Page 3 of Always and Forever
Ella
Iopenthepantryand get out the ingredients to make gingerbread and ‘Linzer Torte’.
“Tell me again about this cake we’re making?” Claudette asks as I pass her each item one by one.
She returned from her daily ice-hole dip a few minutes ago and still has a rosy glow. A layer of goosebumps erupts on my skin just thinking about diving into freezing cold water. How anybody can do this for fun is beyond me.
“Linzer Torte is better than just a mere cake. My ma and I would bake it a few days before the holidays. It’s a traditional Austrian Christmas treat.”
Bittersweet memories assault me like they do every year since ma and da’s fatal accident.
That first Christmas without my parents, Rhia tried to convince me to skip my family’s tradition and pick it up again another time, but that would have felt worse… like another part of me dying. So Rhia and I baked together… and I cried the entire time.
I push the sadness down into the abyss where it belongs and focus on the here and now. Patting my belly, I relish in the new life growing inside me. I can’t wait to share this holiday tradition with peanut.
“Where is your mob boss fiancé?” she asks, as I turn back to the cupboard searching for almonds. We need them and hazelnuts to make the torte.
“Former mob boss,” I correct. “He’s gone out to buy a few bottles of champagne.”
Her brows draw together. “Champagne? But you can’t drink.”
“But you guys can. He wants to celebrate.”
That gets Claudette’s attention. “Oh? And what are we celebrating?”
“Christmas and New Year’s?” I reply a little evasively, rummaging through the shelves to find the nutmeg and cinnamon. “Plus, I think he wants to save a bottle or two for later.”
“For after the baby is born?” Claudette asks, confused. “He could just buy more booze then. He’s got until May.”
Should I tell her now?
I’m not entirely convinced that getting married in the next eight and a half days is such a brilliant idea. This will only happen once in my life; I don’t want to rush it.
It’s got to be memorable. Even if it’s only with Tiero and me.
“Yes and no,” I reply, just as the sound of a plane flying over the house disturbs the Alaskan peace.
Hmm, I haven’t heard a plane since I got here. It sounded low. I hope it’s not about to crash and we have to go on a rescue mission.
“Can you please stop speaking in riddles,” Claudette complains, unperturbed by the noise. It’s gone as quickly as it appeared.
“It sucks when you don’t get straight answers, doesn’t it?” I tease, raising my eyebrows pointedly at my psychic friend. It’s time for a little payback.
She stares at me expectantly. I smile sweetly and let another minute go by, busying myself arranging the ingredients for our baking fest on the kitchen counter.
She remains silent until I can’t stand it anymore, the corners of my mouth tilting up.
“Tiero wants to keep at least a bottle as a momento. He’s surprisingly sentimental,” I tell her.
I’m enjoying the hell out of drawing this out.
“Momento for what?”
“Umm… our first Christmas together,” I say, making this up on the spot. “You know, when he was shot, he thought he wouldn’t see another one.”
Stop now, Ella, or you’re going to ramble on.
She eyes me suspiciously. “What else?”