tried to think back to when the Chiromas began to buy at Bakersfield.

Mr. Chiroma was the first to come. He was delighted to see Callum's bakery offered more than traditional cakes for a decent price. Callum was sure Thandie ate pastries. His memory was a bit of a blur, but he remembered a conversation where Mr. Chiroma regretted a specific cake Callum no longer made because his wife liked it, and he didn't sell them anymore.

What was it? Thought callum. It must have been a limited edition for him to remove it from his catalog.

Callum got up and began to walk through the desks to check how his class progressed. He cross-read the pastry encyclopedia of his mind as he sought Thandie's cake.

The man didn't know why, but he wished to make Thandie taste something sweet enough to make her love cakes again. The task was easier imagined than acted out. What Callum needed was a tasty miracle.