The Flower That Grew from Ashes novel Chapter 167

Having spent so much mental energy on the curriculum planning, Annelise woke up the next day with a heavy head.

Rubbing her temples, she walked over to the window, habitually checking on the three terracotta pots she had placed on the sill.

Instantly, she was wide awake.

The seeds that had slept in the soil for over a month had collectively awakened overnight.

Nestled among the vibrant green leaves were tiny, pure white buds, still dotted with morning dew.

A few of the more impatient ones had already fully unfurled in the delayed warmth of the Scandinavian sun.

The pristine white petals framed soft, fuzzy yellow centers. They were quiet, humble, yet exuded a fierce, undeniable vitality.

In the middle of May in Oslo, her daisies had finally bloomed.

Annelise crouched by the windowsill, watching those tiny white flowers gently swaying in the morning breeze. Her heart swelled with an indescribable, tender emotion.

She took out her phone and snapped a picture of the most vibrantly blooming pot.

Opening that familiar chat window, she sent the photo to Harriet all the way back in Cresthaven.

Harriet replied almost instantaneously.

First came a flurry of crying emojis and flower graphics.

Then, a short line of text.

That sentence was like a soft key, instantly unlocking the floodgates of Annelise's memories.

"If your mother could see this, she would be so happy."

Annelise's eyes immediately reddened.

She could almost see it—years ago, on that sun-drenched balcony of the Sargent home in Cresthaven, her young mother holding her hand, pointing to a similarly radiant pot of daisies, speaking to her with gentle affection.

"Look, Anne, they're blooming. These are my absolute favorites."

That afternoon, Annelise carefully carried the best-looking pot of daisies from her apartment to the shop, placing it right on the checkout counter where everyone could see it.

It was small and unassuming, surrounded by a room full of expensive roses and tulips flown in from Holland, yet it didn't look out of place for a second.

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