“You almost bought the entire store. That‘s too much!” lexited the store following Soren, who had insisted on buying anything and everything that I looked at for more than three seconds. “This is just the right amount.” Soren smiled. “I feel good about myself today. Very wise choice.” “I‘m sorry?” I said, honestly not understanding. “The best thing I did today was making these purchases. First of all, you are happy. Secondly, the old lady behind the counter made enough to call it a day early, so she is happy. I made two ladies happy in one day, nothing beats that!” He thought for a moment before happily continuing, “Even the baby will thank me when it gets the new things created by its mother.” I chuckled at his words, and my hand gently moved to my belly. I shook my head with a smile. “Thank you, Mr. Wiseman Soren. I promise I‘ll pay you back once I find a job.” He slowed down to look at me, ignoring half of what I said. “You‘re welcome.” He glanced at his watch. “It‘s still early. Ro, do you still have energy to check out the rest of the marketplace?” It was the first time in a long while that I had a chance to enjoy crowds and shops like this, and there was still a lot to see. I nodded. “Yes, that would be lovely.” The marketplace stretched from the cobbled stone streets near the port all the way down to the bakery on the corner. Stalls were lined up in the streets with farmers selling their fresh produce out in the open fresh air. The cheerful shops on either side attracted customers with food, jewelry, and apparel. Exciting scents and sounds surrounded me- the sweet earthy smells of roasting chestnuts and mouth watering baked goods; the chatter of adults and laughing shrieks of children amidst the loud calls and haggling of the vendors. Somewhere down an alley, a fiddler was playing a cheerful folk tune. It was almost like I had been dropped into another universe. The clothes, the accents, the atmosphere everything was so different from what I was used to on the mainland. “So are you enjoying the shops here?” Soren asked with a smile. Caught up in the bliss of beauty that was Avondale, I found it hard to take my eyes off everything around me. “Yes, I can‘t get over how lively this place is. It‘s so different from what I‘m used to.” His chuckle was light. “It is spectacular, in its own way. Avondale is the biggest port of trade in the Denali Isles. I suppose I don‘t notice the beauty of it much anymore since I‘ve been here for a while.” I watched the interactions of the people around me, and the children who laughed and played in the street. I could picture myself and my child walking along these streets, enjoying a carefree afternoon walk in the warm sun. “Hey Ro, I want to check out something over there,” Soren said beside me. “Do you mind checking out the next couple stalls by yourself?” “Of course. Please go ahead.” “Alright, be a good girl and don‘t cause any trouble, okay?” he joked. “I‘ll be right back.” ausea “I promise I‘ll be here when you‘re back.” I smiled as he took off to go to the other side of the street. I was standing in front of a clothing store. My belly was growing bigger every day, and I was in need of more comfortable items to wear. I felt a strong urge to see what the store had to offer, and ventured closer in hopes of finding something. The beautiful array of fabric and the variety of colors were eye–catching, making it difficult to pick out what I might need the most. As I was checking out a set of clothes on the rack just outside the shop door, I suddenly froze. On the other side of the street, I caught a glimpse of someone from my nightmares of long ago– a dark shadow of my past I thought I had escaped from. He wasn‘t facing the store, and I could only see his profile, but I couldn‘t mistake him.copy right hot novel pub