She starts arranging marigolds and daisies into a bouquet. Lost in thought, she plucks the leaves from the bottom of the stem. "They say that only when the water lies still before you can you see yourself in it."
I have no idea what she means, but I instantly have a vivid image of a deep blue mountain lake. And like an outside observer, I see myself kneeling on the shore,leaning over to peer into the water's surface. My breath quickens, and I press my lips together.
In the next second, I panic and quickly withdraw my hand from the water. The lake becomes restless, and individual droplets splash so high that they touch my forehead. Slowly, they find their way over my temples and cheekbones down to my chin, ultimately landing back in the water.
"Would you like to make a bouquet too?" Hanna's gentle voice snaps me out of my thoughts.
Thank goodness she does. Because what just happened in my mind was strange. And more frightening than any horror movie.
"I'd love to." I try to muster a casual smile, then lower my gaze to the basket and carefully examine the selection of flowers. My bouquet should be beautiful, but which blooms go well together?
"Trust your intuition," Hanna says. "There is no right or wrong."
That may be true, but I feel a strong urge to get this right. I don't know how, so I reach for the flower that looks like an oversized daisy, combine it with the delicate branches, then decide to use more daisies. The bouquet in my hand becomes denser.
Once it's finished, I show it to my landlady. "What do you think of this?"
Without looking up, she continues working on her own bouquet. Bright blue and sunny yellow blooms come together in her hand, forming a perfect arrangement.
"What do you think of yours?" she asks.
My gaze shifts between my bouquet and hers. "Yours is prettier," I admit, feeling a pang of remorse.
Shehands me twine and scissors. I reach for them, but she doesn't let go. Instead, she looks deep into my eyes, making me feel uneasy. "Things have exactly the value you attribute to them."
What is she trying to tell me? "I know," I reply, not wanting to appear foolish in front of her.
Luckily, she releases the twine and scissors with an approving nod. We silently finish tying the two bouquets, place them in the slender vases Hanna conjures from her basket, and arrange them on the wooden patio table. They look beautiful. It's a shame I can't witness the cabin residents discovering them. I'm sure their smiles would warm my chest.
Hanna links her arm with mine, pulling me along. "Come on, we still have three vacation rentals ahead of us."
We continue walking together. I let her lead the way since I have no idea where the other cabins are. From my accommodation, it always seems like there is nothing but forest as far as the eye can see.
"There's a small celebration in the garden tonight," she says as we leave the gravel path and follow a barely visible footpath that cushions our steps. "I'd like to invite you."
A party? That sounds much better than anything I've done here so far. "Then my TV shows will have to wait tonight," I say, grinning. "What time does it start?"
As Hanna gives me the details, I feel the excitement building inside me. There will be a barbecue, music, and the newly built sun terrace will turn into a dance floor.
"Can I help with the preparations?" My cheeks are now glowing with anticipation. I'd love to hug her. Ihop alongside her on the footpath, and at the end of it, another cabin comes into view.
Hanna waves off my offer. "You're my guest. Your only task is to enjoy the evening." A strangely guarded expression appears on her face. "Besides, the men of the house are taking care of everything. They have it under control."
She must be referring to her boyfriend, Florian. And Noah. He will surely be at the party too.
With his girlfriend.
They will dance together. Look deeply into each other's eyes. And he will kiss her so passionately that she forgets everything around her.
Stop, Elina. Thinking about it makes no sense.
"That's great," I croak out, then quickly clear my throat. "I'm excited."
Her probing gaze meets mine. She looks at me for a moment. "Good," she says, then sets her flower basket on one of the patio chairs, just like before.
Together, we start working. To lift my spirits, I create a bouquet that contains all the colors of the rainbow. Yet I can't keep my thoughts from wandering into the future.
In my imagination, I'm already standing in front of the wardrobe in my bedroom, searching for a suitable outfit for the party.
