Lyra

The Sweet Spot is finally done with its repairs and I can start working again. The only thing standing in my way is Brandon.

"You aren't going back until the police figure out who did this," he whisper yelled in an attempt to not wake up Macie.

"Why?"

"It's not safe!"

I sighed. We'd been going in circles for the past ten minutes. "You do realize you're not in charge of me right?" I asked.

"I just want you to be safe," Brandon sighed. He was pacing back and forth across the living room carpet and had been for the whole conversation.

"I have to go back eventually Brandon," I said, placing a hand on his shoulder to stop his pacing. "It's been two weeks."

"I know. I just don't like it."

"I know."

We stood there together for a couple of minutes before Brandon spoke again. "But if you're going back, I'm posting security guards at every entrance."

"Brandon."

"It is the only way I will let you anywhere near that building."

Part of me wanted to be annoyed at him for trying to control me, but most of me was just glad that he cared. Knowing I'd have to meet with him somewhere, I agreed to the security guards. Besides, he probably just wanted to ensure that Macie was safe and I couldn't blame him for that. I would feel horrible if anything ever happened to her.

Brandon went off to his home office to call the security guards and I went to wake up Macie. She was like a mini teenager; she'd sleep all day if she could.

"Macie," I softly said into her ear. "Time to wake up."

Macie grumbled and pulled the blankets tighter around herself. "Don't you want to go to the shop?"

As soon as the words registered, Macie shot up out of bed and sprang into action. She was dressed and ready in less than ten minutes.

"Can we go now Lyra?" She asked, jumping up and down.

"Breakfast first."

"Oh right."

Macie sat down at the table and started shoveling food into her mouth.

"Slow down Macie," I told her, "you'll choke if you keep eating that fast."

Macie ignored me and finished the rest of her food in record time.

"Ok let's go!" Macie sprang out of her seat and ran for the elevator, only stopping when she realized I wasn't following her.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" I asked.

Macie looked herself over. Then she looked back to me, confused.

"Our ride."

Macie's eyes widened and she sprinted up the stairs. "Come on Daddy! Hurry, hurry, hurry!" I could hear her shout.

"Ok, ok."

Macie soon came back into view dragging Brandon behind her. "I'm assuming you told her about the shop," he directed at me. I nodded.

Brandon picked Macie up and we made our way down to the car together. "Oh, by the way, I have a date with Claire tonight so I'm going to be late. Do you want to just stay at the penthouse so you don't have to wait up?"

"Sure," I said, hoping he would move off of the Claire topic. It made me uncomfortable talking about her, especially after the encounter with her a few weeks ago. I still don't know what happened after Brandon found out. In fact, this is the first time he's even mentioned her since that day.

The car parked outside The Sweet Spot and we all got out. This was our first time seeing it since it was destroyed.

Brandon's designers had tried to make it look exactly the same, but there were some slight changes. The display cases were new along with all of the appliances. They were upgrades, no doubt of Brandon's doing, but still different. It may sound trivial, but change is really hard for me. I didn't have a constant at all in my childhood, all I ever had was change, so when I opened the shop, it became my constant. The one thing that would never change. Except it did.

"You good?" Brandon mouthed to me. I nodded.

Things happen. Things change. I just have to get over it and move on.

"So, Macie, what should we make first in our brand new kitchen?"

"Hmm." Macie tapped her chin with her index finger as she thought about it. "Cupcakes!"

"Good choice. Let's get started."

Macie gave Brandon a hug goodbye and ran back to the kitchen.

"Are you sure about this?" Brandon asked nervously.

"Yes. We will be fine."

Brandon waited for a few more minutes until the security guards showed up and then left to talk to them before he went to work. There were two guards posted at the front entrance to the shop, one at the back entrance, two at the door to my apartment building, one at my apartment door, and one posted under each window. I personally thought it was a little much, but if it meant I could be back in the shop, I'd put up with it.

And I have to admit, having them there did make me feel safer.

Macie and I put out two batches of cupcakes and an assortment of cookies before it was time to open. "You ready?" I asked Macie and she gave me a fierce nod before marching up to the door and flipping the sign to open.

Our first customer of the day was none other than Mrs. Lawrence. It was a Monday after all.

"Who are the hunks outside?" The old lady asked as she sat at her usual table. Well, her usual spot. The table was new.

"New security guards."

"My daddy bought them!" Macie chimed in.

"Hired sweetie. You can't buy people."

Mrs. Lawrence laughed and gave Macie a hug. "Cupcake me Macie," she said, sending Macie skipping off behind the counter.

"The place looks nice," Mrs. L said, taking a look around.

"It's different, that's for sure."

"Sometimes different can be good. Never forget that."

I nodded and went to check on Macie. She had Mrs. Lawrence's cupcake all ready to go and the teacup was waiting for me to fill it.

I poured the steaming brew into the cup and carried it out to Mrs. Lawrence's table with Macie right behind me.

"Order up!" Macie exclaimed.

"Thank you dear," Mrs. Lawrence said and handed Macie a dollar. She always tipped Macie for her "fine service".

Macie grinned and ran to the back to put her dollar somewhere safe.

"Come sit," Mrs. Lawrence said. No one else had come into the shop yet so I took the empty seat at her table. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good," I told her. Mrs. Lawrence always asked me how I was doing even though I had a feeling she could tell without me having to say anything.

The old woman nodded and took a sip of her tea. "Anything interesting going on?"

"Other than this?" I asked, motioning to the shop. "No."

Mrs. Lawrence laughed and patted me on the arm. "I always liked you dear. Better than some of my own grandkids."

I was shocked into silence at Mrs. Lawrence's words. I wasn't used to people saying things like that. Nice things. I mean, it wasn't all too nice to her grandkids, but to me it was everything.

"Thank you," I whispered, getting a little teary eyed.

I gave my head a little shake, willing the tears away and got back to work. A small line had developed that I had to attend to anyways. Glancing back one more time, I saw Mrs. Lawrence give me a knowing smile before she left some cash on the table and left.

I always insisted that she didn't have to pay, but the stubborn woman wouldn't listen. After a while of trying to sneak it back, and failing, I just gave up and accepted my defeat.

Once the line was clear, I picked up the money Mrs. L had left and stowed it in the cash register.

"Thank you Mrs. L," I murmured. And not for the money.