The Flower That Grew from Ashes novel Chapter 161

One early morning in mid-April, Annelise Sargent was awakened by the crisp sound of birdsong.

She opened her eyes and realized that the sky outside her window was no longer that impenetrable, heavy shade of dark blue. At the edge of the horizon, a bright, pale dawn was already beginning to show.

She walked to the window and pushed it open just a crack. Instantly, a rush of damp, fresh, cold air—carrying the distinct scent of melting snow—washed over her face.

The snow on the streets below had mostly melted overnight, revealing the dark gray, wet asphalt beneath. The bare branches of the old linden tree in front of the flower shop had, at some point, sprouted tiny, vibrant green buds the size of fingernails.

Spring had finally arrived in Oslo.

This realization made her mood extraordinarily bright for the rest of the day.

Before opening the shop, she did something she had been eagerly anticipating all winter.

She brought out three terracotta pots she had carefully stored in the utility room, along with a small packet of daisy seeds. She filled the pots with the rich, black soil she had brought back from Tor's farm. Then, with utmost care, she sprinkled the seeds—each one smaller than a grain of sesame—into the dirt, one by one.

She lined up the three pots on the south-facing windowsill of her apartment, where the sunlight was strongest.

She knew that from this moment on, her roots here were truly beginning to take hold.

Spring brought more customers and more orders to Daisy Flower.

As the weather warmed, Oslo's wedding and party season officially kicked off. Annelise started receiving a steady stream of custom floral orders for weddings, birthday parties, and even corporate events.

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