Heavy raindrops tap the windowpanes near Lily's bed.
Every so often.
A gust of wind tosses the rain towards the glass with slightly more force.
Lily lies under the covers with her eyes closed,
Listening to the sound of the storm ebb and flow.
It's sure to be a blustery day,
She thinks to herself.
These final moments in bed before she rises in the morning.
Are some of Lily's favorites.
When her thoughts are dreamy.
And her mind still remembers the feeling of deep sleep.
Before long,
She feels a yawn overtaking her.
And reaches her arms up and out.
In a big stretch.
Max.
She circles her ankles a few times to the right and then to the left.
So they're ready to move when she steps out of bed.
Lily takes a deep breath in.
And then let's sit out slowly.
As her body relaxes into the soft comfort of the sheets.
Just a minute more.
She thinks to herself.
With a hint of a smile.
Rain taps the window in waves,
As though curtains of water are opening and closing overhead.
Another large gust of wind.
Rattles the branches of the tree outside,
And sends a flurry of raindrops towards the house.
Days like this are always exciting for Lily.
When the weather seems wild and unpredictable.
It's as though the rain and wind encourage her to be a bit more spontaneous herself.
With that thought.
She pushes herself up until she's sitting on the edge of the bed.
And then stands.
Glancing out the window as she does.
As always,
It's still dark outside.
Lily wakes up earlier than most people in town.
As she has to have the bakery open and ready.
By the time everyone else is starting their day.
She knows the rest of the neighborhood is sleeping soundly.
Even the house cats are probably dozing in fluffy beds.
Or on pillows by windowsills,
Waiting for dawn.
Lily slides her feet into her comfy slippers and then pads softly into the kitchen.
The first thing she does is put on the kettle for a nice cup of strong,
Hot tea.
She leans against the counter as she waits for the water to boil.
Listening to the bubbles beginning to rumble within.
Lily takes out a small,
Metal tea ball from the drawer and fills it with fragrant strands of loose-leaf black tea.
Each leaf stands at a funny angle in the ball,
So she has to be careful not to let any of them fall out as she twists on the top.
She hangs the tea ball over the side of her cup.
By a tiny metal hook and chain.
When the water is ready.
She pours it over the tea.
Bubbles rise up from within the metal ball.
And it floats slightly.
Before sinking to the bottom.
A fan of tea color spreads out from it.
Shading the clear water as it swirls around.
Lily lifts the cup to her nose.
And inhales deeply.
She loves the smell of hot tea.
On a chilly morning.
Feeling spontaneous,
She decides to skip her usual splash of milk,
Opting to drink it black today.
But still desiring the comfort of her routine,
She carries it over to the wooden seat beneath the kitchen window.
This is where she always drinks her morning tea.
Gazing out at the sleepy neighborhood.
On the other side of the glass.
Some mornings,
The first rays of light would already be shining through the clouds by this time.
Spot today.
The sky is heavy and dark.
A blanket of grey clouds hangs low over town.
And the rain is continuous.
Shifted only by the ever-changing wind.
She can see how it bends and sways the branches of the tree across the street.
It's definitely coat weather today,
" she decides.
Lily sips her tea slowly.
Feeling herself warming up a bit more with every drop.
She wiggles her toes inside her fuzzy slippers,
Enjoying the way it sends a tingling sensation across her skin.
This is the most perfectly cozy morning.
She thinks to herself.
When she finishes her tea,
She washes out the cup.
And sets it to dry on a bamboo rack by the sink.
Although the sun hasn't come out yet.
Lily knows it's time to get ready to head down to the bakery.
After so many years of opening her shop each and every morning.
Lily feels as though she has an internal clock.
That's calibrated to the second.
She intuitively knows when she should be finishing her tea.
And when she needs to step out the door.
In order to make it to the bakery in good time.
Lily shuffles into her bedroom.
And picks out a grey shirt to wear.
It's a fitting color to match the weather outside.
When she's dressed,
She heads to the front door.
She slips on her thick wool coat and buttons it up at the front.
Then,
She wraps a chunky,
Cable-knit scarf around her neck.
One of her regular customers,
Rose,
Made it for her two winters ago.
Now,
It's one of her most cherished pieces of clothing.
Every time she pulls it on.
She thinks of all the people she's able to call friend.
And it makes her feel warm and toasty inside.
Lily pulls one edge of the scarf up over her chin.
And then tucks the ends into her wool coat.
She takes out a large pair of gloves from the coat pockets.
Slipping them on one by one.
Last thing she has to get is her trusty yellow umbrella.
She's ready to head out.
She closes the door behind her.
And pauses on the front step to open the umbrella.
The wind pushes against it.
Making it hard to raise the slider up to expand the canopy.
But with a little determination.
Lily gets it open.
Adding a splash of yellow.
To the otherwise dark morning.
Bracing herself against the wind.
She steps out onto the sidewalk.
Heavy raindrops thunder against the fabric of the umbrella.
The sound is magnified beneath it.
So she can hear the plop and splat of every drop.
On her right,
She spies the small,
White cat.
That's always waiting for her in her neighbor's window.
