After I dress, Astrid leads me to a bench and she has me sit while she moves to stand behind me.
“Open your gift now,” Catherine tells me as Astrid combs my hair. I do as she tells me, everyone watching me intently. I gently remove the flowers and remove the linen wrapping. Inside is a beautiful brass hairpin, the cover containing some kind of stone inside that would leave my hair hiding it.
“She said that the stone is what the men use to navigate the seas,” Catherine tells me. “No matter what happens, you’ll always be able to find your way back to Anders.”
I can’t help the tears that begin to well up in my eyes. It’s such a thoughtful gift because, truly, it may just be needed someday. Anders was shipwrecked and joined with a new village to try to get back home. He came across
