“Why didn’t you remind me Freya was coming?” Anna asked as she tried in vain to smooth out her hair.
Her father’s chuckle was deep, rising from his round belly. (He always said he taste-tested as many cookies as he sold.) “Anna, we told you twice last night and every day last week.”
“Right!” Anna agreed, although she wasn’t sure she remembered. The day before, she had delivered two cakes to Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post and Sauna for his twins’ birthday (Anna insisted they each get their own cake), taken krumkake to the village hall for the assembly meeting, and whipped up a new batch of her famous snowman cookies to keep up with demand. They were a kid favorite, even in the summer.
Freya loved them, too. She always asked for a dozen to take back with her when she left. Anna wondered if there were any snowman cookies left to give her.
“I should help Ma get ready,” she told her father, and hurried down the stairs. She ran through their cozy family room and the small kitchen, then burst through the door that led to the bakery, which was attached to their home. A short woman with brown hair was already at the wooden table, mixing flour and eggs in a bowl. She looked up at Anna and smiled.
“It’s about time you got down here.” Her mother kissed her cheek and pushed a strand of wispy hair behind Anna’s right ear, then straightened Anna’s apron. She always wanted Anna to look nice when Freya visited.
“I know, I’m sorry,” Anna said, spinning around and checking the baked goods set out for purchase on the counter. As she’d suspected, the snowman tray was empty. “And I’m out of my cookies! Freya loves them.”
“I’m already mixing up the batter for a batch.” Her mother’s brown eyes looked tired.
It was getting harder and harder for her to work such long hours in the bakery. Anna tried to compensate for the work between her studies the best she could, but her parents were insistent that she focus on her schoolwork even when school wasn’t in session. Papa kept telling her, “Riches come and go, but no one can take away your education.” She understood, but that meant her days were as long as theirs were sometimes: rise early; bake; do chores; go to school or do home study and work on reading, writing, and mathematics; work at the bakery; then collapse and do it all over again the next day. It didn’t leave much time for things like friends. That was why she looked forward to Freya’s visits: they felt like a glimpse of the world beyond Harmon.
“We can make some with Freya today,” her mother said.
“Good idea!” Anna took a swipe of batter with her finger and licked it. Her mother rapped her lightly with a spoon. “Sorry! But you always say a cook should taste what they make.”
Her mother chuckled. “True. You certainly keep me on my toes, Anna Bear.”
Anna kissed her mom on the cheek. “That’s a good thing, right? Can you imagine life without me, Ma?”
Her mother stopped mixing and looked at her, the smile slipping off her face. She touched Anna’s chin. “No, I cannot. But that day is coming, I’m sure.”
Anna didn’t say anything. She felt bad when her mother talked like that. That was why she didn’t tell her about her plan to leave Harmon and move to Arendelle when she turned eighteen. She loved Harmon and its people, but it was small compared to other villages, and the world was a big place. She longed to see what life was like where the royal family lived.
“Can you see if we have enough tea?” her mother asked.
Anna checked the pantry, where they kept their dry goods. “I don’t see any tea.”
“Why don’t you run to the market, then?” Her mother measured a scoop of sugar out of a container and added it to the bowl. “I always like to have tea on when she arrives. Freya has such a long journey. Can you think of anything else we need?”
Freya liked to set out early for her visits. She left Arendelle before dawn, so she usually hadn’t yet had breakfast when she arrived. “Ma, do you think she’d like eggs?”
Her mother smiled. “That’s a lovely idea.”
Anna slipped off her shoes and put on her boots before her mother even finished the sentence. She grabbed her violet cape by the door. “I’ll be fast.”