But this morning.
The cat is still asleep in the warmth of the house,
With its pink nose tucked under its fluffy tail.
Usually,
The cat is awake and washing its paws or following her path with watchful eyes.
But today is a lazy day for the white cat.
Lily watches as it naps contentedly behind the glass.
For a moment.
She wishes that she,
Too,
Could be at home.
Tucked up in bed.
But then,
She thinks of her regular customers.
And it brings a smile to her face.
They are the reason she gets up each and every day.
Rain or shine.
And opens the door.
To the Rainy Day Bakery.
She continues walking down the wet pavement towards town.
Every few steps,
She has to move to one side or the other.
To avoid a large puddle.
The sidewalk glistens in the glow of the streetlights.
And still,
The sun is nowhere to be found.
This will probably be one of those days where it stays dark until noon,
She thinks.
Up ahead,
She catches a glimpse of the brightly painted bakery door.
Even in the dim light.
The brilliant colors stand out.
Welcoming in all who pass by.
It's a haven for people on a day like this.
They can come inside.
Drink a cup of something hot.
And have a slice of pie or a cinnamon roll.
And read a good book.
Some customers prefer to chat to one another.
Enjoying the company of new friends and old in a familiar place.
Her bakery really has become part of the fabric of this community,
She realizes.
It's a home away from home.
A spot where everyone can find something to make them feel happy and safe.
And content.
Just as this thought crosses her mind,
A gust of wind rumbles the fabric of her umbrella.
The handle jumps in her fingers.
And before she knows what's happening.
The top canopy of the umbrella.
Has blown backwards.
No longer protected from the rain.
Lily makes a dash for the colorful door.
She pulls out her set of brass keys and inserts the right one into the lock.
She clutches her bent umbrella under her arm.
And pushes open the door.
To reveal the dark,
Silent bakery.
Lily wipes her feet on the entry mat so she won't leave quite as many wet footprints in her wake.
Then,
She flicks the light switch with her fingertip,
Illuminating the small shop.
Now that she's able to see a bit better.
Lily looks down to inspect the damage to her yellow umbrella.
Unfortunately,
Several of the connecting pieces of metal are bent in the wrong direction.
Also.
The slider no longer catches.
So the canopy doesn't stay propped open anymore.
With a sigh.
She places the umbrella down on the ground in the entryway.
It has served her well for many years,
But it's time for a replacement.
Lily had planned to be in the bakery all day.
So she isn't sure when she'll have time to shop for a new one.
It might end up being a very damp walk home tonight.
She thinks to herself.
But that's alright.
She's used to the weather here.
And she'll just have to make the best of it.
Lily takes a deep breath to clear her mind.
And then exhales.
Refocusing on the tasks of the day.
She smells the familiar hints of espresso beans,
Flour,
And pecans.
Lingering from the evening before.
On a typical day,
She makes cinnamon rolls first thing.
But like with her tea,
She's feeling spontaneous.
Maybe it's the wind.
Or the rain pattering heavily on the ground outside.
But Lily thinks it's time for a change.
She heads into the cozy seating area.
And leans down to plug in a strand of fairy lights.
Within moments,
They twinkle on overhead like diamonds.
With a bit more pep in her steps.
She walks back into the pantry.
She runs her gaze over the shelves,
Stacked high with baking supplies and ingredients.
But what do I want to make today?
She whispers to herself.
She made a blueberry pie two days ago.
Lemon squares and pecan rows yesterday.
And chocolate muffins last week.
Those are all favorites with the customers.
But then,
Lily considers what would make her happy.
A few years back.
Lily found her grandmother's cookbook on a shelf in the family house.
While she was leafing through it.
She came across a recipe she'd never tried before.
It looked intriguing,
So she marked her place with a piece of scratch paper in the spine.
Lily's Grandmother's Cookbook now resides on a dark wooden bookshelf.
Standing against the back wall of the pantry.
With a smile.
Lily walks over to the book.
And opens it to the correct page.
The recipe is simply titled.
Baked apples.
In the margins of the page,
Yellowed with time.
Lily sees her grandmother's recognizable scrawl.
Her note reads,
Perfect for a chilly autumn day.
Here and there across the page.
Her grandmother wrote in corrections to the original recipe.
Little tips and slight changes of measurements to make the final product even better.
This is what I'll make today.
Lily decides.
It's time to try something new.
The ingredient list is fairly simple.
She needs butter,
Brown sugar,
Cinnamon,
Nutmeg,
Rolled oats,
Chopped pecans.
And several large apples.
Lily gathers the ingredients and carries them back behind the counter.
She leaves the butter out to soften.
Then,
She begins preparing the nuts.
She chops them coarsely and sets them to the side before measuring out the oats.
Finally,
She turns on the oven.
And leaves it to preheat.
Next part of the recipe is a bit trickier.
She has to core the apples.
And make a pocket for the filling.
Without splitting them in half.
Her grandmother wrote in the margin beside it.
Used paring knife and spoon.
It instructs her.
Lily picks up her paring knife.
And inserts the tip near the stem of the first apple.
