Ice crystals jingled in the air like tiny bells. On a day as bright as a shout, the snow beneath my feet
glittered. Maverick and I’d found a home on a mountain top. I’d stay forever, just my Newfoundland
and I, but I’d left so much behind.
My life as a healer.
It called me back.
Once, I’d wanted to change the world.
Maybe I still could.
I mixed the dough. Oat flour and oats for texture; banana, blueberries, grated carrots and dates for sweetness; chia, hemp, sunflower and flaxseeds for antioxidant power and nutty crunch. Each batch carried a different spice. Cardamon for a sweet, citrusy warmth like dawn’s first breath; star anise, aromatic and mysterious, like secrets shared under a starlit sky; clove, bold, with a hint of danger; saffron, golden thread of sunlight; sumac, bright and unexpected; pink peppercorn, playful and unpredictable, and black cardamom, smoky, like a shadow at the forest’s edge.
The muffins’ golden domes shimmered, as if dusted with morning dew from an enchanted forest. Breaking one open released a scent that unfurled forgotten memories. I took a bite—magic that didn’t shout but whispered, something you felt deep inside. Each flavor danced as if the stars had whispered ancient recipes into the batter.
I brought each person I’d left behind into memory and placed a message beneath each muffin.
To the man who had left his daughter behind: Who do you miss—who might miss you, but you’ll never know if you don’t reach out?
To the woman buried in a career she hated when she longed to write stories: Instead of trying to do well what you don’t want to do, blaze a new trail.
To the eighteen-year-old facing an uncertain future: You don’t have to believe in yourself yet. Just believe the next step is worth taking.
To the older man recovering from his injuries: You may not control the road ahead, but every small step matters.
To the young teacher with dreams bigger than her doubts: Instead of asking, ‘What if I fail?’ ask, ‘What if I soar?’
I packed the muffins, messages and my spices. Tomorrow, I’d start the journey down. The world waited. I had work to do.
About the author
Alaskan author Lynne Curry has published six short stories, three poems, and six books, including Navigating Conflict, Managing for Accountability and Beating the Workplace Bully. She founded “Real-life Writing,” https://bit.ly/45lNbVo and publishes a monthly “Writing from the Cabin” blog, https://bit.ly/3tazJpW.
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