The Pilfered Pies

Deidre couldn’t wait to get home. Her mother was preparing food for the town’s bake sale, and she always let Deidre sample some of the food before she took the rest to the sale. Deidre’s favorite thing to eat was her mother’s apple pie. Her mother would cut up the pies and sell them by the slice, and she always saved at least one slice for Deidre and her father. No one made better pies than her mother. In fact, at the county fair, she always won the blue ribbon for her baking skills.

The smell of cinnamon greeted Deidre as she walked into the house. Already, her mouth was beginning to water. She hollered to let her mother know she was home from school, but she didn’t hear any answer. She headed straight for the kitchen, assuming her mother would be in there finishing up her baking, but there was no sign of her mother there, either. Deidre looked around the kitchen and also realized there was no sign of her mother’s apple pies. Her heart sank. What if her mother had forgotten to save her a piece? She had been thinking about that pie all day. Normally, she could simply go to the bake sale, but she couldn’t this weekend because her father would be arriving any moment to pick her up. It was her weekend to spend time with her father.

Deidre went to her bedroom and finished packing her bag. She was just finishing when she heard the backdoor open and knew her mother was finally home. She went to the kitchen to say hello and, of course, to find out where her pie went. Deidre’s mother smiled when she saw her. Before Deidre could ask about the pie, her mother opened the microwave and pulled out an entire pie. Deidre wondered why the pie had been in the microwave when they were always baked in the oven. Before she could ask, her mother explained.

“The microwave seemed the best place to keep it fresh while I ran the other pies to the sale. I didn’t want the cat to find your treat while I was gone.”

“But, Mom,” Deidre said, “there’s an entire pie here, not just a slice like there usually is.”

“I baked one for you to take with you and share.” Deidre really liked the way the mystery of the missing pie had been solved!