One Set Of Wings

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Vivianne

"One... two... three... six... seventeen... done!"

"Anne you know that wasn't right," my best friend and now boss Gwen scolded.
She's not technically my boss, she's my bosses daughter so she's just in charge of keeping me on track. Not an easy task if I say so myself.

I was supposed to be doing inventory for her bakery, but counting is just so boring! I mean there are a thousand other things I'd rather be doing right now than counting. For instance I'd like to be up exploring the mountains again. It's just so stunning and beautiful up there, so high, practically up in the clouds. It's funny I almost feel like a bird when I'm up there.

Though I did get in trouble when my father found out what I was doing, he's such a buzzkill. I can't wait until momma gets back, she'll put him in his place and then we'll have loads of fun. 

"Anne!"

"Huh? What?" I ask suddenly very startled.

"You were daydreaming again."

"I was not!" I shout, defending myself way more than I should be.

"Hmm, well then what were you thinking about?" She asks hoping I'll fold.

"My mother coming back." I reply with a triumphant smile.

She goes quite and I think I've just won our battle, "Anne... it's been 5 years I don't think she is coming back..." She finally replies.

My shoulders slump and the smile slowly fades from my face, oh yeah, there was that. Five years since she was asked to go help someone a few towns over, she was our only healer for quite a few towns so she was always leaving to help people. I didn't mind though I guess that's because I always knew she would come back, and when she did we'd have the greatest times together. And she only ever left to help others, it was for a good cause.

She would tell me stories about the people she met, or the different things she saw on her trips. The mountains was home to all sorts of wonderful creatures my mother had seen, just another reason my father doesn't want me to go out into those woods, but what he doesn't know won't kill him.

Between you, me and the bread- get it? Cause were in a bakery- whatever, most mornings before everyone's awake I go out and explore, I even climb some of the trees even though it's not very lady like according to Gwen. But when I do I can see the capital from up there, and it looks' glorious.  

"Yeah, well there's no shame in holding out hope," I mutter.

"I didn't mean it like that-"

"Its fine!' I interrupt with an overly cheerful tone.

"Clearly... anyway you know Clark was in here the other day asking about you. Won't be a matter of time before he's asking your father for your hand." She sighs dreamily.

"Too bad I'm not interested in him..." I grumble.
Clark wasn't the first guy to try and win me over and I'm sure he won't be the last one. And while I'm sure my father would love to get rid of me, if I don't approve the marriage, it ain't happening.

"Oh come on! Why not? He's charming, he's wealthy and he's relatively young so you know you'll be together for years," She says listing off his qualities on her fingers.

"He may be all that, but he shares the same personality with that brick wall," I say pointing to the wall just behind her. " I mean I don't even think I've seen him smile before." I add to further prove my point.

"Hello? Anyone in here? I'm hungry..." A males voice calls from the front of the store, the place we were supposed to be running. 

Me and Gwen practically trip over each other, to get to the front, but just as Gwen steps through the door she pushes me back and points at the pastry's I need to finish filling. I dramatically roll my eyes at her, knowing the only reason I'm stuck in the back was because whoever just walked in was cute in her eyes.