The Girl She Baked

I loved cake.
Every day, Dad would bring a small slice home for me after work.

Mom, on the other hand, bought a brand-new stand mixer, baking pans, a whole arsenal of tools, and patiently taught herself how to bake for me.

I used to think I was the luckiest girl in the world.

Then came the day my parents got divorced, and the woman who came to pick up my father was the owner of the bakery.

My mothers head snapped toward me, her eyes bloodshot.

This is your fault! If you hadnt been so obsessed with that damned cake, your father never would have met her!

She held out her hands, the backs of them a roadmap of pale, puckered scars from the oven racks. Her voice was a hysterical shriek.

I burned these hands for you, trying to make you happy! But it was never good enough, was it? You both just had to have what was out there!

The metal edge of a baking sheet slammed into my back. I bit my lip to keep from crying out, the coppery taste of blood filling my mouth.

That night, Mom brought another little girl home.

Ignoring the throbbing pain in my back, I knelt on the floor and begged for my mothers forgiveness.

Mommy, Im sorry. Please dont send me away! Ill never eat cake again, I promise!

She slapped me, once, twice, three times across the face. Still not satisfied, she dragged me to the kitchen and shoved me into our large, walk-in oven.

Dont you call me that. Im not your mother!

You love cake so much? Then you can stay in here and think about what youve done! You and your worthless, cheating father both deserve to die!

The heavy door slammed shut. A moment later, the little girl skipped into the kitchen. She peered through the glass, a triumphant little smirk on her face, and her small finger confidently pressed the On button.

From now on, she chirped, your mommy is my mommy.

The oven hummed to life, a low, predatory sound. The air began to shimmer with heat.

And I smiled.

Maybe this was for the best. Maybe now, Mom could finally be happy.

1

Inside the oven, heat pressed in from all sides.

The metal walls glowed with it, searing like a fire.

I pounded on the thick glass door, my palms turning a painful, angry red.

Mommy! Lily knows she was wrong!

Help me! Im so hot! I want to get out!

Sobbing, I stumbled and my arm brushed against the interior wall. A white-hot lance of pain made me snatch it back.

Molly pressed her face close to the glass, her expression smug.

You were always bragging at school about your perfect mommy. Well, look now. Your mommy doesnt want you anymore.

Shes only going to buy dresses for me from now on. Shes only going to love me.

No, Mommy is mine

I cried until my throat was raw and my voice was just a rasp.

Sweat and tears hit the hot floor of the oven, vanishing instantly with a sharp hiss.

Molly watched me, a delighted smile spreading across her face, before she turned and ran out of the kitchen.

I could hear her voice from the living room.

Mommy, Lily is saying bad things about you in the oven! She said if you dont let her out right now, shes going to find the bakery lady and make her her new mommy!

No, Lily didnt say that.

Mommy, please dont believe her!

But a second later, I heard my mothers voice, sharp with rage.

She can stay in there as long as she wants! God, shes so spoiled!

Come on, Molly. Mommy will take you to buy a new dress.

Slam.

The front door closed, leaving only the low hum of the oven.

It was so hot. Everything was hot.

So hot that my hands and feet felt like they were on fire.

The little gold heart charm on the bracelet Mom and Dad gave me for my first birthday was starting to burn my wrist.

Mom said if I wore it, I would always be safe and sound.

It was too hot. I wanted to take it off, but my fingers froze.

I couldnt.

It was my fault Mom and Dad were apart.

If I took off their gift, Mom would be even sadder.

I curled into a ball, my head spinning.

Mommy, why arent you coming to save me?

Mommy, do you really not want Lily anymore? I miss you so much

I clenched my body tight, the world fading into a dark, roaring haze.

Mommy, Lily will be a good girl from now on.

When I opened my eyes again, I was floating, weightless, in the living room.

From the kitchen, the big oven was silent.

The glass door was smudged with dirty little handprints.

I drifted closer and peered inside. There was a small, dark shape curled up on the rack.

Was that me?

