Comestible

Jolene presses her nose to the window, the way she did as a girl. Nearly a decade has passed since she last set foot in France, her home, her love. Now she is back, and her first stop is this bakery.

Éclairs, petit fours, and napoleons wink at her through the glass. Delicate flakes of flour and frosting, alongside fresh baguettes and croissants. She remembers pulling her mother's hand each morning on the way to school, their little detour for breakfast. Jolene's mother would sigh and groan, faking protest, but they both knew the routine.

Jolene purchases a gingery palmier and takes it to the Jardins du Luxembourg. There, among the flowers, under the sun, amidst the tourists, she savors the taste of the pastry and the memory of her mother. Next time, she promises herself, it will not be a full decade before she returns.