Paper Love

by Jae

  Old woman? Anja was the only woman on payroll, and while she had felt like an eighty-year-old after the trade fair last Saturday, she certainly didn’t consider herself old. “Um…”

  She felt more than heard Susanne walk up behind her. “I’m just seven minutes older, so if I’m old, what does that say about you?” She stepped past Anja and hugged the stranger.

  Anja stared at them. That was Susanne’s twin sister?

  They were roughly the same height, and they both had the same slender build, but her sister’s eyes were more blue than gray and her brown hair didn’t have the subtle red highlights that shimmered in Susanne’s hair.

  Anja had, of course, known that they weren’t identical twins, but somehow she had expected that she would recognize Susanne’s sister immediately should she ever meet her. So much for that theory.

  Susanne’s sister greeted her uncle with a hug and then turned toward Anja. “You must be Anja. I’m Franziska, Susi’s younger, better-looking sister. I’m glad I finally get to meet you. Uncle Nobby has told me so much about you.”

  Anja threw him a glance. “I hope only good things.”

  “Oh yeah. He always sounds as if he’s ready to adopt you.” Franziska took her hand in a strong but gentle grip and winked at her. “But I’m glad he didn’t because that would make us cousins.”

  “Behave!” Susanne gave her sister a playful slap to the back of her head. The glare she sent her wasn’t so playful, though.

  “Hey!” Franziska rubbed her head. “I come all the way from Berlin, and that’s how you greet me? To make up for it, you should have to pay for dinner. And lunch tomorrow. Who’s on board?” She looked from her uncle to Anja.

  Anja didn’t want to intrude on Susanne’s time with her sister, and she certainly didn’t want to encourage her flirting. “Sorry. We’re open for another hour, and I promised my best friend a hike up to the Schlossberg tomorrow.”

  “Ooh, that sounds great,” Franziska said. “That’s the one thing I haven’t done on any of my visits. Uncle Nobby always claims he’s too old to make it up there.”

  Nobby put on his most pained expression and pressed a hand to his back. “You young people go ahead and enjoy yourselves.”

  Anja bit back a smile. She knew Nobby was quite capable of making it up the Schlossberg, at least if she lured him with a beer and a Flammkuchen in the beer garden halfway up the four-hundred-and-fifty-meter-high hill. She squinted at him. Was he sending them off alone to play matchmaker and set her up with one of his nieces…and if yes, which one?

  “Don’t worry. We will.” Franziska looked at Anja. “As long as you think your friend is okay with us tagging along.”

  Anja stared at her. How could twin sisters be so different from each other? While Susanne tended to be more reserved, Franziska had apparently never met a stranger.

  “Are you crazy?” Susanne slapped the back of her sister’s head again. “You can’t just invite yourself along like that!”

  “It’s okay. I don’t mind.” Anja realized she hadn’t just said it to be polite. She really didn’t mind.

  “Are you sure?” Susanne asked. “I don’t want to hijack your plans for the weekend. After we’ve worked together so much this week, I bet you’re sick of spending time with me.”

  Usually, Anja did relish having time to herself, but now she found that she wasn’t sick of Susanne’s company at all. Quite the opposite. While they had spent every evening together for the past week, their interactions were mainly about stationery and online promotions, and now she was curious to see how Susanne would be away from work with her sister. “I’m sure. The more, the merrier. As long as you don’t mind getting slobbered on.”

  “Slobbered?” Franziska repeated. “Oh, you mean because you and your friend will drool over—ouch!” She glared at her sister, who had pinched her.

  Susanne glared right back.

  Anja had to laugh at their antics. “No. My friend has a dog.”

  “Oh, cool. I love dogs.” Franziska’s grin faded. “Seriously, though, are you sure your friend is fine with having us join you?”

  “Yes,” Anja said. Miri was always up for meeting new people and probably wouldn’t mind spending part of the day with two beautiful women. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’ll hit it off.”

  They arranged to meet in front of Paper Love at ten, then Susanne and her sister were out the door, with Susanne sending one last apologetic glance over her shoulder.

  Anja sank back onto her stool. “Are you sure one of them isn’t adopted?”

  Nobby laughed. “I’m sure. They’ve always been very different. Franzi reminds me of my brother, while Susi…Susanne takes after her mother’s side, at least when it comes to her personality.”

  “Is that the reason her sister kept visiting you, while Susanne didn’t? Just different interests?”

  Nobby’s laughter abruptly stopped. “I really don’t know what made her stop visiting.”

  “She’s been here for three weeks, and you still haven’t asked her?”

  He glanced down and traced a faded ink stain on the counter with his fingertips. “Now that she’s here, I don’t want to chase her off by bringing it up. I don’t want her to think I’m trying to make her feel guilty. I’d rather just enjoy her company while it lasts, you know?”

  “Then why not come with us tomorrow? We wouldn’t have to go all the way up. We could just have lunch at the beer garden if it’s open and then walk back down.”

  He softly squeezed her shoulder. “I appreciate it. But I’ll be meeting Ulrike to go to the farmers market tomorrow morning.”

  Ulrike had been his neighbor and close friend for as long as Anja had known him, but lately, there had been a twinkle in his eyes whenever he mentioned her, so Anja couldn’t resist teasing him. “Ooh! You’ve got a date! Why didn’t you just say so?”

  Even his beard couldn’t quite hide his blush. “It’s not a date. We’re just buying vegetables.”

  “Oh, is that what people over sixty call it?” Then she stopped teasing and gave him a sincere look. “I’m really happy for you.”

  “Hey, I said it’s not a date. It hasn’t even been a year since Ulrike lost her husband, and at my age, you’re not ready to jump into something new that fast.” But he smiled every time he mentioned her name.

  “Well, then I’ll just be happy that you’re buying vegetables and getting your vitamins.”

  “Thanks.” He nudged her. “Come on. Let’s crunch the numbers for today and try to get out of here on time. We’ve both got big plans tomorrow.”

  Chapter 11

  Anja and Miriam were already waiting when Susanne and Franzi arrived in front of the store at ten o’clock. While the dog excitedly jumped around them, Anja made the introductions.

  She looked good this morning in a pair of faded jeans, scuffed hiking boots, and a red-and-black, fleece-lined jacket that she’d left open because the sun was shining. For once, Freiburg lived up to its reputation as the sunniest city in Germany, and the temperature was almost springlike, even though February had just started.

  Susanne unbuttoned her own coat too.

  Two people on bikes whizzed past them on the cobblestoned street, so Anja led them across the street to the sidewalk and then continued on in the direction of the Swabian Gate.

  Susanne couldn’t help noticing how effortlessly Anja and Miriam stepped over the Bächle without even giving it a glance, as if they just sensed that the narrow canal was there. In contrast, Susanne had to consciously pay attention not to step into one of them again. “What purpose do they serve?”

  Uncle Norbert or one of her other relatives who lived in the area had probably explained it to her when she’d been a child, but back then, she hadn’t really paid attention.

  “I think in the Middle Ages, they were used as a water supply for animals and for preventing fires,” Anja said. “Nowadays, they’re just—”

  “Glitter,” Susanne finished the sentence, r
emembering what Anja had said about things that were nice to look at but not really necessary.

  Anja laughed. “I guess you could see it that way.”

  Franzi and Miriam traded confused gazes, but neither Susanne nor Anja explained the glitter comment.

  “But I like them,” Anja added. “They’re just so…so Freiburg.”

  Susanne admitted to herself that she was coming to like them too. They were a remnant of a time long gone and no longer served a real purpose, but being around Anja and her notebooks and fountain pens was starting to give her an appreciation for the more old-fashioned things in life.

  “Sounds like you haven’t had much time to play tourist,” Miriam said. “What parts of our beautiful city have you seen already? Have you seen the Schwabentor?” She gestured toward the medieval tower guarding one of the city gates.

  Susanne glanced up at the knight standing over a slayed dragon depicted on this side of the tower. “I’ve driven by this guy a few times.”

  “This guy is St. George, patron saint of Freiburg,” her sister said. “And what do you mean…driven by? You’ve been in Freiburg for nearly a month now, and you still haven’t really seen anything?”

  “Like Miriam said, I haven’t had much time to play tourist. But I’ve seen the Gerberau and the Fischerau,” Susanne said, naming the two streets closest to Paper Love. “And, of course, the famous Bächle.”

  “You didn’t see it,” Anja corrected with a smile. “That’s why you stepped into it.”

  Franzi roared with laughter. “You stepped into a Bächle? You know what that means, don’t you?”

  Susanne huffed. “I’m not superstitious.”

  Anja led them up a couple of steps to a bridge crossing a busy street. Once they made it to the other side, they followed a path that circled up the Schlossberg, which despite its name—Castle Hill—looked more like a forested mountain to Susanne. She fell into step next to Anja, while Franzi and Miriam followed behind them, deep in conversation, and the dog trotted ahead with his tail wagging the entire way.

  After a few minutes, they passed a beer garden. Long, orange tables and wooden benches had been set up beneath old chestnut trees. People were sitting outside, eating pretzels and Flammkuchen. The scent of bacon, onions, and melted cheese from the pizza-like dish drifted over.

  Susanne shook her head at the people.

  “What?” Anja asked. “You don’t like Flammkuchen?”

  “I love it. It’s just… In Berlin, beer gardens aren’t even open in February.”

  Anja shrugged. “Well, that’s Freiburg for you. At the first rays of sun, the street cafés and beer gardens open, even if they have to provide blankets to their customers.”

  “It’s the same in Berlin—but a month later.”

  Soon, the paved footpath turned into a hiking trail through sun-dappled woods. Birds were singing all around them, and a woodpecker hammered away in a tree above them. Susanne admired the way the fresh air brought color to Anja’s cheeks. She breathed in deeply. God, how long had it been since she’d taken the time to go hiking or just enjoy a day outside?

  For a while, only birdsong, low chatter from a group walking ahead of them, and the crunching of their shoes over the path interrupted the silence.

  “How come your sister knows Freiburg so well and you don’t?” Anja finally asked.

  Susanne took several more steps while she thought about how much she wanted to tell her. Usually, she would just claim that her career and her busy life had left her no time to visit relatives, but it seemed wrong to fob off Anja with that excuse. Because that was what it was, she realized now: not much more than a feeble excuse.

  “I stopped coming here after…” She threw a glance back over her shoulder to make sure Franzi was still talking to Miriam. It wasn’t that she wanted to keep secrets from her twin; she just didn’t want to bring up painful memories for her. Or maybe she didn’t want to make herself even more vulnerable by having her and Miriam listen in.

  “You don’t have to tell me.” Anja touched her hand. “I didn’t mean to be nosy.”

  Susanne looked down at her hand. “It’s okay. It’s not like having your parents go through a divorce is such a unique experience.”

  “Guess not. But it can still be painful.”

  Something in Anja’s tone made Susanne look up to study her face. “Your parents divorced too?”

  “No. But maybe they should have. They don’t have the best marriage. It’s not like they hate each other, but there’s not much love there either. Basically, they are just roommates who hardly talk.” She sighed. “Was it that way between your parents too?”

  “Oh no. They talked plenty. Well, argued, really. My father was not fit to be a husband…or a father.” Susanne kicked a branch out of the way. “I mean, he was a fun playmate, and he always bought the latest gadgets, so we loved spending time with him as kids, but when it came to taking responsibility and setting rules to raise us right, he left it all to our mother. She always says it was like having a third kid. I guess he never really grew up.”

  “Wow. I had no idea,” Anja said. “I met him once, when he visited Nobby. He seemed…nice.”

  Susanne nodded. “He is nice. But he lives in his own world with high-flying dreams that never work out. He’d start a business, then grow bored with the everyday details and jump onto the next brilliant idea. By the time my parents divorced, they were up to their necks in debt—which he stuck my mother with. She had to work like a maniac to save her own company. Nearly ruined her health over it.”

  Anja paused for a second before continuing on, leading them around a bend in the winding path. “I’m sorry. Is she okay now?”

  The question and the compassion in Anja’s tone touched her. “Yes. She’s fine. But she had to cut off contact with my father to not be dragged back into his mess.”

  “Is that what you did too?” Anja asked quietly. “Cut off contact with him and his side of the family?”

  “No. I…” Susanne bit her lip. That wasn’t what she had done…was it? “I’m still in touch with him.” Well, she called him on his birthday and on Christmas, just as she talked to Uncle Norbert and the rest of that part of the family a couple of times a year. She had always put it down to work and the physical distance, but she had to admit that she kept in touch with her mother’s side of the family much more.

  Anja let her chew on that in silence for a while, as if sensing that Susanne needed some time to think.

  “Nobby isn’t like that, you know?” she said when the path became steeper. “I mean, he might be a bit of a dreamer, and he’s not a great businessman by any means, but he’s the most constant, loyal person I know. He’s worked at Paper Love for nearly fifty years. He’s not chasing after new dreams every other week.”

  “I know.” