By the time the weekend came around, it had been a full week since I first met Alice. I did not think very much about the milestone. Only for a brief moment did I realise. But, there were other tasks and activities that demanded my attention. I needed to restock the flower shop. I promised the shopkeeper next door to fetch her post and keep them in storage while she was on holiday. Jane and I had plans as well. She stopped by my shop on the way to a postbox to talk for a bit, and we arranged a walk along Clarke trail after our grocery run. Later that night, during our supper time, I reminded Alice that a friend would stop by on both of those weekend days and instructed her to hide during the day, whether it be in the house or in the woods. She simply complied, nodding in that hazy manner which felt like she did not quite understand, but was willing to oblige. It was then when I remembered it was not even a week ago when she gave me that same exact nod when we established the terms of her residency.
There were a few other novel moments in the week that I did remember. I received a relatively sizable order at the flower shop for what the customer had described as a “small get-together for two newlyweds”. The woman heard of my shop from a friend of hers who had high compliments for the quality of my flowers, a praise that made me giddy with pride. Because of that order, I woke up in the early hours of Thursday to go scouting for the particular flowers she wanted; a mix of red Liliums and white Lily of the Valleys, the ever popular and beautiful flowers for these occasions. The children at the wall did briefly mention the Alice girl, asking when they would next see her. When I politely informed them Alice had left with my sister-in-law, who was paying an unexpected visit, they acquiesced and did not speak of her again. On Friday, I decided to close up shop a bit early and head home. I was in the mood to do some gardening, and the summer evening provided daylight for long enough to get in a few hours before the forest went dark. Alice seemingly broke from her usual despondency and ran around the clearing as I pruned it. I supposed she was much happier outside amongst the flowers than she was in the drawing room or on the porch. “You don’t have to follow me all the time,” I told her. “You’re free to roam around outside after supper, as long as I’m not expecting any guests.” Yet, even with a smile and a nod, she continued to do so, staying on whichever side of the house I was on. As night fell, I picked out some of the scraps I pulled and buried them in the compost bed by the watermill. The girl followed me all the way there, giving the spot a curious look as I piled the scraps into the earth. We ate a late supper that evening.
Come the weekend, Alice chose to hide in the woods, just as the other times. Every night, I would tuck the spirit girl into bed, and every morning, she would be gone. Jane arrived late as usual, and we headed out for the market without a moment to waste. On the ride there, she recounted the bit of banter she had with the other ladies of the bakery that week. Something about a potential affair one of the royals might be involved in and the lousy weather we may get tomorrow, on Sunday. I made sure to buy extra servings of groceries, now that I was cooking for two. More green vegetables, oats, and potatoes, among other things. Jane teased me, saying I would pick up some fat if I ate that much potatoes, but I don’t think she thought of my additional purchases as suspicious or anything.
We stopped by her small cottage to keep my purchases stored away while we were out for a walk. I did not fancy carrying around a batch of eggs in the hot sun. We did not embark immediately, however, staying for a bit. It was the first time in a while that I visited her modest little dwelling. She kept it fairly tidy, even though she lived alone. Only a few pots and pans out of their places. A broom was tucked away in a hallway corner, in easy reach from anywhere in the cottage. I knew for a fact she used it often, though she had no pets to speak of, leaving her floors and furniture free from clumps of fur. Jane showed me her newest project; a pot of sprouting chrysanthemums, ones which she grew from seeds. I gave her some advice for taking care of them, a discussion that carried on to several other subjects. We ended up staying for half an hour before we headed off.