Chapter 341
During the holidays, the streets were bustling with life. Zinnia found a spot to park her electric scooter. Zinnia glanced back over her shoulder and called out, โWeโre here, Yannis!โ Sunny nimbly hopped off the scooter and sat obediently by the roadside, patiently waiting for Zinnia and Yannis. Yannis stepped off the scooter with his long legs, and Zinnia followed suit. Then she parked the scooter properly. โQuite a crowd out here,โ Yannis said, taking in the steady flow of people along the street. Unlike the hurried pace of big cities, life in this small town seemed to move at a gentler rhythm, with everyone fully immersed in savoring each moment. Zinnia nodded. โYeah, itโs always more crowded during the Christmas season. Usually, there arenโt this many people around.โ Zinnia declared, โLetโs go. You showed me around Jinston before, but now weโre on my turf. Itโs my turn to show you around. Get whatever catches your eye. My treat.โ Yannisโs eyes softened with affection, a playful smile curling at his lips. โAlright, Iโll just ride your coattails today, Zinnia.โ โSunny, letโs go!โ Zinnia called out to the dog again. Sunny stood up and trotted alongside Zinnia as the trioโtwo humans and a dogโheaded down the lively street. โMark, one falafel wrap with panna cotta, please!โ Zinnia said cheerfully. Zinnia was clearly a regular in town. She confidently led Yannis straight to the food stalls. Seeing Zinnia, Mark swiftly packed up her order. โThere you go, Zee! No charge today. This oneโs on the house, just for our favorite girl.โ Zinnia tapped her phone to pay, flashing Mark a playful grin. โMark, if you keep this up, I wonโt come back next time.โ Seeing Zinnia reach for her wallet, Mark sighed helplessly. โCome on, Zee. Do you really think I canโt afford to treat you to a falafel wrap?โ Zinnia accepted the falafel wrap from Mark with a sweet smile and cheerfully said, โThanks so much, Mark! Weโll get going now.โ Zinnia handed Yannis the disposable spoon, motioning for him to use it. Worried that Yannis might find it unhygienic, Zinnia explained, โMark makes these falafel wraps and panna cotta himself, so theyโre perfectly clean. Honestly, his panna cotta is amazing. He mixes it just right, and even visitors from out of town canโt get enough of it.โ Yannis got the disposable spoon. โOkay,โ he said, scooping up some panna cotta from the falafel wrap and bringing it to Zinniaโs lips. As soon as she hit the street, the first place she went was the falafel wrap and panna cotta stand. Clearly, she was craving it herself. Zinnia was so used to Yannis feeding her that she opened her mouth without even thinking. The sweet and spicy flavors blossomed across her tongue. She nodded, savoring the familiar taste. โOh, itโs just like I remember. So good. Yannis, you have to try it. You have no idea how many places I tried panna cotta in Jinston, but none of them tasted like this.โ With her cheeks puffed out from the food, Zinnia nudged Yannisโs hand. โTry some,โ she urged. Yannis took a bite too and smiled. โDelicious,โ he said. The flavors were indeed wonderful. It was sweet with a hint of spice, and the panna cotta was smooth and tender. It was just the kind of taste Zinnia would love. Zinnia beamed with delight. โSee? Iโm super picky about food. If I say itโs good, it definitely is. Yannis, come on, feed me another bite. Itโs been ages since I had this.โ Yannisโs eyes shimmered with adoration as he saw her smile. He scooped up another bite and gently fed it to Zinnia. The falafel wrap was such a generous portion that Zinnia had to hold it with both hands, so Yannis fed her. Zinnia tugged at Yannisโs sleeve, her eyes sparkling with excitement. โCome on. Letโs go get some more yummy treats!โ The small town was bustling with all kinds of delicious street food. Zinnia then led Yannis to a fried potato stand and called out like a regular, โLucy, one order of potatoes, extra crispy!โ โComing right up! Michael, please prepare an order of extra crispy potatoes for Zee, with extra pickled radish,โ Lucy called out cheerfully to the back.
