The End of the Littlest One [Completed]

15. A little hectic, as you can see from the amount of bread in my arms

Olivia had gone to the market last minute. Lucky for her, the majority of the stalls were still there. They suddenly needed more bread at the inn, and Olivia was obviously the one to send for that.

What does anyone need a break for when you could always work? Olivia thought. She didn't say it, though. She'd like to keep her job.

Olivia handed over the money and got ready to receive the loafs of bread.

'There you go, honey.'

'Thank you,' Oliva said.

Olivia took the loafs of bread in her arms. She managed to not drop any of them, but she wasn't home yet. Still, plenty of time left to drop them in the snow.

'I'll see you next time,' the woman behind the stall said.

'See you later.'

Olivia turned around. She left the stall with the bread in her arms.

It was almost noon, but it was still as cold as that morning. Snow laid on the roofs and was flattened on the street stones. I was relatively safe to walk, however Olivia still made sure to pay attention to where she was walking.

While walking, carefully, she spotted the flower stall. She changed her course to walk towards it. She remembered the dining room's bouquet looking a little brown.

She had no idea where the owner got flowers this time of year, but as long as they were pretty and not too expensive it didn't matter to her.

'Good afternoon, Olivia.'

The stall's owner greeted her when she got within hearing distance.

'Good afternoon Alex.'

'Just a moment, I'll be right there with you.'

Upon seeing Olivia nod, Alex returned to his current customer. It was a young man, clearly younger than her. He had a cleanshaven face and elegant blond curls. His nose and cheeks had turned red because of the cold.

After adding the final rose, Alex spoke up.

'Is this to your liking?' Alex asked.

He presented the bouquet to the young man next to Olivia.

'It's perfect,' he responded.

'Fantastic,' Alex smiled. 'That'll be five coins.'

The man dug in the left pocket of his trousers. When he couldn't find anything, he tried the right. A smile of relief appeared on his face. He took out five coins and handed them over to Alex.

'Thank you,' Alex said.

The young man smiled at Alex. He took the bouquet from Alex' hands.

'How's the inn, Olivia?' Alex asked.

The young man hadn't left yet, but Alex had already moved on to Olivia.

'A little hectic, as you can see from the amount of bread in my arms,' Olivia said.

'I can see that. What happened? And in the meantime, what can I get you?'

'Some purple and pink flowers, doesn't matter which ones.'

'Got it.'

Alex got started on a new bouquet. The man next to Olivia had taken a few steps and stood now a little away from the stall. She thought he was being creepy and wanted to give him a hint to go away by giving him a look. However, he faced away from her. Her glare couldn't reach him.

'So, tell me what happened.'

'Someone asked if it was possible to have a family dinner this evening,' Olivia said.

'They asked this morning?'

Olivia nodded with a sigh.

'Little on the late side, huh?'

'A little.'

'How are you dealing with it?'

'Relatively well, considering I'm still conscious.'

Alex laughed at the remark.

'Good,' he said. 'Keep it that way, please. And remember to take a break every now and then. That's not a crime.'

'I know technically it isn't, but somehow Sheppard makes me feel like it is.'

'Just ignore him. He can be a lot sometimes, I know, but I'm sure that he has a hart somewhere. If you'd asked for a break, I know he'd at least think about it.'

'Yeah, probably.'

Alex continued his bouquet. He put the last few flowers in it and looked at Olivia.

'How about something like this?' he asked, presenting the freshly made bouquet.

'It's fine, thank you. How much?'

'Don't be too enthusiastic, please. I don't have enough flowers for the entire town. When they hear your review, they'll all want a bouquet.'

Olivia gave Alex a timid smile.

'I'm sorry, I just have a lot on my mind,' she said. 'It's lovely, truly. How much would you like for it?'

'Four coins.'

Olivia handed him what he asked for.

'Here you go,' Alex said after Olivia handed him the money.

'Thank you,' Olivia said while taking the bouquet.

'Good luck in the kitchen tonight,' Alex said.

'Thanks, I need it.'

The two smiled at each other, and Olivia walked off. It wasn't easy carrying multiple loafs of bread and a bouquet. Plus, she needed to be mindful of where she placed her feet. The further she got from the market, the more the streets were covered with fresh snow.

When she got to a relatively much used road, it got easier. The road was entirely empty, so she could walk in the tracks the carriages from earlier that morning made. It wouldn't be long anymore before she'd reach the inn.

After a minute or so, she was sure she heard a second pair of footsteps behind her. The thought had been in her head for a while, but the sounds of the wind and her own footsteps made her unsure.

Now she knew for sure.

She stopped walking. She definitely heard footsteps. They came to a halt quickly after hers. She turned around, carefully as not to fall, and looked at the man following her.

It was the man from the flower stall. He had his bouquet in one hand, and an in papered rolled pastry in the other. He looked at her.

'Hello,' the man said.

'Hi. Are you following me?'

The man looked nervous. Which is unsurprising, since he just got caught following someone unwanted.

'I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude. Did I correctly hear that you work at an inn?'

'Yes, I work at an inn.'

What is happening, and why is it happening to me? Olivia thought.

'Do you know if there are still rooms available?'

'I don't know by heart. You can join me on the way back, and I could ask the person in charge of that?'

The man smiled.

'Yes, please,' he said.

'What's your name, if I may ask?'

'Jamie,' the man answered after a short pause. It seemed he had to think about his own name.

'Well, Jamie, follow me.'