She slides it in and cuts in a careful circle around the core.
Then,
She twists it slowly to help the core detach closer to the bottom.
With a gentle pull,
It comes free.
The hollowed-out apple reminds her of a pumpkin.
With its seeds removed.
She sets the fruit aside and moves on to the next one.
Soon,
The task feels routine.
She's able to remove the core with one swift movement.
Over and over again.
Until she has a row of apples ready to be filled.
Next,
It's time to make the filling.
Lily gathers the softened butter,
Sugar,
Cinnamon,
And nutmeg.
And mashes them all together with a wooden spoon.
When the spices are evenly distributed,
She stirs in the oats and pecan pieces.
Then,
She takes a spoon and carefully stuffs the filling into the apples,
Right up to the top.
When the apples are prepared.
She lines them up carefully in ceramic pie dishes.
Lily pours water into each dish,
So the bottoms of the apples are just submerged.
Prevents drying and burning,
" her grandmother wrote.
Finally,
She's ready to put them into the oven.
She slides her hands into thick oven mitts and places the pie dishes on the metal racks.
Lily closes the oven door.
And sets the timer.
To let her know when she needs to check them.
As she's beginning to clear up her workspace.
She hears the door to the bakery creak open.
It's Rose,
One of her favorite customers.
And someone she now considers a friend after all these years.
Rose smiles and waves from the door.
Before unwrapping her scarf.
And hanging it over the back of a chair.
Lily has her coffee ready by the time she's heading over to the counter.
Rose thanks her with a warm smile.
And then asks how Lily's day has been going so far.
Lily tells her all about the baked apples from her grandmother's recipe.
She's excited to have her first taste tester.
If Rose is interested.
The pair chat about the weather.
And how it's an especially blustery autumn day.
Then,
With a sigh,
Lily mentions her broken umbrella.
I don't know if I'll have time to replace it before I head home tonight,
" she says.
Rose pats her on the arm.
I'm sure it will all turn out just fine,
" she replies.
Before carrying her coffee to her table.
And sitting down.
Soon after.
One of the other regular customers,
Seamus,
Arrives.
Lily brings him his coffee.
And promises him a baked apple.
When they're out of the oven.
One by one,
All of her morning customers file in.
Some of them look like they've run through the storm,
Wearing coats splattered with raindrops.
Others carry folded newspapers over their heads or open the door to shake out their umbrellas.
She serves them a variety of coffees,
Teas,
And sweets.
When the timer goes off.
Lily turns away from the seating area.
And faces the oven.
She carefully pulls out the pie dishes,
Filled with apples.
Which are now soft.
Out of the corner of her eye,
Lily notices Rose speaking with different customers.
She wonders what they're all talking about at this time of the morning.
But it's just a passing curiosity.
As her mind returns to the task at hand.
She carefully plucks the apples out of the water-filled pie dishes.
And sets them on individual plates.
Then she walks over to the refrigerator.
And takes out a carton of whipping cream.
She pours some in a bowl.
And spoons a bit of sugar on top.
Then,
She uses a handheld mixer to beat it into whipped cream.
The mixer drones on as the beaters spin,
And Lily watches Rose head out the door.
But she hasn't even tried her baked apple yet,
Lily thinks.
When soft peaks form in the white cream,
She stops beating.
With a metal spoon.
Lily drops a dollop of whipped cream on every apple.
Along with a drizzle of her famous caramel sauce.
Warm fragrance of the hot apples and rich cream is tantalizing.
It permeates the air.
Creating an atmosphere of homey comfort.
She carries the first plate out to Seamus.
And sets it in front of him.
Next,
There are plates for the family in the corner.
The Woman with the Newspaper and the man who usually orders Cranberry skeins.
As she's distributing the apples,
Lily sees Rose walk back through the door.
In her hand.
Is a long,
Thin package wrapped in shiny paper.
Rose beckons to Lily,
Who comes over.
This is for you,
" she says.
Handing her the package.
On it is a handwritten note.
To Lily from all your friends at the Rainy Day Bakery.
Lily pulls open the paper.
To reveal a brand new umbrella inside.
This one is green.
With yellow polka dots.
And a handle in the shape of a duck's head.
This might be the most cheerful umbrella I've ever seen in my whole life.
Lily tells Rose as she admires it.
Thank you all so much Looking around the room,
Lily can see that the other customers are smiling widely,
Too.
This was a present from all of them,
" she realizes.
A present from all of her friends.
The thought fills Lily with warmth and joy.
This place and these people give her a true sense of belonging.
I've got something for you,
Too,
" she tells Rose with a wink.
Handing her one of the last two baked apples from her grandmother's recipe.
The other.
Lily keeps for herself.
Together.
They sit by the window.
Gazing at the wet,
Gray,
And windy day outside.
But here in the rainy day bakery.
Everything.
And everyone.
Is safe.
Wrong.
And love.
Lily uses a spoon to scoop out some of the soft apple and gooey filling.
It's perfectly spiced and deliciously sweet.
And it's made even more so.
Knowing that her grandmother guided her along the way.
And she's sharing it now.
With the best of friends.
You you