After Lucy finished calling out, she noticed Yannis standing beside Zinnia. โZee, oh my! Whoโs this handsome young man with you?โ โLucy, this is my cousin Yannis,โ Zinnia said. Yannis greeted with a warm smile, โHello, Lucy. Thank you for looking after Zinnia here in town.โ โNot at all. It was nothing,โ Lucy said, clearly delighted by such a polite young man. In no time, Michael brought over the mixed fried potatoes. โHere you go, Zee! Lucy just made some fresh cheese curds. Let me put two in for you.โ Lucy stuffed two more cheese curds into Zinniaโs hands, packing the paper bag until it was overflowing. โThanks so much, Lucy!โ Zinnia said cheerfully as Yannis took the overflowing bag from her. Lucy smiled warmly. โDonโt mention it, dear. Go have fun. There are performances ahead. Just be careful in the crowd and donโt get pushed around.โ Zinnia continued leading Yannis down the street. Along the way, familiar stall owners spotted them and eagerly pressed snacks and little gifts into Zinniaโs hands. Their voices were warm and affectionate, as if she were their own beloved relative. Half the townspeople knew Zinnia, including the young and the old. She was practically the little queen bee of the place. โZinnia, youโre quite the local celebrity,โ Yannis remarked, genuinely impressed by how beloved she was in town. After just one round through the streets, his hands were already overflowing with gifts from the friendly vendors. Zinnia didnโt even pretend to be modest. She grinned and said, โOf course. Let me tell you, thereโs hardly anyone in the village or the town who doesnโt like me. With a face like mine, how could anyone resist?โ Growing up under Nathanโs care, Zinnia always smiled at everyone she met, her chubby cheeks and flashing pearly whites making her irresistible. Everyone doted on her, except for the Shaw family, who never took a liking to her. Seeing Zinnia as proud as a little Persian cat with her tail held high, Yannis smiled warmly and asked with curiosity, โZee, why does everyone call you that? Iโve heard it from everyone along the way.โ Zinnia said, โWhen I was little, I wasnโt exactly the picture of health, like I might not even make it to adulthood. Folks around here say simple names help children thrive. โBut since I was such a pretty child, no one wanted to call me something like Ruth or Daisy. โAfter thinking it over, they asked Giselle to give me a name. When I was born, I was so tiny that Nathan always said I was the little treasure, so they named me Zee, and before long, everyone just started calling me that.โ That simple nickname had seen Zinnia through to seventeen. Yannis, not wanting to dwell on serious matters, teased lightly, โZee? Zinnia, you really are the townโs darling, huh?โ โYou bet! Tons of people adore me,โ Zinnia declared proudly. She really was that popular. โCome on. Let me show you whatโs up ahead. Itโs super lively, and theyโve got ethnic costumes that are absolutely gorgeous!โ Zinnia tugged Yannis along as she hurried forward. Not far ahead, there was a stall selling traditional ethnic accessories. There were rows of exquisite silver headdresses, each one dazzling and luxuriously ornate, sparkling in the light. They were just Zinniaโs style. โHey there! Want to try one on?โ the vendor called out to Zinnia. โYannis, hold these for me,โ Zinnia said, thrusting her snacks into his hands. She then bent down to pick out a headdress she liked and placed it on her head. Zinnia adored these little trinkets. Even though her home was already filled with similar headdresses, she just couldnโt resist picking up new ones whenever she spotted them on the street. Zinnia placed the headdress on her head, making her delicate face appear even smaller. She gave her head a playful shake, sending the tassels swaying and jingling softly. The headdress suited her perfectly. โYannis, do I look pretty?โ Zinnia leaned closer to Yannis, her face just inches from his. The sunlight overhead bathed her in gold as Zinnia tilted her bright, lovely face up at Yannis, beaming at him. Her gentle eyes curved into sparkling crescents, shimmering with starlight. For a moment, Yannis stood utterly spellbound.