Lime Cheesecake

Chapter 36: Dragon Travels 

Mirabel needed a break. All she could think about was how she was very much not pregnant. Despite her impressive efforts of distraction with her bakery business, she was not feeling distracted. Her baby thoughts were bleeding into her baked goods. She was making delicious creations called “bun out of the oven,” “sticky fingers,” and of course, a whole slew of miniature desserts just called “the babies.” 

Svend walked into her bake shop and sighed. Perhaps a change of scenery would do them good. “Hey love, what do you think about visiting your cousin, Fiora? She just had her second baby and I’m sure she would love the help.” Svend offered hesitantly. He wasn’t sure if being around the brand new baby would hurt or help the situation, but at this point he was willing to try anything. 

Mirabel pondered this possibility. Would it be painful to see her friend and cousin with what she didn’t yet have? She loved living with them when Leif was born, but she wasn’t trying to have her own baby back then. It had been so long since they had gone for a visit though, it would be nice to talk to a friend about what was happening. She was positive Svend was worried about her sanity with how often she brought up baby plans and wishes. 

“Sure. Let’s do it. You can get Leoric and Leif out of the house and I can visit with Fiora and their new little one. Maybe she will have some new baked goods I can learn how to make.” Mirabel declared. She really was excited to see her cousin. Fiora and Leoric were the reason she met Svend after all! 

Two days later, they were packed up and ready to go visit someone else’s babies. 

The journey to Fiora and Leoric’s village was a welcome respite for Svend and Mirabel. The familiar mountain paths stretched before them, winding through forests alive with the rustle of leaves and the distant calls of birds. They traveled in their dragon forms for speed, their jewel-toned scales glinting in the sunlight—Svend’s emerald and sapphire, Mirabel’s sapphire and amethyst. It felt good to stretch their wings, to let the wind carry away some of the weight that had settled in Mirabel’s heart. Svend, ever the optimist, kept the mood light, swooping playfully around her and chattering about the inventions he and Leoric might tinker with during their stay.

When they arrived, shifting back to human form just outside the village, Fiora was waiting at the doorstep with little Leif tugging at her skirts. The new baby, a rosy-cheeked girl named Elara, slept soundly in a cradle nearby. Fiora’s face lit up at the sight of her cousin, and she rushed forward to envelop Mirabel in a hug, careful not to jostle the toddler clinging to her. Leoric emerged from the smithy, wiping soot from his hands, and grinned broadly at Svend. The reunion was warm and noisy, filled with laughter and the clatter of Leif’s excited babbling about showing Svend his wooden toys.

The first evening passed in a blur of catching up. Fiora regaled them with tales of Elara’s birth—how quick it had been compared to Leif’s, how Leoric had nearly fainted from nerves—and Mirabel listened with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. Svend noticed, of course, and kept a steady hand on her shoulder, grounding her. Leoric, sensing the need for distraction, dragged Svend off to the smithy to show him a new contraption he’d been working on: a bellows that could double as a bread oven. “Fiora’s idea,” he admitted with a chuckle. “She says I’m no use in the kitchen otherwise.”

That night, after Leif and Elara were tucked into bed, Mirabel sat with Fiora by the hearth. The fire crackled softly, casting flickering shadows on the walls. Fiora, kneading dough for the next day’s bread, glanced at Mirabel’s quiet demeanor and set the dough aside. “Alright, out with it,” she said gently. “You’ve been carrying something heavy since you got here.”

Mirabel hesitated, then let it spill, at least as much as she could without giving away her big dragon secret, the months of trying, the false starts, the wise women’s advice, the gnawing fear that she and Svend might never have a child. Fiora listened without interrupting, her hands still dusted with flour, her eyes soft with understanding. When Mirabel finished, tears pricking her eyes, Fiora reached over and squeezed her hand. “I had trouble before Leif,” she admitted quietly. “Two years of hoping, and nothing. Then one day, it just… happened. I don’t know why. But I do know you’re not alone in this, Mirabel. And Svend—he looks at you like you hung the stars. You’ll find your way, with children I pray, but either way, you’ll find your way.”

The words were a balm, not a solution, but they eased something in Mirabel’s chest. She smiled faintly, wiping her eyes. “You’re too good to me, Fiora. What did you do to pass the time back then?”

Fiora grinned, picking up the dough again. “I baked. A lot. Made these little lime cheesecake pies—kept my hands busy and my mind off things. Want to try making them tomorrow?” Mirabel nodded eagerly, grateful for the distraction and the chance to learn something new from her cousin. The next day, they set to work, and the sharp scent of lime filled the house. These are the cheesecakes they made.

*Picture coming*