Just then, Mollys excited voice came from my bedroom.

Mommy, is this pretty room going to be mine now?

And all the little dresses in the closet, can I wear them?

My mother glanced instinctively toward the kitchen, her brow furrowing for a split second.

But just as quickly, the moment passed. She turned back to Molly, her face arranged into the same gentle smile she used to give me.

Of course, sweetheart. Everything in this house is yours now. Anything you want, you just tell Mommy.

Mollys face lit up with the pure, unadulterated triumph of a victor. It was quickly replaced by a mask of concern.

But what about Lily? Wont she be mad?

The smile on my mothers face froze, then curdled into disgust.

She snorted. What right does she have to be mad? Staying in there this long shes just learned how to throw a tantrum.

Are you hungry, Molly? Mommy bought you something good to eat.

Mom led Molly to the dining table, laughing and talking as they sat down.

All the while, no one went to the kitchen. No one opened the oven door to take a look.

The table was covered with steaming containers of pasta and garlic bread.

But my gaze was pulled, irresistibly, to a small strawberry cupcake sitting at the corner of the table.

A strawberry cupcake!

My favorite. Mom used to always buy them for me.

A tiny, fragile flicker of hope ignited inside me.

Did did Mom buy that for me?

Maybe she wasnt angry anymore.

Just then, Molly, after taking a large bite of pasta, noticed the cupcake too.

2

She immediately started whining, tugging on my mothers arm. Mommy, Molly wants that strawberry cupcake, too!

My mothers hand froze mid-air. Her voice was stiff, laced with some kind of internal struggle.

That cupcake is

Her words trailed off, as if a hand were squeezing her throat.

She closed her eyes and took a deep, shaky breath.

When she opened them again, she forced a tired smile. Okay. Mommy will open it for you.

Molly let out a cheer of victory.

And I, standing in the empty space between worlds, felt a sharp, acidic pain where my heart used to be.

This agony was a thousand times worse than being burned alive in the oven.

Mommy, you said it was because I was greedy, because I loved cake so much that you lost Dad

Then why? Why would you buy a cupcake for her?

Molly ate the cupcake, her face a picture of contentment.

She saw Mom staring off in the direction of the kitchen, lost in thought, and put on a show of being a good, thoughtful child.

Mommy, should we go ask Lily to come out and eat? Shes probably hungry, too.

The words were like a needle, popping the fragile bubble of my mothers composure.

Her gaze snapped back, her voice suddenly shrill.

Forget about her! Shell come out when shes hungry! Does she think shes a queen who needs a special invitation?

The more she spoke, the more agitated she became, her voice rising as she turned to scream at the kitchen door.

You ungrateful brat! Are you playing dead in there? Youre just as good at playing games as your worthless father!

Why dont you just stay in there forever! Dont expect me to come begging for you to come out! Why dont you and your father just go die!

But Mommy, Im already dead.

My mothers emotions completely shattered. After her screaming fit, her body was still trembling violently.

She lost her balance, swayed backward, and fell to the floor in a dead faint.

I rushed forward in a panic, trying to catch her, but my hands passed right through her body.

I could only watch, helpless, as she lay there, unconscious.

Lily really is a bad girl.

When I was alive, I made Mommy miserable. Now that Im dead, I still make her sad.

The sudden turn of events startled Molly, too.

She stared for a moment, then scrambled to grab the phone and dial 911.

The paramedics arrived quickly and carried my unconscious mother away on a stretcher.

The house fell silent. My gaze landed on the dining table again.

Half of the strawberry cupcake was left, sitting alone on its paper plate.

The bright, sweet red of the strawberry frosting looked like a single, perfect drop of blood that had hardened on the plate.

I felt a phantom urge to gag.

I will never eat cake again.

Im sorry, Mommy.

When my grandma heard that Mom had collapsed, she rushed over to take care of her.

After Mom came home from the hospital, she would walk past the kitchen door countless times, but she never once pushed it open.

She wouldnt let anyone else go near it, either.

