Ch 37: Winter goodbyes.

Lady Seawright and me were soon accompanied by her husband who, despite being weirded out by his wife accompanying me, a commoner, was still cordial and polite to me, and I was cordial back.

And as predicted, my twins soon found me, along a boy who resembled lady Seawright with the eyes and hair.

'Mom!' The twins came and hugged me.

The son of Seawright marriage was looking both hopeful and optimistic to his parents, his dad was more concentrated in some papers, but did received a pat on the head by his mother which made him smile.

'Thanks for coming mom.' Lottie murmured.

'Lollie! Charly!' Liam clapped to them and baby girl giggled.

'Hi you two!' The twins went to say hi to the babies.

'Now now, kids, there are nobles around us, don't go around screaming like the world is not going to end.' I asked them patting their heads. 'Who wants lunch?' I asked.

'Me.' The twins were more soft in their exclamations but they quickly turned around to see me and raised their hands up.

I chuckled a bit and went to open a few packages. 'Lottie asked me to bring the season menu, so I brought a bit of everything.' I presented each food. 'Chocolate mint powder, to make hot chocolate mint.' I passed them a bag full of chocolate mixed with mint.

'Oh, it smells wonderful.' Charlie smelled the inside of the bag with satisfaction.

'It will either be a catastrophe or a delicious exillir.' Lottie said as she took a turn to smell the mixture of powder.

'Haha! That's something that the witch professor said too.' I recalled it from a few episo—Ehem, a few weeks (or months) ago. 'Here is, candy cane.' I presented a box with transparent top that showed canes with red and white spirals . 'It's mint flavor.' I winked.

The twins were tapping on the table like drums on a concert.

'Settle down there.' I asked them to. 'Next, we have, gingerbread!' I exclaimed softly and showed them a box full of gingerbread cookies with different shapes and sizes and then a bigger box that as soon as I open it, it showed a gingerbread house decorated with glazing to make decorations, icing suggar for snow on the roof, some chocolate pieces to make simulated bricks, home-made marshmallows as a snow man and snow around and candy canes around to make a fence.

'Wow!!' The twins were marvelled.

I could also feel the eyes of the Seawright family on me, as well as other eyes around, but I kept ignoring them as I kept presenting the foods. 'I also got you guys a small recipe book!' I showed two books and gave them each one a book. 'It contains the winter season's dinner.' I declared with ambition.

Charlie giggled. 'This is going to make the chef so jealous.' He smile deviously.

'What did you said Char?' I asked him as I wanted to believe he did not just said that.

'Eh? Nothing!' Charlie shrugged smiling.

'Okay?' I raised an eyebrow not so convinced and turned around to show more things to eat. 'Also made candy and chocolate bars with mint, strawberry and peanut butter filling.' I pulled out three boxes. 'You can share as much as you want with whoever you wish for.' I let them know.

'Share?! No way, I always have to share my stuff with the gang, this is for me.' Charlie let go off that idea.

'Haha!' I laughed a bit and then went to take things out of another box. 'Kids, look.' I showed them the next item. 'I also made mini mint cherry pies.' I showed them.

Tappy hands from the twins again out of excitement.

I giggled and then showed them some more goods, 'I also made some pine tree cookies, Thumprint cookies, brown sugar cinnamon cookies, and pecan snowball cookies.' There three small packages. One for each item of course.

The twins were drooling over it.

'I also brought some other things too.' I took out another big box and from it, I brought out some clothes. 'I was able to trade some goods for these ones so please take care of them.' I told them.

'We will!' They exclaimed excited.

'I wanted to surprise you with this ones once you came home for the holidays, but it seemed like I need to give them now or never. I chuckled as I took out the things I bought a while ago. 'A proper easel for Charlie to work in, and three books for math, science and witchcraft.' I have them their presents.

'Mom no!' Charlie exclaimed amazed. 'J-Just how much did it cost you?' He asked as shocked as his sister.

Lottie was trembling. 'These books are for experts. . . I'm afraid to ruin them with my unworthy hands.' She murmured terrified.

'H-How did you manage to find an easel?! Let alone someone to make it for you!' Charlie exclaimed fearing to break the easel so he put it on the table. 'How much did it cost you?'

'That last question's answer is for me to know.' I declared. 'I as I have already mentioned, I bought them a while ago, and I was planning to give them to you this holiday, but after the blizzard announcement.' I shrugged not knowing what to say next. 'I couldn't just have them in my hands any longer, they were collecting dust and I already have an easel for me to use at home, so it's best for Charlie to have the newest one and for Lottie to expand her knowledge while being trapped in here.' I explained my reasoning.

