Chapter 23
"Can't you stay still?" Maite scolds her daughter as she paces around the bakery kitchen.
It's almost noon on Saturday, and Violeta and Olga have just put their king cakes in the ovens to bake for the contest in a few hours. Olga doesn't care about the outcome at all and leans against a table, watching Violeta with a smile as she checks the oven every ten seconds.
"What if it burns?"
"You just put it in, honey. How could it burn?"
Olga can't hold back anymore and bursts out laughing. Violeta turns to her, pouting, and frowns.
"What are you laughing at?" she demands in an irritated tone that vanishes instantly when Olga gives her a flirtatious look that leaves her trembling.
Maite ignores them both, holding the notebook she once gave her daughter and reading with pleasure the changes Violeta has made to this recipe and others.
"We should try this. With these changes, I'm sure it'll be delicious," she comments aloud.
The two ignore her. Olga has gotten up and approached Violeta.
"Why are you so nervous?" she asks in a soothing tone.
She caresses Violeta's cheek and brushes a strand of hair from her face.
"Because I want it to turn out well," Violeta says, glancing at her mother.
Olga knows that more than the contest itself, what Violeta cares about is Maite's approval.
"But she's thrilled, sweetie. Look at her with your notebook," Olga whispers.
Violeta looks again, but her brain has already melted with Olga's words. Every time Olga addresses her so affectionately, her heart melts, and she feels a pleasant tingle spread through her chest, ending in a small bubbling explosion in her belly.
"Hey," Olga calls her attention sweetly. "We tried it yesterday, and it was delicious, Violeta. It's impossible for them not to like it. You might not win, but I assure you many will ask your mother to make that king cake for them."
"You think so?"
"Of course."
"And yours?"
"One like mine can be bought in any bakery. Come on, now you can check the oven."
Violeta smiles tenderly and plants herself in front of the oven like a guard watching a prisoner.
The three have lunch together at the bakery after Olga goes shopping at the same store as the other day. Now, the two are taking their king cakes out of the fridge and heading out to the square where the contest is held.
When they arrive, they find Josefina and other neighbors behind two tables like those used at town festivals. On them, all participants, men and women, leave their king cakes after being assigned a number and a small sign is placed in front of the cake, ensuring that decisions are impartial and no one is guided by the names of their creators to decide on one or another.
Half an hour later, people from town start arriving, as well as the six members who will form the jury. Violeta doesn't know any of them, but her mother knows them all.
"Lucky they put numbers, because two of those are Josefina's cousins."
"What if they tipped off which one is her daughter's?" Violeta worries.
"Karma will punish them with death diarrhea, don't worry," Olga says, making Maite laugh.
They spend the next hour chatting with neighbors and strolling through some stalls that the town hall has allowed to be set up to turn this small contest organized by the neighbors into entertainment where the whole town can have a good time wrapped in an even more Christmassy atmosphere thanks to the carols playing through the speakers.
When it's time for the verdict, Violeta and Olga stand up. There are fourteen king cakes on the table, and Violeta looks at them worriedly because hers is one of the first the jury has tasted, and she thinks that by the time they get to the last one, they'll have forgotten the taste of hers.
Without realizing it, she has grabbed Olga's hand firmly and with the other, she's clinging to her mother's coat like when she was little and afraid of getting lost when they took her to the fair.
Maite glances at her daughter and then, also nervous because she understands baking and knows it deserves the prize, stares at the jury. At some point, Violeta lets go of her hand, and when Maite looks at her again, she discovers that Olga is behind her with her arms around her waist in a gesture both affectionate and protective while Violeta clings to the hands Olga crosses over her chest and holds her breath.
The jury announces and names the third winner first, who will receive a batch of nougat and a cheap diploma. It's a town neighbor, a seventeen-year-old boy who has just started studying at a cooking school this year. Everyone applauds, and he, red-faced and happy at the same time, receives the prize amid laughter and his mother's delight.
When they announce the second winner, Violeta and her mother are stunned. It's Josefina's daughter, and neither can believe what they're hearing. The only one who doesn't realize anything and keeps applauding is Olga, who doesn't know her. When the applause ends, it's Violeta's name that sounds through the microphone as the contest winner. Olga and Maite react the same way and start jumping hysterically while applauding and shouting at a petrified Violeta.
"Did I win?" she asks dumbfounded, turning to them.
"Of course, silly," Olga laughs and can't contain the urge to kiss her, so she cradles her cheeks in her hands and gives her a kiss on the lips that Violeta receives with a smile and an overflowing heart.
Then it's her mother who gives her a hug and congratulates her before pushing her towards the tables where she must collect another batch of nougat, plus a bottle of wine and another of cava along with the diploma. Olga takes photos with her phone to immortalize a moment she knows is so important to Violeta, and after receiving the corresponding congratulations and staying a while longer, they decide to return home when it starts to drizzle.
"Do you mind if I stay at Olga's house tonight, Mom?" Violeta asks as soon as they reach the door.
Maite smiles and turns to her.
"No, honey, of course I don't mind," Maite wraps her in a hug and smiles tenderly at Olga, who looks at her expectantly. "I'm very proud of you, Violeta. I knew you were going to win."
"Really?" Violeta can't believe it.
"Of course, as soon as I tasted the king cake yesterday afternoon, I knew it. Here, take all this to Olga's house and celebrate."
"I think we'll manage with these," Violeta keeps the bottle of wine and a bar of nougat, handing the rest to her mother, and the two head to Olga's house under Maite's worried gaze, who seems to be the only one who realizes the deep connection between them.