I hand her the mixer and show her how to change the speeds. “First,” I say, “we need to beat the cream cheese until it's smooth.” At eleven, she’s tall, just like her dad was. “I’ve got it, mom,” she assures me. We make a cake for his birthday every year. She was three when he died, and now she cracks eggs, smooths the batter in the pan, puts on the final touches. Her dad loved the woods, and this year I found sprinkles with little green trees. This year, she does it almost all on her own, it seems.
Sarah Kilch Gaffney is a writer, brain injury advocate, and homemade caramel aficionado living in Maine. You can find her work at www.sarahkilchgaffney.com.