They both teared up. 'We are going to miss you so much mom!' The twins cried in my arms.

Liam was already nibbling on a sugar cinnamon cookie and baby girl was nibbling on her first candy cane. They were more entertained by food than what was going on around them.

'Hahaha!' I cleaned my eyes from the tears I was taking tearing down and calmed them down. 'Let's have one last dinner together until spring, how does that sound.'

'That sound delightful.' The twins nodded.

'Great!' I looked up to the table. 'Now help me stop your baby siblings before they eat all the candy.' I frowned yet smiling at catching them red handed.

'Wha?! Hey!' The twins went full "big sibling power" duo mode and quickly put a stop to it.

I giggled as I turned to see the last box. That box is still has a bit of every food item I brought. I could feel a water drop on my right side of the face, I think I've overdid it. I sighed heavily.

A tap on my shoulder took me back to reality. I turned around and saw Marchioness Seawright with a fan still covering her mouth.

'Oh hello again.' I scratched my head a bit embarrassed. 'Sorry if my reunion was a bit too loud.'

'On the contrary, it's perfectly fit as it should be, sometimes I feel cursed to be born in nobility. People like you can hug their kids without feeling fear for them.' Lady Seawright admitted. 'Nobles are not allowed to show any love or affection to their children, much less in public, so you can easily say that I envy that type of stuff.' She sighed. 'But the reason behind my attention calling to you is because of that.' She pointed to the gingerbread house. 'What did you say it was? Ginger house?' She asked.

'Oh! That's a gingerbread house.' I corrected her. 'It's made just as it sounds, gingerbread.' I shrugged it off.

'I see.' Lady Seawright turned to see her son who was looking at the house with such delight and awe. 'How much for two?' She asked.

I coughed at my salive but was able to cover my mouth on time. 'Em. . . I wasn't planning to sell gingerbread houses.' I admitted. 'I only got creative because I wanted my kids to have a good day so they wouldn't forget mom loves them.' I told her shyly.

'Understandable, but I would like buy at least one.' She pointed to her boy. 'As I've seen, your kids are not about to share the supplies you gave them, so I hope you can at least make one for my son.' She insisted.

I crossed my arms thinking hardly about it. 'I can make the two gingerbread houses you've requested, but. . . You will have to come to my bakery to get them.' I advised her. 'I already gave you the address so you can send me a letter for, that topic we discussed earlier, and as much as it pains me to admit, it will cost MUCH more than a gingerbread cookie.' I thought about it. 'Even more if gingerbread is catalogue as a season limited item.' I added.

'Lottie look! It's you!' Charlie exclaimed raised a gingerbread person who had the same hair, eyes, and clothes as her. 'And mom!'

Lottie was nodding furiously.

I started to sweat nervously as I saw Seawright's eyes becoming more interested as her boy's desire to have one grew and gave a look that said "give me the price and I might as well pay in cash."

'Em. . . Can I make some rough calculations first before making a price tag?' I asked smiling.

Lady Seawright nodded.

I quickly made calculations in my book. I stopped mid numbers as a thought came to me. 'Em mam?' I turned to see her. 'Any more kids or extended family besides the boy and your husband?' I asked.

The marchioness thought about it. 'My mother-in-law, my two sisters and our cat.' She let me know.

'Okay thanks.' I raised a thumbs up and went back to make the calculations. Damn, like I feared, it does cost A LOT. I gulped out of fear. I really hope they don't think of me as an opportunist or something worse. I closed the book and went to see her lady who was now with her husband and boy who were clearly talking about the gingerbread house.

'Well?' Lady Seawright turned to see me.

I sweated nervously. 'Before I tell you the price, let me clarity that I put the price on my items depending on how much time it takes me to make them.' I started talking. 'For example, if it takes me an hour to make a dozen sugar cinnamon cookies, then that dozen is worth fifteen copper in general. If sold them in a package of the dozen then it's worth the fifteen coppers, or if I sell them individually, I sell them as 1.25 coppers each.' I gave a brief explanation.

They all nodded quite surprised and seemed happy with the explanation. 'And how much time it took you make a gingerbread house?' She asked looking at the one with the twins.that

I breathed and exhale. 'Ten hours.' I answered. 'Two hours for baking the walls, two other hours to bake the roof, twenty five minutes to make the chocolate bricks and cement, three hours to make the candy canes, forty-five for the marshmallows, forty-five minutes for the decorative glazing. . .' I took a deep breath. 'And the other hours was used to assemble the gingerbread house. . . Plus the gingerbread family.' I finished the rest of my explanation.

