The Flower That Grew from Ashes novel Chapter 151

February 14th, Valentine's Day.

The sky over Oslo revealed a rare, crystalline streak of blue.

Daylight had quietly stretched out, lingering for an extra hour compared to the previous months.

Light was returning to this city, which had been shrouded in a long, endless night, with a slow yet unwavering certainty.

Annelise specifically chose this day to officially open her flower shop.

It wasn't to piggyback on the commercial rush of Valentine's Day.

It was because her language teacher, Marta, had told her that in old Scandinavian traditions, this day marked the 'return of the light.'

Someone stepping out of the deepest darkness deserved to start fresh on the exact day the light returned.

There was no grand ceremony for the shop's opening.

No ribbon-cutting, no blaring music, and certainly no fake, ostentatious congratulations or posturing.

At eight in the morning, Annelise arrived at the shop just like any other day.

The first thing she did wasn't unlocking the doors for business, but brewing herself a steaming, hot cup of coffee.

Only then did she take her time pushing the heavy glass doors wide open.

She placed a small, black sandwich board out front.

Using white chalk, she sketched a large, somewhat rustic daisy.

Beside the flower, she wrote two lines:

"Daisy Flower."

"Opening today. First bouquet half price."

With that done, she retreated behind the counter to organize the day's wrapping paper and ribbons, acting as if today was just another ordinary workday.

Her first customer was Alyssa.

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