After last night’s email from Marta, asking him if he wanted to meet to talk about ‘where we’re at’, he wasn’t going to turn down the olive branch and a chance to get things back to how they used to be. Did she mean where they were at with the divorce papers, or seeing if they could go back to how things were, when he felt like a father and a husband, when he had dreams and a future? If she wanted to meet him this afternoon, he’d do it. He had to make this work for his son’s sake. He had to make Noah understand that he hadn’t abandoned him. He thought about the look in the boy’s eyes when he’d gazed in through the shop window yesterday morning and his heart twisted.
He picked up his coffee cup from beside the bed and wandered downstairs. Fritz was there to greet him as usual. He bent down and patted him and went to turn on the ovens. And then he saw the message from Connie, thanking him for showing her how to make gingerbread and attaching the photograph Paps had taken. It wasn’t perfect but he liked it. It made him smile. He didn’t do enough of that, these days.
He wondered whether to reply or not. He probably wouldn’t. He’d enjoyed talking cakes and patisserie with her. She’d been a brilliant student for the day. She had great skills. But, no, he wouldn’t message her again. He probably shouldn’t. Maybe just a quick You’re welcome. Any time would do it. He typed it quickly, sent it and put the phone down. That was it. He wouldn’t message again. No need to. Especially because she was involved with Heinrich. He needed to keep his distance. There was no way he wanted to get in the middle of anything going on between them. There was enough trouble between the two families. Besides, he had his own family to think about, Marta and his son. That was where he needed to focus. But he’d liked spending time with her. He’d made her laugh and she him. He hadn’t laughed in a long time.
He wondered if she might know Heinrich’s plans for his cake installation on Sunday. Would she? If she did, would he want to know? He didn’t. He’d pulled out all the stops this year and his piece was the best he’d ever done. He didn’t need to resort to espionage to win. Besides, the ice rink was arriving today. That would really add to the feel of the place in time for the competition. He hoped his son would join him down there. Spend some time together as a family. Feel like a family, feel like a father and son again, like he felt with his dad. Whatever happened, he mustn’t miss this meeting with Marta. He mustn’t be late. This was his chance and he had to try to get them back together and to how they once were.