Both nobles were shocked and the boy's mouth hit the floor. I turned around and saw the twins shocked as well.

I suddenly had the realization that I just blurted out the main reason as to why I had bags under my eyes. I blushed red. 'Em. . . But it might take me less time next time.' I said weakly.

'Mom, you need vacation.' Charlie declared with worry in his voice.

'Ha! Vacation? What's that?' I joked.

'That's not funny.' Lottie looked worried.

'Look, kids, it might not look like it but I didn't do the gingerbread house last night.' I clarified.

They all sighed of relief.

Oh, so that's why became worried. I laughed a bit. 'It wasn't just the dessert, I had to fire a lot of people since the amount of regular customers were only growing, I actually closed the restaurant and bakery to be able to do so calmly and without worrying.' I explained as the twins came with the babies. 'These bag eyes are actually due to the excitement that Infelt to be able to see you. I couldn't sleep much due to knowing I would be able to see you again.' I caress their cheeks. 'So don't worry too much, okay? That's mom's job.'

They both nodded and then they started packing their new things. 'We'll be back mom!' Charlie let me know.

'Yeah! Good luck with the deal!' Lottie waved at me and then ran off with her sibling leaving the babies with a bunch of sugary snacks and me with the nobles.

'Haha.' I laughed it off. 'So, where was I?' I asked to myself.

'That it took ten hours to make a gingerbread house.' Lady Seawright told me.

I snapped my fingers. 'That's right! Thank you my lady.' I made a brief bow to her. 'As I was saying, it took ten hours to make it by myself. But since, it's going to be an official order for a client, it might take less with the new staff. I'm going to look at the details, but you should be able to receive a letter with them around two to three weeks.' I finished. 'Is everything okay there?'

The couple looked pleased with that and nodded.

'In that case, can I get your mail address to make sure I send it correctly?' I asked taking out my book and giving the lady my pen with ink.

The lady obliged and wrote the name of her address. 'You did say you had restaurant right?' She asked.

'Yes mam! I recently upgraded it to make a kids area, in case the kids want to have fun while they wait for their meal.' I added looking at the young Seawright boy. 'It has a mini swing, a dollhouse, a wooden horsie, a seesaw—'

'What's a seesaw?' The boy asked asked.

'Riven, you don't interrupt people.' The lady gave the boy the "mom eyeball."

The boy, Riven looked down at his feet.

I giggled it off. 'That's okay, don't worry. But yeah, the seesaw is a game of sight and balance. You sit yourself at one end, and another kid sits on the other end and you both go up and down.' I used my arms to make an example. 'It also has a small slide.'

'A slide?' The boy tilted his head to the side.

'Yeah, a slide is a structure with a smooth surface for you to slide down.' I made a movement to kinda resemble it. 'If you ever come it'll be easy to identify it.' I scratched my head.

The couple looked at each as if to say, "we now know where to go next," or something of the sort.

Oh boy. I had nobles like ladies, knights and even some Barons and Viscounts both single and married, male and female. Yet, I've never had the "pleasure" of serving someone of higher status. I sweated out of both excitement and fear. It's a challenge, but one must put up with it. I sighed. 'Do we have a deal then?' I asked.

The couple looked at each other and nodded. 'I would also like the family gingerbread per house.' Lady Seawright requested.

Is it just me, or did I just heard the sound of "Ka-Ching!!" My eyes widen. 'In that case, can I know the attires of you family and cat? To make sure I don't forget anything.' I raised the book.

Lady Seawright nodded happily and started talking about what her family looked like.

. . .

A few minutes later. . .

'In that case, I'll let you know per mail how the progress is by the two weeks or earlier if I'm capable of finishing earlier.' I declared putting my things away. 'It was nice meeting you!' I let her know making a small bow and making a run for it with my babies and Lottie.

Lottie was practically dragging me away and then took me to the chef's kitchen. Where Charlie was defending the gingerbread house from the "filthy" hands of the chef and the rest of his class.

'Back y'all!! Stay back!' Charlie was swinging a wooden spoon in his hand. 'Mother you are back! Tell everyone to stay off, that you made this for Lottie and me ONLY!' He pleaded.

'He's right.' I nodded. 'I made it for the twins to share it if they wished to. But if they don't want to share it then I cannot force them.' I shrugged with a smile.

'Agh! For a baker, you seem to have spoiled your kids.' A lady remarked.

