4
Isabella was sweaty and hot and was longing to change out of her work clothes. It was Saturday afternoon, and finally the beginning of her weekend. Usually, Pernille worked most weekends, but she was traveling today. Pernille wanted to earn as much as possible. She was young and lived at home with her parents while saving up money to buy her own place. The arrangement worked perfectly for both of them. And now it would be even easier. On Monday, when Fiona Andvik arrived, they were getting further help. Not that they had much to do in the florist shop. But she’d wanted to help the young girl get a job since she wanted to be here this summer. It wasn’t expensive to have her, considering how young she was. And Isabella would put her to work.
She’d been thinking about how to get more people in town to visit their shop. The problem was not that they didn’t buy anything once they set foot in Anemone. The challenge was to get the locals to come to the hotel. The hotel was new, and it took time to establish a new concept. People went shopping in the stores they knew, just like they always had. It was all about teaching old dogs new tricks. And that was her goal.
Isabella entered the garden and was met by an adorable sight.
“Auntie, look what I have!” Five-year-old Patricia twirled around in a pink princess gown.
“How pretty. Is the dress new?”
“Brand new.”
Isabella’s sister Celine came up to them. She and Patricia were renting an apartment in the same house on the first floor, while she was on the third.
“You look kind of hot,” Celine said.
“I just came from work. I’ll change right away.”
“Do you want to join us at the beach?” Patricia ran her fingers over the seams of her homemade cloth bag.
“Sounds good. It’s just what I need.” She dried her temples with her fingers.
“We’ll save a spot for you,” Celine said and started walking. “If we manage to find a spot to sit, that is. There are tons of people at the beach this weekend.”
“And school hasn’t even ended yet.”
“It has. Today is the first day of vacation.”
Isabella frowned. “You’re right. I’ll have to hurry, see you in a bit.”
She dashed up to her apartment and changed into a bikini. Then she pulled a sundress on and slipped on a pair of flip-flops. She fetched a beach towel and filled a bottle of water, then threw sunglasses and sunscreen with SPF 20 into her bag. She was good to go.
Isabella regretted not stopping by the bakery on her way home today. Too late to do anything about it now. The grocery was right next to the apartment building, so she bought some fruit.
It wasn’t a long walk down to the beach, but the big watermelon left her hands with red marks by the time she arrived.
“Isabella,” Patricia called and waved. “Hurry, we’re going for a swim.”
She dumped her things next to Celine’s, pulled off her sundress and ran into the water.
Patricia was ahead of most children her age, and she already knew how to swim. Still, she stayed where she could reach the ground and splashed and played with a beach ball she’d brought.
“I wouldn’t mind if the water was a little warmer,” Isabella said, pulling her long hair from her face. “It’ll be better in a week or two.”
“Yes, it’s usually warmer in July.”
They finished swimming and made themselves comfortable on the little spot they’d secured.
“You’re lucky to have the weekends off,” Isabella said as she applied sunscreen.
“It’s great. It would be impractical to work when the kindergarten is closed. What would I do with Patricia?” Celine put on her sunglasses.
“It’s not easy being alone with a kid. But she could stay with Kitty. They love each other’s company.”
“That’s true. I’m happy they’re best friends. But Kitty minds her when I do aerobics, which I appreciate.”
Celine worked with conferences at the hotel, a job she was surprised to be assigned in their father’s will. She was trained as a hairdresser but had always wanted to work with events. The hotel was targeting conferences, and Isabella knew she was enjoying herself.
“There are no conferences in the summer,” Celine said. “Most people go on vacation this time of year. It will be busy again at the end of August when school starts. A number of conferences have been booked throughout the fall. And that’s perfect for me. I like being busy.”
“I agree. Most of the sales revenues at Anemone come from the conferences. The participants like to buy small gifts to take home. I’m working on increasing sales, so I’m trying to get the locals to visit the shop.”
“It will be exciting to meet the girl who’s coming on Monday,” said Celine.
Isabella started cutting the melon. “She seems nice, so I hope it’ll work out well.”
“She’s the daughter of the restaurant chef, isn’t she?”
Isabella nodded. “I hope he’ll let her work in peace. I get a bit nervous when he’s around.”
“He’s a character, for sure. He exudes power and determinedness.”
Isabella had to laugh at her wording, even though it was accurate. “But he’s handsome, I won’t deny that.”
“Not my type. He seems to be difficult to get to know. A man of few words. Isn’t that how you describe people like him?” Celine helped herself to a slice of melon and called Patricia, who came running. The girl had been busy building a sand castle down by the water.
“Not my type, either,” Isabella said and took a bite of the fruit. “Mmm, so sweet. It’s strange with these melons. You never know if they’re sweet or not. It’s a gamble.”
Celine gathered the leftovers and put the peel in a bag. “Don’t you think you’ll regret never getting married or having kids?”
Isabella wasn’t astonished to get a question like that. She’d been asked this many times. When you’d passed thirty and didn’t have a family of your own, people started wondering. At least, those who had started a family early.
“No, neither. I’ve had enough trouble with men, so I’m not tempted to give it another try. And I’ve never wanted children.”
“But you adore Patricia. It doesn’t make sense.”
Isabella smiled. “I do like kids. I just don’t want my own. I’m happy with my life, and I enjoy living alone. I’m certain I can live a fulfilling life without having children.”
“Sure you can.” Celine nodded but didn’t look convinced. This wasn’t an easy concept to grasp for someone who had children of their own. “Maybe you’ll change your mind later. You still have more than enough time if you decide you want them.”
Isabella thought about her sister’s words. She could change her mind, but she knew she wouldn’t. It was a choice she’d made several years ago, and it felt good to have made up her mind once and for all. She had never been in any doubt whether she was doing the right thing. Others could do what was right for them.