Olivia (Kismet #3)

Read the rest of the ‘Kismet’ series here.

Olivia’s spending her afternoon covered in flour, like she does most days now. Mark’s bakery has been a sort of safe haven for her ever since she moved to the city with her sister. She delights in baking various breads, cookies, pastries, and pies as she hides behind her flour from her jarring new reality. She misses her horses, her father and brothers, and waking up early in the morning in her room at the ranch, ready for the same routine she’d gotten so used to.

So far Mark’s been okay, and they’ve gotten along well, despite Olivia sometimes thinking he’s a stumbling idiot. “I guess it’s endearing sometimes.” He’s kind-hearted, hard-working, and passionate. He’s put everything he has into ‘Kismet’ and does his best to run the kind of business that would make his mother proud. Coincidentally, Mark lost his mom, too, except he lost her to cancer. Before that, however, when he was little, it was her who got him to fall in love with baking. It’s this love she shared with him that he’s honoring with ‘Kismet’.

Olivia likes his friendly personality, although sometimes she feels it’s a bit too much for her. She always rolls her eyes at his puns, but secretly finds them amusing. She’d never tell him that, though. The other day he went on a supply run for ‘Kismet’, and he came back with a big box of various types of flour and set it down right in front of Olivia. “Flours for the wonderful lady,” he said enthusiastically as Olivia went about her business. “Could be worse,” she thought to herself.

Olivia initially thought she’d be watching over Emily, but it often feels like Emily’s watching over her. “That’s a first.” Despite her being somewhat of a loner much of her life – or independent, as she calls it, she’s appreciated Emily’s company more than she was anticipating. It’s as if Emily had lived here her entire life, whereas Olivia feels like a fish out of water.

At least she’s got her flours. “And Mark’s puns, I guess.”

This is one of many short stories I’ve been writing for Teodora’s drawings ever since she said she was bad at writing descriptions for them. I thought I’d enjoy helping her and trying to write something different than I was used to. I’d never collaborated creatively with anyone on anything before Teodora and I love the purpose she’s added to my writing and how she challenges me with each drawing.

Here’s another entry in the ‘Kismet’ series, again focusing on Olivia.

For more wonderful drawings, follow Teodora on Instagram @teoctobart.

For more stories, she’s got her own tag here.