Seeing my mother in this state, Grandma tried to gently persuade her.

Sarah, honey, let the child out.

What happened between you and Mark you cant put all the blame on a little girl.

Grandma softly rubbed my mothers back. Shes still so young. Dont let her get sick in there.

Mom stood frozen, her body as rigid as a statue.

She stared at the kitchen door, her lips pressed into a thin, white line.

I knew she was still angry with me.

But Mommy, Lily is already dead.

A dead little girl cant open the oven door and say shes sorry.

Seeing my mother was unmoved, Grandma let out a deep sigh.

She reached out, her hand closing over the kitchen doorknob, and spoke softly to the room inside.

Lily? Grandmas sweet girl, come on out now. Dont be afraid, Grandmas here.

The only reply was a dead, suffocating silence.

Grandma frowned and slowly turned the knob.

The door opened a crack.

An indescribable smell instantly snaked out from the opening.

It was the smell of me, after being cooked at a high temperature for hours, then left to rot in a sealed space.

The color drained from Grandmas face.

3

My mother, her face still flushed with anger at Grandma for daring to open the door, rushed over.

Mom, dont bother with her! I want to see how long she can

Her voice cut off abruptly.

She had smelled it, too.

Her eyes locked onto the large oven against the wall.

A thick, viscous, yellowish fluid was seeping from the crack at the bottom of the oven door.

The fluids from my decaying body.

I thought Mom would be scared, or shocked, or that she would finally understand.

But she didnt.

After a moment of stunned silence, her face was consumed by a tidal wave of rage.

She pointed a trembling finger at the puddle on the floor.

Lily! Ann! Peterson! I told you to stay in there and think about what you did, and you you went to the bathroom in there just to disgust me?!

How can you be so vile, so shameless?!

No, thats not it, Mommy.

I hovered around her in a desperate, frantic circle, trying in vain to explain.

Mommy, I didnt want to make you sick.

Im just dead.

I wanted to tell her the truth, but my mother couldnt hear me.

I looked at her twisted, furious face, and a wave of grief and despair so vast it felt like a physical ocean washed over me.

Even my death was just another disgusting thing in my mothers eyes.

Mom turned and stormed away.

Grandma glanced at the oven, then sighed with resignation.

Lily, you were really too stubborn this time. How could you make your mother this angry?

Be a good girl. Come out and apologize to your mom, and this will all be over.

Seeing no movement from the small figure inside the oven, Grandma sighed again and closed the kitchen door.

I remained where I was, an infinite sadness soaking into my soul.

Lily has said sorry so many, many times.

But a dead little girl can say sorry forever, and Mommy will never hear it.

I drifted out of the kitchen and followed my mother as she stormed into her bedroom.

She unlocked a small chest on her dresser.

Mom once told me thats where she kept her most treasured possessions.

She threw open the lid. Inside were all the gifts I had ever given her for Mothers Day and her birthdays.

A card made from flower petals I had carefully glued into the words I LOVE MOMMY.

A crayon drawing of our family, the three of us with lopsided, beaming smiles.

A friendship bracelet I had spent hours braiding for her from colorful embroidery floss

I never knew she had kept them all so carefully.

But now

Like a madwoman, she tore the cards and drawings into tiny pieces.

Colorful scraps of paper rained down onto the carpet.

I cried, sinking to the floor, trying to gather the pieces and fit them back together.

Mommy, dont tear it. Lily worked so hard on that

When Im dead, I cant make you any more presents.

But my mother, her face a cold mask, picked up a pair of scissors and, without a moments hesitation, snipped the braided bracelet in two.

The colorful threads sprang apart, like the connection between my mother and me, severed completely.

I collapsed onto the floor, listening to her hysterical screams.

Shes just like her heartless father! Neither of them deserved anything from me!

I lock her up for one night, and this is the tantrum she throws? This is how she defies me? And I was supposed to take her to the park? Let her rot in there!

I rested my translucent head against my mothers hand, pretending she was stroking my hair.

But Mommy, I am dead now.

