Chapter Twenty-Six
The Blueberry Mountain
A few days after their strange discovery in the café kitchen, the trio still could not stop talking about it.
The soft dessert they had accidentally created was unlike anything the town had ever tasted.
Emma, however, remained cautious.
"People won't trust a completely new food so easily," she warned them one evening in the café.
Jack leaned across the counter.
"Then we don't tell them."
Noah folded her arms.
"That's your solution for everything."
Clare laughed softly.
Emma thought for a moment before speaking again.
"Your father's birthday is coming soon," she said to Noah. "If we serve it during the celebration, people might try it."
Jack snapped his fingers.
"That's perfect!"
Clare's eyes brightened.
"We can make it special… like a surprise party."
Noah smiled slowly.
"My father deserves that."
Daniel, who had been quietly listening, nodded.
"He works harder than anyone I've seen."
But there was still one problem.
Blueberries.
Emma had suggested covering the dessert with blueberry jam so people would think it was some kind of fruit mousse.
Unfortunately, blueberries were expensive in the market.
But there was one place where they grew freely.
The mountains.
At Aunt Laura's House
That evening, Clare returned home to Aunt Laura's house.
The warm smell of dinner filled the small dining room.
Uncle Martin sat reading while Clausius was organizing some books beside the window.
Aunt Laura looked up as Clare entered.
"You look like you're planning something," she said immediately.
Clare laughed nervously.
"Is it that obvious?"
She sat beside her aunt and began explaining everything—the cake experiment, the blueberry jam idea, and the surprise birthday they were planning for Noah's father.
Laura listened carefully.
When Clare finally finished, she asked quietly,
"And the mountains?"
"We want to collect blueberries," Clare admitted. "They grow there in large bushes."
Clausius looked up.
"You're planning to climb the mountain just for berries?"
Jack's influence was clearly visible.
Clare smiled awkwardly.
"But Emma will be with us."
Uncle Martin lowered his newspaper.
"Well, if Emma is going, I suppose it's safe."
Aunt Laura studied Clare's hopeful expression.
Finally she sighed with a gentle smile.
"Alright. You may go."
Clare's face lit up instantly.
"But be careful," Laura added. "The weather is getting colder."
"I will!" Clare promised happily.
A Letter Home
Later that night, Clare sat at her small desk near the window.
The town outside was quiet.
She dipped her pen in ink and began writing a letter.
To her parents.
She told them about life in France.
About the café.
About Noah, Jack, and Daniel.
And about the strange dessert they had accidentally created.
She even mentioned the mountain trip they were planning.
When she finished, she folded the letter carefully.
For a moment she looked out at the dark sky.
Snow would arrive soon.
She wondered if her parents would be surprised to hear that she was now climbing mountains for blueberries.
A small smile appeared on her face.
Life in France had become far more adventurous than she had ever expected.
The Journey Begins
Early the next morning, the group gathered near the café.
Emma carried a basket.
Jack stretched lazily.
"Today we become professional berry hunters."
Noah rolled her eyes.
"Just don't accidentally invent another disaster."
Daniel laughed quietly.
Clare adjusted her coat.
"Let's go before the sun gets too high."
And together they began their journey toward the mountain.
The Blueberry Forest
The deeper they walked, the thicker the forest became.
Soon they found the bushes again.
Blueberries hung everywhere like tiny dark jewels.
Jack immediately started picking them.
"These are worth money," he declared proudly.
Clare laughed while filling her basket.
Emma moved slowly through the bushes.
Daniel helped Clare reach the higher branches.
For a while everything was peaceful.
Until—
"Jack! Don't wander too far!" Noah shouted.
But Jack had already moved deeper into the forest.
Noah followed him.
Emma walked toward another group of bushes.
Meanwhile Clare and Daniel continued along a narrow path.
Without realizing it—
They had all separated.
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