two stems of golden crocuses. The yellow flowers were as bright as the sun. Anna inhaled their sweet aroma. “Thank you! Come by later for some fresh bread. First batch should be out of the oven midmorning.”
“Thank you, Anna! I will!” he said, and Anna hurried along, trying not to crack the eggs or stop again. She had a habit of stopping to talk. A lot.
“Ma! I got the eggs and the tea! Is Freya here yet?” Anna called, walking through the door. Before she could close it, a carriage pulled up in front of the house. Freya had arrived.
Anna and her mother hurried to greet their guest. As always, her mom’s best friend had arrived in a carriage with two men who waited while she visited. Freya had explained to Anna once that she felt safer traveling with trusted drivers, since she didn’t have her husband or her daughter accompanying her.
The pair watched as the first driver helped the woman in a dark hooded cape out of the carriage. She quickly walked inside the bakery and shut the door, removing her hood.
“Tomally!” Freya said warmly, embracing her friend. The two always hugged for so long when they saw each other Anna worried she’d never get a turn.
Anna’s mother had told her that when Anna was adopted as a baby, Freya was the first one she’d called to come see her. Anna and Freya had spent so much time together over the years that Anna considered her an aunt. She couldn’t imagine life without her.
Freya and Tomally finally parted, and Freya looked at Anna, her face warm with emotion. “Anna,” she said softly, and opened her arms.
Freya always smelled sweet, like purple heather. Anna ran into her arms and squeezed. She was a hugger. She couldn’t help it. “It’s so good to see you!”
Freya stepped back, holding Anna by the shoulders, and looked at her intently. “Have you gotten taller? Tomally, is she taller? She’s definitely taller!”
“I’m not taller,” Anna said, and they all laughed. “I was the same height two months ago. I think.”
“You look bigger,” Freya decided. She hung her cape by the door and removed her bonnet, revealing her beautiful dark brown hair. Anna always loved her dresses. The one she wore that day was dark green with yellow-and-blue trim and embroidered red flowers. Anna wondered if Freya had made it herself. She was a seamstress and always brought Anna new gowns. “Or maybe it’s just that you’re getting older.”
“I am fifteen,” Anna admitted.
Freya smiled softly. “That must be it. You’re becoming a young woman.” She looked at Tomally. “You’ve done a fine job raising her.”
Tomally took Freya’s hand and they looked at each other fondly. “It’s been my honor. She’s been the most wondrous gift.”
“Ma.” Anna rolled her eyes. She hated when her mother got all emotional like that. She and Freya always cried at some point when they got together.
“Sorry, sorry.” Tomally busied herself at the table. “You must be hungry. Anna wanted to make you breakfast.”
“I want to make you breakfast, too,” Anna said to her mother. “They get too busy to eat,” she told Freya, who sat down at the table alongside Tomally as Anna heated up a pan and cracked eggs into it for a quick scramble.
“How is business? Good, I hope?” Freya asked.
“We love it, but it has grown, thanks to some of Anna’s specialties, and the orders have, too.”
“And how is your tutoring going, Anna?” Freya asked.
“It’s fine,” Anna said with a sigh, moving the eggs around the pan. “I prefer when school is in session, because I like seeing people. Doing my studies with Ma is not as fun. No offense.”
Freya and Tomally exchanged small smiles. “Well, that may be, but your studies are important, especially history and science.”
Freya always wanted to make sure Anna was applying herself, which was sweet, but what Anna really wanted to hear about was her life. “So tell us what’s going on down the mountain. How is Arendelle? Are there any festivals going on or parties to attend? Do you ever see the king and the queen when you’re in the castle? Or the princess?”
Freya’s face froze, and Anna wondered what she’d said wrong.
Tomally patted Anna’s hand. “I think your aunt has had a long journey. Maybe we could save the questions for later. Let’s have breakfast, then bake, shall we?”
Anna nodded.
A short while later, they were all covered in flour.
“Anna, do you have to use so much flour?” her mother asked, waving