The thieving magpie

Chapter Two - Butter Croissants

As usual, before you start reading, here's a brief introduction.

First, if you don't follow me on Instagram (@Dernierconte), you might have missed this: I've added a few details to the prologue and corrected the remaining mistakes in both the prologue and the first chapter. As for the additions, since you might not want or have time to re-read the prologue, here's the most important part: Pascaline. Pascaline is Anna's friend, the crazy old lady in the neighborhood to whom she tells everything.

As for this new chapter, no new surprises. Well... this chapter is indeed the one associated with the lovely bouquet of flowers you might have already heard about. If not, here's what it's all about.

Bertrand, a floral artisan, agreed to recreate the flowered street Anna walks through in a stunning bouquet of seasonal flowers. It's white and pink to mimic the description I gave of the little flowered street. You can get it by visiting his Parisian shop at 37 Rue Faidherbe, 75011 Paris, France, and asking for "Anna's bouquet" or "the flowered street bouquet." He can offer you two sizes: a small one for 15 euros - which is very pretty and not so small - and a large one for 30 euros. And if you live too far away, don't worry, you can always contact Bertrand by sending him a message on his Instagram account: @bertrand_artisan_floral. He told me he can offer dried flower versions of this bouquet and ship it almost anywhere.

As you've guessed, I always write with music - no, it doesn't always distract me - and this time, here's what inspired this chapter: G Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach, composed by Luo Ni and performed by Lola Astanova; Passacaglia composed by George Frideric Handel and performed by Halvorsen; Canon in D composed by Johann Pachelbel and performed by the Kanon Chamber Orchestra and Jean-François Paillard.

You can also find this selection on the Spotify account of Dernier Conte. You can ask me for the direct link by sending me a message on Instagram.

This choice was largely inspired by Clowni (@clownny.1), a pianist who regularly shares his work on Instagram. I encourage you to listen to him, he also has a YouTube channel: Clownny.1. His musical knowledge is simply incredible, and his interpretations are always a pleasure to listen to.

And of course, as with the rest of Anna's adventures, this is sometimes a dark story that tackles difficult themes, so if you're not feeling ready, if you're feeling fragile, not in the mood, or a bit too young, I invite you to come back later.

That's about it, I think. I'll let you dive into this new chapter. Happy reading...

~

Chapter Two - Butter Croissants

Anna had continued on her way, calmly... She had attributed her unease, that brief moment of dizziness, during which her heart had—so it seemed—dangerously slowed down, to the fresh air, which had likely made her a little light-headed.

And then, she was a bit sleep-deprived—she was always a bit sleep-deprived, but oh well. Also, when her husband hit higher than her ribs, it was usually to land a series of punches, straight on her temples or under her eyes—and that's exactly what he had felt like doing this week—on Monday—and so that's exactly what he did—and he hadn't held back. Little Anna tended to feel dizzy easily after that kind of beating; for at least a few days. Fortunately, he more regularly aimed for her ribs.

So now, add to that a large dose of fresh air, rich in pollen and dust as well, the euphoria of warm days, and what do you get? No doubt, an Anna on the verge of fainting at every street corner; like this morning. At least, that's how she explained the flutter her heart had felt for an instant, just a few minutes earlier.