The soft chime of the bakery's door bell broke the quiet serenity of the morning as the two old friends, Ethel and Lila, looked up from their chopping boards to connect eyes. "Hey!" "Ah, hello!" Ethel, with her apron slightly askew, waved at Lila, her voice filled with genuine cheer. Lila returned the gesture, her eyes crinkling at the corners. Lila took an over-sized mug of steaming coffee from the counter, the froth forming a playful line on her nose. "Thought I'd surprise you. Needed a warm up." Ethel picked up a linen-wrapped roll and gave it a tentative sniff. "Well, let me taste." The two women crammed past each other, the wooden planks creaking gently under their weight. Ethel, eyes closed, savoured the aroma with a soft hum. "Tannen," she declared. "You're a real wizard with your bread today." Lila beamed. "Takes a specialist, you know. But I believe I've manned my pudding series pretty well." Ethel chuckled. "You do have your clientele under control. I just heard Daisy bragging about your triple chocolate fudge loaf, though. You piquing the interest, I see." "Don't let that head get any bigger." But the teasing was light-hearted. The two of them had come from humble roots in this quaint town, their skills in baking having garnered them fame with the locals in these five years. Ethel patted a cake mix with her thumb. "Listen. Winchester's coming back to town tomorrow." Lila looked up sharply. "Really? How do you know?" Ethel took a sip of coffee. "Caught it from Mrs. Burt's gossip-swap yesterday." Lila's face creased with worry. "Ethel, no fair! With speculation, I need to know now." Ethel winked. "Don't worry, worrywart. He's just passing through, inspecting our little project. Not planning on launching a second bakery any time soon." "You wish! Must be nice. Splashing glamour around while you tell each other riddles." Ethel laughed. "Who needs riddles, mind? It's the bread that's the real secret here." Gentle laughter filled the air, their camaraderie clear in every word, every gesture. They continued their work in the bakery, the day's energy awaiting them, the warmth of the community woven into every stitch of their fabric.