Page 2 of Ava's Legacy of the Dragons
Helen's shoulders sagged deeper, and she took a heavy breath before reaching for her hand again. "But that doesn't make your soul dance. Listen to me. You can't hide from life. You need other people, your own experiences, you need to finally set out and find your own path. Who knows who you'll meet on this journey? New friends, maybe a partner..."
"I'm fine on my own."
"When was the last time you were in love?"
Ava was starting to lose her patience. "If you don't stop, I'll hide the ladder and put all the autumn decorations on the top shelf."
"You're incorrigible."
"Thank you." She firmly pushed Helen out of the stockroom before she got a chance to hurt herself any more. Behind the sales counter, Ava immediately dove into the previous month's accounting, deliberately pounding loudly on the calculator keys and furrowing her brow in concentration so that her aunt wouldn't dare speak to her again. Because even though Helen kept emphasizing that Ava could confidently leave the shop to her alone, she hated anything to do with bookkeeping.
When it was late afternoon, Ava finally looked up from her ledgers and a sea of red, orange, and yellow flooded her vision. Her aunt had outdone herself yet again. All the large vases in the shop window were filled with autumn flowers, with red berries shining alongside ears of corn and colorfully tinted leaves. There were woven wreaths adorned with ribbons, and floral arrangements towering on the sales shelves. In between stood clay animal figures, pumpkins, and small gnomes, and there was also a wooden wheelbarrow decorated with sunflowers, apples, and pears.
"Wow, the shop window looks beautiful."
Helen dropped onto the chair behind the counter with a groan and wiped her flushed forehead. "Thank you. I love my work." She looked at her handiwork with satisfaction. When the shop bell rang shortly after, Ava motioned for her to stay seated.
"I'll take care of the customer." She approached thewoman who was already rummaging through the flower arrangements and whose eyes sparkled as brightly as the autumn-colored beech leaves.
"This looks fantastic, as always. Helen is truly a master. How much are the arrangements with the sunflowers?"
Ava quoted her the prices and showed her all the beauties that her aunt had woven, arranged, and combined. When the customer left the store half an hour later with a full bag and a satisfied smile, Helen's cheeks were still as red as the apples in the shop window. All the same, she made to get up to make another autumn wreath.
Ava pushed her gently back onto the chair. "Lunch break. That means you stay seated for at least twenty minutes."
"Alright then." It was telling how quickly Helen gave in. She certainly was no spring chicken anymore. She looked at the large wall clock, which was shaped like a falling leaf. "My stomach's been growling for a few minutes. Do we have any sandwiches?"
Of course not, since it had been Ava's turn to make them.
She waved it off. "I'll get us lunch from Giovanni's. It's Wednesday, he always makes those delicious gnocchi with sage butter."
"Good idea. I'll take care of the shop in the meantime."
"No, you stay seated. We'll close up and hang the break sign on the door. Hardly anyone comes in during lunch anyway."
"But—"
Ava shook her head adamantly. "No buts, because you..." she said, pointing at her aunt, whose slumpedposture betrayed her exhaustion, "are in desperate need of a break."
"Alright then." It was just because she was stubborn that Helen was reluctant to agree, and now she even visibly relaxed. Although she was an energetic and active person, she had realized that she needed to take a break here and there.
Ava grabbed her handbag and wrapped her large burgundy scarf around her neck, since the wind was already ushering in autumn. It was too cold to just go out in jeans and a thin sweater. "See you soon."
As soon as she found herself out beneath the open sky, she paused for a moment and took a deep, long breath. Strictly speaking, she wasn't made to spend the whole day indoors. She felt it every time she left the house or the shop. But she usually didn't think about it, because otherwise the work would seem even more monotonous.
A bird flew over her and she followed it with her gaze. How free did it feel up there in the air? How boundless did the world appear? A longing tried to creep into her heart, but she pushed it aside.
She took out her hair tie and the chestnut-brown strands fell far over her shoulders. She took a deep breath and walked down the alley to the popular Italian restaurant, which was already beckoning her with its delicious aromas. Giovanni didn't need to put up any signs. The scent from his kitchen was advertisement enough.
As she crossed the small bridge that led over the narrow river to his restaurant, a strange feeling shot through her chest. She paused in surprise. Her heart beat faster and an odd sensation of warmth spread in her stomach. It didn't feel bad, just unfamiliar.
"Help me."
Had someone called out to her?
Puzzled, she stopped, placed her hands on the metal railing, and looked along the river. She knew the course of the river well, as she regularly walked along the bank to collect stones. But all she saw were the pebbles, not anybody there who needed her help. Except for the constant gurgling and foaming, there wasn't a sound to be heard. She must have imagined the cry for help. The water rushed through the city at its usual pace, dividing it in half to then disappear southward into the forest. Some crazy people claimed that the watercourse used to be the gateway to another world.
Smiling, she shook her head. As a young girl, she had soaked up such myths and prayed they might be true. Back then, she had longed for completely different things. Today she had come down to earth. Even if the desire for adventures like back then still smoldered in her heart, she would take care of Helen, just as Helen had about twenty years before when she had taken in Ava.
