"Who talks of cadeaux?" ~ Jane Eyre

The woman looked at me with sympathy.

I had come from the Butter Cooky Bakery branch in Floral Park because they had no chocolate cupcakes this morning. It took me twenty minutes to get back to Manhasset to see if they had those thickly frosted chocolate cupcakes with a maraschino cherry on top that I know he would love for his birthday.

There were none here, either.

Missy always gets cupcakes from this bakery on special occasions, so I inquired as to why there were none, and the woman said they had not been made yet. I told her I had come from the other Butter Cooky and they, too, had none. I then told her I needed a moment to see what else I could get for the occasion and would get back to her in a minute or so.

I had my heart set on these cupcakes, not because they are the most amazing cupcakes in the world (but they are close), but because I have my heart set on him and making his birthday special with specific ideas in my head. I planned the cupcakes way in advance as part of the celebration after dinner tonight, so I suppose I looked quite crestfallen as I perused the delicious looking cakes and tortes.

Just as I was about to get the brownie torte, the woman said to me, "Have a cup of coffee. Stay a while and wait if you can, we will make them right now."

My face lit up and I thanked her profusely. I ordered a cappuccino instead and she gladly made one for me. I gave her a tip as I was paying but she didn't accept it. So I sat with my cappuccino and inhaled the scent of cake as I waited for these cupcakes - cupcakes that I knew were going to be perfect to light with candles and sing Happy Birthday to him as we also opened up a bottle of Prosecco for a midnight celebration.

As she handed the chocolate cupcakes to me twenty five minutes later, I smiled; it confirmed for me that, as always, food is one of the best ways to express one's love. This woman knew how much these cupcakes meant, and I love and appreciate that she went out of her way to help me express my own love.