The doughnuts sizzled as June lowered them into the grease. This was her favorite time of day: the making. The quiet before the door started opening with faces and voices. She was up before the sun, setting up the bakery left to her care from her late father. Sunshine Horizon Cafe, it had been one of those tough years, with sales barely sustaining their rent of the building. And life hadn’t given June’s family a break either, with her father passing away in a car accident five years ago. Her younger brother, Thomas, had just started college, and her mother did not want to risk him losing a chance to making something of his dreams. 

And so June was tasked with keeping the bakery alive. These last few years had been challenging, but she learned to love it like she did as a child. She loved the bakery, she remembered when she was young, helping her father with simple tasks of cleaning up and picking out the decorations on the wall. Brightly colored seashells danced across the borders, with a sandy beach wall mural with a distant sun rising past the horizon. It was the idea behind Sunshine Horizon, and her father used it as a motif behind his baked goods. Most of the foods they sold had sun or beach decor, but most of all she enjoyed the smile that emerged after that first bite.The smell of sweet baked goods had filled the space, making the mouth water in anticipation. 

Over three hundred doughnuts were baked before their bakery opened, but that wasn’t all. Two hundred cream puffs, five hundred small macaroons, and one hundred muffins varying in flavors and design. Baking all of these alone took about four to five hours, but with help from her mother, they were able to get it close to three and a half hours. Most of the prep work had been done the previous night, and all that needed to be done was bake, fry, and decorate the desserts for selling. 

It was like clockwork, as June busily hurried to set the fried doughnuts to cool before proceeding to glaze and ice them with a mixed vibrant frost that looked similar to a nebula. 

“It seems everything’s in order!” June exclaimed with glee, as she finished the last set. “Mum! I have the doughnuts ready to set up!” Her mom came into the back kitchen, her hair tied up professionally in a fixed bun, her brunette bangs bobbed over her tired eyes. Her glasses were affixed with a beaded chain around her neck, and her warm smile she always carried. She definitely was the public face to her father’s shop. 

“Excellent, our first set of customers will be here to pick up breakfast. You have the coffee and tea stations prepped?” 

June nodded, “Yup, I cleaned out the coffee press and organized the tea bags for customers.” 

The front door bell rang alerted the two to their new guest.

“Welco—Oh it’s you Tommy.” June slumped her shoulders as her younger brother ran in with his dripping wet hair. He must have ran over here first thing before his classes. 

“Wow, rude sis. Can I have a latte?” 

June sighed, he’s been getting free drinks in the last two weeks since he started going to school again. 

“Tommy, you know you can’t just take store inventory as you please. I’m gonna have to charge you at some point.” 

He shrugged, “Or I can just give you free labor over the nights like I have. It’s just a cup of coffee. Relax.” 

Their mother carried in the tray of doughnuts to place in the display. She watched with amusement as June gave her brother a displeased look. Meanwhile Thomas had succeeded in starting the latte machine, and prepared the milk to pour into the drink. 

“Great, we’re going to be known as the bakery that pays under the table.” June muttered darkly. 

“June, Thomas be nice to each other.” Their mother smiled, and gave a wink over to Thomas. “Besides, its a good way to test for poison.” 

Thomas groaned at their mother, while June laughed. “Thomas the poison taster, that’s the perfect profession for you!” Her brother gave her a har har as he poured the dark, steaming liquid into his To Go cup. When he got it filled about three quarters of the way, he started to add in the milk and cream, making a cute latte image of a sun. 

“You practicing your latte skills or something?” June admired her brother’s artistic talent as he finished the last detail. 

“Something like that.” His concentration paid off as the image came out as he desired. Fishing his mobile phone out, he took a picture of the cafe latte and posted it to the website for their shop. “There, that should garner some more interest to the shop. I’ll be back later today if you need help.” He slapped a lid on his coffee and waved goodbye to his family. 

“Be safe getting to work!” Both June and her mother yelled at his retreating back. 

