A recipe for love

When her best friend's brother stops by to pick up the Thanksgiving rolls, Linda is surprised by their instant connection—and it just might change their holidays

- Carol J. Douglas

Removing the second batch of rolls from her oven, Linda glanced at the clock. She knew she would be a little late arriving for the Thanksgiving feast at her sister's house, but showing up late was a tradition—just as much as her rolls were.

Linda always loved the warm, comforting aroma of bread baking in the oven. Once they cooled, she admired her work. She just had to pack half of them in a towel-lined basket to give to her best friend's brother, who should be arriving any minute.

She smiled, remembering the recent church auction. Every year, Linda made a beautiful basket filled with Thanksgiving items to be raffled for the charity she and her ladies group sponsored. The bonus in Linda's basket? A gift of homemade rolls to be baked fresh on Thanksgiving Day and picked up by the winner—or someone they sent—for their Thanksgiving feast.

Linda always enjoyed baking, especially since retiring from her job at the coffee shop where she had worked for the past 10 years. Sometimes she felt a little lonely, no longer chatting with customers every day, but she kept busy volunteering. Still, she often wondered what life would have been like had she followed through with the marriage proposal she had received in her youth. She never got that trip down the aisle.

The reason for the split was mutual—it just didn't work out. She'd dated over the years here and there, but she just never felt a real spark. Though she adored her family, especially her nieces and nephews, she often daydreamed about how life may have been different. Let the past stay in the past, thought Linda, I am blessed with dear family and friends.