'Well once I am out of here, I won't be able to see them until next spring.' I turned around to see her. 'I wanted to make something special to make my kids feel special. Wouldn't you want to do the same for yours?' I asked crossing my arms at her.

The lady looked flustered and scoffed. 'It's a cheap looking cake anyway.' She said rolling her eyes at me.

'Oh sure. The gingerbread house that it took ten whole hours to make from scratch.' I started to talk as a matter of fact. 'The gingerbread house that I had to spend mixing, baking, frosting, decorating and assembling as if it was a real house is cheap. Sure.' I scoffed at her. 'Can you bakers believe what she just said? She said, that what I made looks cheap.' I told them as if they didn't heard.

The students turned to look at her as if she was crazy.

'Chef, does this look cheap to you?' I asked him.

The chef scoffed. 'Of course not. I have never seen such beautiful master piece. You practically made art out of a pastry! Not everyone can do that!' He declared looking at me as he was turning to look at the lady. 'That other people can't see it is because they clearly never lifted a finger in the kitchen.' He crossed his arms.

The lady was now the odd ball in the kitchen and as flustered as she was, she made the wise decision to leave.

'Thanks, chef.' I thanked him. 'But please let my kids have this, if the blizzard is as short as it comes and if there's an opportunity I shall bring one bigger for the class, but, that gingerbread house is just for two people.' I made it clear. 'It wouldn't last for even more than four and you know better than anyone how kids get when they don't a justified share.' I reminded him-

He sighed and nodded. He gave a look to the students who went "awwwww," and left Charlie alone.

'Phew!' Charlie sighed and throwed the wooden spoon away. 'Let's go show it to the other professors! They might even make orders like the Marquioness Seawright.' He jumped a bit excited.

'Sshhhh!!!' I shushed him.

Charlie flinched. 'Whoops!'

I slammed my hand on my face.

The chef stared at me. 'Marchioness Seawright? Like The Marchioness Sirene Seawright?' He asked to clarify if he heard correctly. I nodded and he looked shocked. 'S-Since when?!'

'Barely. . . Around, twenty—twenty-five minutes ago?' I answered not sure. 'She saw how much her son, Riven, looked at the gingerbread house and she asked for two commissions.' I raised two fingers.

The chef was about to be star struck but he then frowned. 'Comissions?' He asked.

'Mom uses the word to describe that a person or client ordering an item or items customized by the client's or person's desires.' Charlie answered for me. 'For example, mom explained that gingerbread family package would have a mom, dad, two kids, a dog and a cat as a package. But if you pay a bit extra, the gingerbread family would be designed as the client wants; for example, if the family only has one mother, then the father is not added; or it has more children, then the gingerbread family will be added more kids.' He explained.

Chef whistled impressed. 'You probably make a lot of profit for it.'

I nodded a bit proud of myself. 'Well, nice to see you, but it's best if I run now.' I ran with my kids out of there.

We quickly reached the Art Professor's classroom and almost like before, we were almost rambled by the kids who stared at the gingerbread house.

I sighed knowing what was coming.

.

.

.

At night at home. . .

"Well, the professor of art will most definetely keep it safe for the twins, since he wants to draw it as he wants to "make it permanent for history through art," or something.

The other professor were quite impressed about the gingerbread house as well, in their own way. The science professor was interested about the nutrients and the sugary obstacles of the house, and the math professor was interested at my selection of measures and addings.

As for the witch professor, she said that she would want to live in that house if she could. Haha! I got a weird deja vu at seeing the witch professor with my twins and the gingerbread house. I do not why though.

But before leaving, I left a gift for the witch professor, and yes, it was a bag of chocolate mint powder. Hopefully she likes it.

It was hard to say goodbye to my twins, like literally hard. They trying to stop me from leaving as if they were toddlers just starting kindergarten and having an anxiety attack. I tried to reassure them and the made promise that I would send letter that I got home safe no matter if the blizzard had started or not.

I did just that and hopefully, the letter will reach the city soon. The snow has started to fall. Thankfully, I added a note on the hiring letters telling them that if the snow was too much to bear, that they shouldn't come to work just yet. That I want employees with their whole body parts and unfrozen.

They should have reached the new staff. Hopefully."

I closed the book and left my office to then go to the kids' area and found my two toddlers asleep in the floor exhausted. I took them in my arms and brought them to bed, but before that I made sure everything was settled. From the windows to the doors. From the chickens to the horses. From the restaurant to the apartment complex.

I made a last minute trip to buy high amounts of firewood for all the places that are needed to.

Stay safe, my twins. I prayed as I closed my eyes and hugged my babies to sleep.