With the bakery set up to open, the two waited for their next customers to come in.

Their mornings were typically filled with regulars, wanting to pick up their usuals before heading to work. June wasn’t really great with conversing with their customers, as she stumbled over her tongue and got embarrassed easily. It also didn’t help that some customers would comment on her lack of marriage, or not even dating someone. 

After all, she wasn’t getting any younger according to them. 

“You really should get yourself a boyfriend June.” A lady who happened to be a close neighbor said to June as she left. June would have made a snappy comment back, but her mother beat her to the punch. “Oh Rosalie, you saying that is like calling the kettle black. How’s your baby daddy?” 

“He’s fine thank you!” In a huff she left. “You’re not getting any younger June. Think about your future.” 

The bakery calmed down as June slumped.

“Mom, you shouldn’t say things like that.” June leaned on the counter with her hand under her chin. “And it’s technically true. I’m going to be thirty two soon. Who’s going to want someone like me?” Her hair was a mess, wrapped up in a silly bandana, her lack of makeup and fashion had been painfully evident. She hadn’t gotten a date since homecoming, and that was sixteen years ago.

“You could get one of those online dating profiles? If it’s something you really want.” Her mom suggested, as she tidied a few of their tables. “Though I think one day someone will see you for who you are, and love you just as much as your father loved me.” 

June picked herself up from the counter, “I’ll pass on the online dating, I doubt anyone in a twenty five square mile of our small town would even give me the time of day.” She repositioned her apron as she went to brew herself a cup of tea. Honey, citrus, and a green tea bag later, her hot water started to morph into what she would later consume in delight.

“You never know.” Her mother said in her all-knowing voice. “Maybe one day a handsome traveler will swing by. You won’t know what the universe will send your way.” 

June gave a half hearted smile. “Sure mum, and when the universe decides to give me a break I’ll cater the idea. Which hasn’t been ever, mind you.” 

Her mother chuckled, taking the dirty wash cloths into the back. 

“I’m leaving the front to you, I’ll take my lunch break.” Her mother winked at her, and June gave her a slight wave. 

Standing alone in the bakery, she looked up to the ceiling. The steam from her tea slowly wafted up in front of her as she waited. 

When her tea looked like it was drinkable without burning off her tastebuds, the front door chimes jiggled as someone entered. It happened to be a male, pulling a ‘help wanted’ sign from the window she’d placed there three weeks ago. 

“Are you still hiring? I just moved here from Washington, and I’m looking for work. I used to be a Cafe Barista, and—“ He pulled out his phone to show the instagram her brother had created for their community outreach. All of the coffee pictures, baked goods, and little nuances of their shop were decorated all over their webpage. “I noticed this shop does latte art and drinks. Is there any paperwork that I can fill out?” 

June gaped, mostly from the way he smiled. Dare she think he was pretty handsome, and a traveler? Curse her mother for her previous words about the universe. 

“Oh sorry, my name is Henry. Nice to meet you.” He extended a firm hand out to shake her hand. She absently took his hand to give a mild shake before snapping back to attention. 

“Right—right, sorry, I’m June. I took over this shop after my father, but yes we are looking for a new hire. Could I have you fill out this paperwork?” She had to pull out the print outs for her application form already collecting dust under the counter. Not many people in their town were looking for new avenues in their job or career. In fact most were happily employed in the city fifty minutes away. 

Henry completed the paperwork with ease, and he ordered a coffee and cream puff. He bid June a goodbye and hoped to hear from her about that job offer. 

“He had really pretty eyes.” June snapped her head around to see her mother smugly looking at her from the back counter. 

Embarrassed, June slapped the paperwork in front of her mom. Looking away with a flush on her cheeks. “I—I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ll leave the interview, hiring, and hourly rates to you.” And June escaped as her mother chuckled behind her. 

It wasn’t long before Henry started working with them, and the tale behind that? Well June would need a novel to explain that love story.