The next morning, Freya woke up early. Teri had left to the Lakeside Lodge to give Freya some time to read her post. She sludged herself down the staircase to the Country Kitchen’s dining table, where breakfast had been plated and the daily newspaper placed in the middle. Heidi, always an early riser, greeted Freya with a “Good morning, Freya. Your mom is out at the Lakeside Lodge, working out some rent details with the Tuxedo Cats. Why don’t you have some breakfast and enjoy the paper? I hear there are some new shopping discounts that are to die for!”
Freya was reluctant to pick up the daily paper at first because of the most recent VERY TERI. She took a bite of her chocolate tart, and hesitated.
“Freya, the Calico Times isn’t just about VERY TERI,” encouraged Heidi.
“Yeah,” agreed Bell, who had been helping her mother wash up some pots. “There's a lot of different sections: sports, fashion, weather, news. It’s not just about VERY TERI.”
Freya answered, “Alright then. I guess it is okay.”
Freya finished the first page about a new springtime party happening in town square, and reached the second.
The second page was always about the weather and snippets of sections, including VERY TERI. She was nervous at first, but finally she decided she should read the VERY TERI. This is what she read:
Freya beamed with joy when she read her mother’s VERY TERI post at the corner of the newspaper. Just then, Teri stepped in and saw her daughter’s face. The two went upstairs, for a private encounter. They hugged greatly and Freya whispered, “You really think all of that, Mom?”
“Of course, it was never meant to put you down. I was just comparing your VERY TERI attributes, but Aunt Heidi helped me realize that not everything should be VERY TERI. You’re a talented, kind, and sweet girl.”
Breeze, who had been practicing her piano upstairs in the nursery, heard everything and yelled, “You’re a great sister.”
Freya was surrounded by praise, and she smiled the whole day. As she and her mother ate a country lunch consisting of boiled flour, squash soup, and light cups of tea, she cheekily slipped in, “So…, if I’m such a great artist, could I be the official visual editor of the VERY TERI venture?”
Teri chuckled, knowing her daughter was all cheered up, and answered, “We’ll see. I could always make the VERY TERI project become a mother daughter thing. How would you like that? I know we don’t have much in common, but this can be our little thing.”
“Yes, please!”
With that, the mother daughter team discussed the latest post to write later on. Teri, who had always had trouble bonding with her eldest daughter on Eleanor Brambles books or outdoor picnics, knew she had done the right thing. The issue was fixed, and the VERY TERI enjoyment would become a great tool to bond with her daughter.
Together, they sat out the patio at the Tea And Treats Set’s table and conferenced.
“Oo, we should do one based off of any recent drawings you had!” Teri suggested.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Freya excitedly squealed.
Freya took out her scraps of drawings and showed her mother this illustration she had of a pretty landscape. A bundle of trees were encased with a vast sky and luscious grass.
Teri was shocked at the beauty of her drawing and asked, “Isn’t that place always on the way to town?”
“Yes, it is. I’ve seen it so many times that I decided I was going to draw it.”
“It’s beautiful, Freya, and so realistic!”
The two began exchanging ideas on their latest VERY TERI post to encourage others to take a country drive. Freya’s drawing would be the visual, and the two were sure Heidi would approve. Encouraging others to come out for fresh air and beautiful landscapes on a scenic drive from town to the countryside.
“It will be a sensational post that will enrich the beauty of your drawings, Freya! Critters everywhere will flock down the road the moment they finish reading our post. I bet we’ll earn a fancy award. Just think of it in the paper: ‘Mother-daughter duo earn township writing award’.” Teri exclaimed with delight.
“Um…, thanks,” Freya replied, happy about the new partnership but taken back by her mother’s language.
They both knew something wondrous was going to bloom out of this partnership.
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