Eight years later...

"KOHL! KNOX! GET UP I AM NOT GOING TO TELL YOU BOTH AGAIN!"

"OKAY, MOM!" I hear two little boy voices reply in sync.

I swear those boys drive me crazy most of the time, but I love them with all my heart and soul. At only seven years old, Knox and Kohl get into a lot of trouble. They have since they were in the terrible twos.

I stepped out to get the mail one time, wasn't even gone for two minutes, and came back inside to find toys and pudding everywhere. I don't even know how they found the pudding! Honestly, I didn't even know we had pudding. Later, I found out my dad bought it and secretly fed it to them. Which earned him an earful from me. I probably yelled at him for an hour straight.

Trouble makers, I tell you.

Knox is the oldest by three minutes and likes to remind his brother of that all the time. Knox is the complete opposite of Kohl. He likes to just sit back and observe everything around him while Kohl is such a goofball and likes to be the center of attention. The boys' personalities balance each other out perfectly, I think. When Kohl does talk him into doing something they shouldn't do, Knox is the one who plans everything out. To make sure it all goes to plan smoothly and that they are the least likely to get into trouble. Knox is more like me, while Kohl is more like their father Cage. Both the boys, however, are his spitting image, the same dirty blonde hair and blue-gray eyes. They even have his smile, dimples and all.

Hearing the boys running towards the kitchen, I plate up both of their waffles, with peanut butter and syrup on top, strawberries on the side, and a glass of orange juice.

It's the boys' favorite breakfast food.

"Morning Mom," Kohl and Knox say in sync again.

"Morning, boys," I reply, placing their waffles in front of them.

I ruffle their hair, earning a small glare from Kohl that lacks any heat this early in the morning. Then walking over to the coffeemaker, pouring myself a cup in my favorite coffee mug. In my opinion, coffee tastes so much better when you drink it from your favorite cup. The kitchen falls into a serene stillness that doesn't happen very often. The only sound that can be heard is the clank of silverware against plates and chirping birds outside. Looking out the window above the sink in the kitchen, I can tell it's going to be a lovely fall day, one of the last few, since winter is fast approaching. With Thanksgiving coming up in three days, this is one of my busiest times of the year. With everyone wanting pies or my signature fall cupcakes.

Once the boys are done eating, I tell them to get their backpacks while I place the dirty dishes in the sink to be washed later. I slip out of my slippers and put on tennis shoes before grabbing my purse and car keys.

"Boys, you ready? Did you make sure you grabbed everything you needed?"

"Yeah, Mom. Is Grandpa picking us up from school again today?" Knox asks while putting on his shoes.

"Okay, good, and no sorry he's not, I will be. I'm taking you to the bakery after school. I have a few cakes I have to make for some customers. I might have a new cupcake for you boys to try."

"Really?! Yes!" The boys' high-five and jump up and down in excitement.

I laugh at their demeanor while opening the front door. I step aside to let them go out the door first. I close the door behind me, not even bothering to lock it. There isn't a point when nobody breaks into houses here. Plus, it will only take fifteen minutes at most to drop the boys off at school and come back home.

I get into my silver 2017 Honda CR-V and start it up. I buckle my seatbelt and make sure the boys are buckled before backing out of the driveway. Once we reached the school, the boys rushed to get out of the car to go to their friends.

"Have a good day at school. I love you, boys!"

"Love you too Mom." The boys quickly say in sync, then close the backseat door.

Some people find it irritating when the boys do that, but I don't. I love it when they reply in sync. It shows me how close they are.

After I dropped Kohl and Knox at school, I went home. Changing into some dark blue skinny jeans, a cream-colored sweater and knee-high brown leather boots. Before I drove to 'Sugar Rush', my bakery. I walk into my bakery and instantly spot Quinn, one of my employees, behind the counter.

"Morning Rory," Quinn says.

Quinn is the first person I hired when I opened my bakery two years ago. She is honestly amazing. I don't know how I would run this place without her help. Having kids that are still very young makes running a business difficult. Quinn was always there to step up when I needed to stay home with Kohl or Knox when they got sick or something.

Despite her being four years younger than my twenty-five years, I consider her my best friend.

When I found out I was pregnant during what was supposed to be my first year of college. The first people I told were my childhood friends. They were supportive of me when they thought I was going to give my babies up for adoption. I ended up dropping out and my friends and I grew apart.

Which didn't surprise me. I saw it coming for years. Honestly shocked, we stayed in contact up till college.

While I was busy learning everything I could about raising kids, they were out partying and rushing off to early morning classes. They didn't understand why I gave up my future for Kohl and Knox. They tried their hardest to get me to give them up, but I couldn't. The only time we talk now is when I run into them when they're home for the holidays, which has only happened once, thank goodness. I'm fine with us having grown apart. I had a feeling that it would have happened anyway, plus we didn't have anything in common. I mean, during the senior year of high school, we all started to change. Me? I threw myself into my studies. Molly just wanted to hook up with as many guys as possible and Nora, well, she just wanted to party. Something about her going to have to grow up before college. She wanted to party as much as possible before then.