If you knew, you would be so happy, wouldnt you?

My mother stared at the wreckage on the floor, and her gaze suddenly fell on my class photo in the corner.

In the picture, I was wearing a princess dress, standing in the middle of all the other children.

My face was radiant with the kind of pure happiness that only comes from being completely loved.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed.

In the parent group chat, my teacher had posted a notification:

A reminder that Lily Petersons birthday is next week. Parents are welcome to bring in a cake to share with the class.

The message had barely been sent before the chat lit up.

Last time, Lily shared her strawberry cupcake with little Jack when he fell. Shes such a thoughtful child.

Yes, lets do strawberry cake again for her birthday! The kids all love it.

The words strawberry cake were like daggers to my mother.

She let out a cold, harsh laugh, her fingers flying across the keypad.

To all the parents, this is Sarah Peterson, Lilys mother. It breaks my heart to inform you that her father and I have divorced. This is all Lilys fault. For a piece of strawberry cake, she pushed her own father into the arms of another woman.

I spun in frantic circles.

Lily didnt! Thats not what happened!

But my mother couldnt hear me. She kept typing.

A child who would trade her father for a bite of dessert I simply dont know how to raise a child like that anymore.

The group chat exploded.

The same parents who had been praising me moments before changed their tune instantly.

She gave up her dad for cake? Thats horrifying!

If shes that selfish at this age, imagine what shell be like when she grows up.

Reading the accusations against me, I felt a thousand tiny needles piercing my soul, a dense, sharp pain that went straight to my core.

Thats not what happened.

Lily didnt trade her dad for cake.

Mom put down her phone and turned to gently hug Molly, who was standing beside her.

Dont be scared, sweetie. From now on, Mommy will only love you.

I watched Molly sink into my mothers embrace, and my own heart shattered into a million pieces.

Mommy, do you really not want Lily anymore?

Molly stiffened for a second, a flicker of panic on her face, before it was replaced by a sweet smile.

Just moments before, when my mother had stormed out of the kitchen, Molly had looked terrified.

She must have been afraid Mom would discover my body.

But seeing that she hadnt, she nestled into my mothers arms and rubbed her head contentedly against her shoulder.

And Molly will always love Mommy.

I hugged myself, trying to imagine it was me my mother was holding.

Mommy will always love Lily.

And Lily will always love Mommy.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, sharp and urgent.

4

When Mom opened the door, two police officers were standing there, along with my father, who I hadnt seen in what felt like forever.

Dads face was a thundercloud. The moment he saw my mother, he lunged forward.

Sarah, what the hell are you saying in the parent group chat?

And the preschool called. They said Lily hasnt been to school in days. Where is she? What have you done with her?

Seeing my father, all the old wounds and fresh betrayals erupted.

Mark, you have the nerve to call the police on me?

Are you two in this together now? Did you team up just to humiliate me?!

The lead officer cut my mother off, his expression grim.

Maam, we need to ask you some questions regarding your daughters disappearance. When was the last time you saw her?

She stormed past them into the house, screaming toward the kitchen.

Lily, have you had enough of this game? Get out here right now!

You brought your father and the police here to make a fool of me! Are you happy now?!

Mommy, Lily isnt hiding.

The police officers exchanged a look and began to search the house.

They checked every corner, every closet, but there was no sign of me.

Finally, only the kitchen was left.

My mother stood with her arms crossed, her voice dripping with disgust.

I told you, shes hiding in there! Fine! She can stay in there for the rest of her life for all I care!

A female officer was about to enter the kitchen when Molly suddenly stepped forward and timidly tugged on her sleeve.

Maybe Lily went to a friends house to play. Mommy has been very sad these last few days. Could you please not upset her anymore?

As she spoke, she subtly shifted her body, as if to block the path to the kitchen.

Please step aside, little girl.

The officer ignored her, gently moving Molly to the side and walking straight into the kitchen.

A moment later, a muffled, horrified gasp echoed from the room.

Captain! In the oven

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