Page 36 of A Christmas Adventure

"All right, sign us both up," Olga orders the neighbor.

"Wonderful," Josefina applauds. "Can I hang it then?"

"Of course," replies Maite. "Put it wherever you want."

Josefina pins the poster on the front door and leaves after reminding them that the contest is on Saturday at three o'clock in the afternoon.

"Are you really going to participate?" asks Maite looking at them with an amused expression.

"Of course," replies Violeta very dignified.

"You could give us a hand," says Olga. She likes to cook and occasionally makes some dessert, but she has never dared to make a roscón de reyes.

"Me? Don't even dream about it, you'll manage on your own, the only thing I'm going to grant you is the kitchen so that tomorrow you can spend the day testing. But I warn you that Josefina's daughter has a very good hand with pastry, why do you think she organizes it?"

"Are you saying we're going to lose?" asks Violeta offended.

"But let's see, honey, you've never done pastry in your life, you can't expect to enter a contest and win."

Maite kisses her and goes back to the back of the store. Violeta stands still with a sulky expression.

"Why are you angry?" whispers Olga, taking advantage of the fact that there are few customers at the moment and her other colleagues are attending to them.

"I'm not angry," Violeta doesn't even look at her and Olga finds her too adorable.

"Of course you are, honey," she says and Violeta turns to her with her heart racing, "you're upset, you only have to look at yourself."

Olga hasn't even been aware of the affectionate tone she just used with her for the first time, but it has affected Violeta a lot. She's at a moment that she considers a low point, and having Olga treat her with such affection in such a natural way, is something that has just taken root in her chest until it cuts off her air intake.

"She thinks I'm only good for selling bread," she protests with watery eyes.

Olga is surprised at how affected she is and drags her to the little room they use to rest.

"Why do you say that?" she whispers when they're alone, "your mother values you more than anything in the world, and considers you capable of everything. It's just that you've never shown interest in learning, and after yesterday's cake disaster..."

Olga decides to omit that moment when they began to smell an intense burning smell and found Violeta putting the tray of cakes under the faucet.

"I was nervous," she defends herself agitatedly, "I had to run out of your house and start making a recipe I had never made before in record time. Then she arrived with you, started scolding me and I could only look at you, who were there looking outrageously beautiful..."

"Okay," Olga cuts her off, looking at her with adoration. "All right, you're right, yesterday doesn't count. But don't get like that, Violeta, your mother didn't say it with bad intentions."

"I know."

"Then?"

Violeta shrugs like a child, at that moment she only wants to be with Olga, for her to shelter her in her arms and let her relax next to her. And Olga does, she seems to read her mind and, after taking a look towards the door, pulls her towards her and holds her tightly.

"I trust you, Violeta," she whispers in her ear between kisses she spreads very slowly over her ear, "but if you want to place well, you'll have to try very hard and do something innovative that at the same time is traditional. You've already heard your mother, Josefina's daughter has a good hand."

Violeta nods in her arms, at that moment she doesn't care about the contest, the only thing she wants is for Olga not to let go of her.

Chapter 20

Violeta wakes up earlier than any other day on Friday. She has barely slept, first talking on the phone in a low voice with Olga, then exchanging several messages with her after they hung up, and finally, just thinking about her and also about the damn contest.

She gets up with an idea in her head. Yesterday her mother talked about that notebook she gave her where she wrote down recipes, and Violeta knows it's still on the shelf with her old books because she never got around to taking it with her. She searches anxiously among the titles until she finally finds it and sketches a victorious smile. She sits on the bed while observing her mother's round and neat handwriting in each of the recipes. There are two that are exclusive for making king cakes, but Violeta doesn't want to copy them because she wants something that adds her personal touch and, while she gets dressed, she keeps turning the matter over in her mind.

They have breakfast together and when they finish, they go to pick up Olga. Yesterday they agreed that thethree of them would go to the bakery together. It's a different day for them and they're excited, Olga and Violeta because they're going to spend all day in the kitchen doing tests, and Maite because deep down, she's very excited that both are participating in the contest.