Count On Me

Part Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

"I never thought I'd need snow boots, that's stupid, isn't it?"

The snow ploughs had cleared the road by midmorning meaning they could get out and about, but Oscar had headed out before breakfast.

Freya shook her head as they pulled into a parking space. Helping Nate out of the backseat, the three of them rushed into the department store. "I was so unprepared when I arrived in this country, you have no idea."

Lizzie laughed, "but then I hear you were a teenager."

"Ha ha, that's exactly right. But then I was meant to be intelligent." Freya led them across the floor to the winter wear section. And she started to search.

Nate moaned, bored, but the two women were almost industrious, and within a ridiculously short period of time, they had waterproof coats, trousers and boots for her and Nate. As they paid then headed to the car, Freya leaned in to her.

"I'm so glad you're not that type of girl." When Lizzie turned to her questioningly, she added, "I went shopping with Krystal once...NEVER again. In every shop a dozen times, then back to the first one...nightmare."

Lizzie's heart stopped at the mention of the other woman, but she managed to breathe, "Krystal?"

Freya stopped in her tracks, then stared at her, "Oscar never mentioned her?" She rolled her eyes, "typical. She's his...well I don't know what you'd call her...they've been shagging for years. But not much more than that."

Lizzie hated that she'd asked now, "he mentioned a girlfriend, just not a name."

"Exactly. She's...." Freya unlocked the car. "Well, nightmare comes to mind."

They spent the afternoon throwing snowballs, sliding down a nearby hill on a sled and making snow angels. Nate was red nosed and icy cold when they finished. Elena had given up long ago. As they walked back to the house, Nate's gloved hand in Lizzie's, the door to the warehouse opened and Coop called to her.

"Freya's made soup and bread...it's very good...she asked me to call you in for some."

They stamped their boots in the hallway, then peeled off their outer layers. Nate rushed in to find Elena, he had already grown attached to the girl he had no idea was his cousin. Freya was in the kitchen looking homely, Coop had Riley in his lap, sat watching some sort of ice hockey game on TV.

Freya patted a chair at the breakfast bar.

"Come talk to me."

Lizzie slipped on to the seat and smiled, "thanks."

"This is chicken soup...my mother used to always make it in the snow."

"Smells amazing." Lizzie leaned forward to inhale the aroma wafting from the bowl in front of her.

Freya handed her a spoon, "how does it taste?"

"Delicious!" It was no lie. It tasted perfect, as did the sourdough bread she'd made to go with it. "You're a proper domestic goddess!"

Freya laughed, "not until very recently. I don't think I'd cooked a thing until I moved here...five years ago."

"I couldn't afford to eat as a student, so I had to cook. If it is cheap...I'm your girl."