singing happy birthday to you; closed for gretchen ollivander
Ofelia loved baking for any occasion, and really she loved to bake even without an occasion, but by far her favorite occasion to bake for was a birthday. So she was thrilled to learn that Gretchen Ollivander’s birthday was at the beginning of August. It had taken a while for Ofelia to decide exactly what kind of cake she would make for Gretchen. Her first instinct had been a gateau basque, but she wasn’t sure that would have enough of a wow factor for the bombastic blonde. In the end she’d settled on a savarin, light and boozy and overflowing with fresh fruit, it was the perfect choice for a summer birthday, and for Gretchen.
After all, Ofelia wanted everything to be perfect for Gretchen, a woman she considered one of her dearest friends in England. Technically, they’d first met in a club bathroom, where Ofelia had noticed Gretchen’s simply to die for lipgloss and she’d just had to tell her. That in and of itself was not a remarkable interaction for Ofelia, but what followed later that evening was. Ofelia had completely forgotten the girl with the lipgloss when she found herself cornered by an incredibly forceful, and incredibly drunk, man. That was when Gretchen had swooped in like a guardian angel, rescuing Ofelia from his advances.
So Ofelia had made Gretchen a perfect savarin, and found not one but two just right presents. She was excited to surprise Gretchen, so as soon as she was up and dressed Ofelia set off for Gretchen’s flat, even though the sun was still low in the sky. She arrived at Gretchen’s flat bright and early and knocked loudly. It didn’t occur to Ofelia that Gretchen might still be sleeping until it took her a while to answer the door. When the door finally did open, Ofelia smiled brightly despite her misgivings. “¡Feliz cumpleaños! And many happy returns!” Ofelia added the phrase, despite the fact that it made very little sense to her, because it was something people said to her on her own birthday the month before. “I have a cake, y regalos. Presents.”
@gretchen-whoisleft