LOVE IN THE BAKING

INGREDIENTS

Relationships are like recipes. At their core, they consist of ingredients that may either complement each other or clash. The result can be sweet, sour, salty, or spicy. Sometimes, one can use the ingredients as they are, while other times, one needs to work on them by altering them in various ways. Just as one can tell if something is rotten or fresh by cutting into it, one can also sense the nature of a relationship. Creating something worth savoring takes time.

"So you're talking to him now," Thiane asked.

"Yes."

"Just talking?"

"Yes."

"Why don't you go on a date?"

Thandie sighed, "Thi, it's not that simple. Royal isn't doing well. He's barely talking to me. I can't add a man in their life right now."

"Tha, Royal will always be like this. No man can take his dad's place. You need to make him understand that it's not your plan. You're not happy alone. You're the type of person who needs a middle part."

"When did you become a life guru?"

"Since I read Happy Alone by Kenneth Mosely," Thiane replied.

"Never heard of him."

You know, the guy who is dating one of my favorite authors. I'm sure I've already told you about him."

Thiane followed writers like some follow idols. She read multiple books and was probably the smartest of the Olamide kids. She went to all the book fairs seeking new authors.

There, she told Thandie about one of the most trending topics in her book world: Daye Yeni x Kenneth Mosely and how they fell in love despite a magnitude nine incompatibility.

Thandie looked about. She didn't want any staff eavesdropping on her lunch break conversation. "So basically, you're telling me. I shouldn't give up on a guy who isn't my type because he could be my type, but I'm just using my kids as a pretext."

"Oh, you're growing up so fast. I'm proud of you, Tha."

Thandie kissed her teeth, "You're lucky we're on the phone."

"Relax, Tha, don't stress over this."

No, Thandie wasn't stressing over it. She had hundreds of other things to consider, like her growling stomach, which she left unfilled to save money and the reality she could no longer deny. The house was too expensive. She needed to move out of her neighborhood.

Thandie had already begun mourning the house and was approaching a stage where she started to imagine herself somewhere else, but her kids were clueless. Hence, she apprehended their reaction. They had never known anything other than the calm residential area they lived in. The children were used to having a garden and space.

How was Thandie to announce this to them?

"Tha, are you listening?"

"Ah, hum, you were saying."

"I was saying you should get to know him more. You're entitled to be happy."

Thiane hung up, and for some reason, Thandie couldn't get Mary J. Blige's Happy lyrics out of her mind:

How can I love somebody else
If I can't love myself enough to know
When it's time
Time to let go

All I really want is to be happy,
Find a love that's mine; it would be so sweet.

If only Thandie thought.

In life, there was no prince, no one to whisk one away from their struggles. Thandie only had her, herself, and she to find a solution, but Thandie couldn't see through the layers of her problems.