Funny how going to college didn't change that. I heard her mother talking to mine once that she started to do drugs.

I guess she thought there's nothing worse than getting pregnant barely out of high school. So she told my mom Nora started to do drugs. Though I don't know why her mom didn't think that was such a big deal. I mean, many things could have happened because she did drugs. Though of course there was never a way to convince Mrs. Caine, her daughter was nothing less than perfect.

Haven't heard any updates about her since my mom and her mom stopped being friends.

Thank goodness for that as well.

Though I do hope Nora stopped doing drugs, for her sake.

"Good morning Quinn. How's everything going?"

"Everything is going fine. You got another order. Mrs. Trevor placed an order for Thanksgiving: two pumpkins, one pecan, and three apple pies. I already got it added to the Thanksgiving order list." Quinn says while she adds more delectable pastries to the display case.

"Okay thank you, Quinn."

I walk to the kitchen so I can get started on making cupcakes, cookies, cakes, and pies.

Yes, Mrs. Trevor, as in Cage's mother. She's ordered desserts from us before and loves them, but she can't stand me. I'm sure the first time she had seen the boys, she instantly knew who their father was. I mean, those boys are Cage's spitting image. Honestly, if I didn't give birth to them, I would have a hard time believing I'm their mother. Mrs. Trevor hasn't asked me if she could get to know her grandkids. In fact, anytime she sees us, she gives me a disgusted look, then turns the other way. I honestly don't know what her problem is. I haven't tried to talk to her about it either. Considering I had no calls or whatever demanding to know why I never told Cage he's a father, I can only assume she never told him. That or she did. And he just doesn't care at all and wants nothing to do with Knox and Kohl. Which, if that's the case, I'm fine with it. As long as the boys don't know, he didn't want them, that is.

The boys deserve to have a father that wants to be a part of their life. Knox and Kohl haven't asked me about their father ever, so they must not mind too much that he's not in their life. I know some of the reasons why they never asked.

I still kind of feel guilty for never telling Cage about them.

I snap out of my thoughts before going down that guilty road anymore and get all the ingredients I will need. Once I have all the ingredients, I grab bowls, measuring cups, and spoons. I preheat the oven to three hundred and seventy-five degrees and line a few baking sheets in parchment paper for chocolate chip cookies. I take one bowl and mix flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, then set it aside. After that, I cream butter and sugar until combined, then beat in eggs and vanilla until that's nice and fluffy. I mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and add chocolate chips.

Mixing it in gently so I don't break the chocolate chips, then roll the cookie dough into balls and place it on the baking sheets.

I put those into the preheated oven, then get started on making sugar cookies.

I don't even hear Quinn when she walks into the kitchen, too lost in my baking. I'm frosting sugar cookies, cakes, and cupcakes so I can get them put into the display cases when a hand waves in front of my face.

"Helloooo Rory, are you alive?" Quinn asks me while continuing to wave her hand in front of my face.

I jump a bit before placing my spatula down and turning around to face her.

"Yeah, I am. What's up?"

"It's almost three p.m. You need to go pick up the boys from school soon."

I look over at the clock and see that she's right. This hasn't been the first time she's had to remind me to go pick up the boys. Don't go thinking I'm a bad mother. Baking is the only thing that makes me forget about my surroundings. I just lose myself in it but I would never forget about my boys. Kohl and Knox are my entire world. I love them both more than anything.

"Okay, thank you, Quinn. I'll get this all finished up when I get back. Also, please take tomorrow off. You could use a break." I tell her with a smile, grabbing a plate of cupcakes before walking out the kitchen door.

I walk over to the display case and put the cupcakes in, leaving four out for Kohl and Knox to try. I walk around the counter, car keys, and a box to put the cupcakes in, in hand.

I was working on this new salted caramel apple pie cupcake and since the boys love sugary things. I figured I would let them taste test my newest creation. They are the perfect taste testers. I've placed the first three cupcakes in the box when I hear someone say my name.

"Rory?"

I turn around, cupcake in hand, and lock eyes with Cage Trevor.

The boys’ father, Cage Trevor.

Oh my gosh.

What is he doing here?

Didn't he get drafted to some baseball team?

Or whatever the term is.

I don't know.

I can't stand baseball, so I never bothered to learn how it all works.

I stand there gaping at him like a fish. Cage just smiles at me as he recognizes that it is me. How does he even remember me? I don't even know what to say to him. He doesn't seem like he's going to speak anytime soon either. Probably waiting for me to speak.

"I...um...here have a cupcake," I tell him, then smash the cupcake in his face somewhere near his mouth.

I did not just do that.

I really did not just do that.

He clearly can't believe I did, either.

I'm frozen momentarily in shock. Snapping out of my daze, I grab the box of cupcakes and my keys and run out of the bakery door. Without a second glance back, too afraid to face him. I quickly get into my car, place the cupcake box on the passenger seat, and start my car before backing out of my parking spot.

Oh my gosh.

What the fuck did I just do?

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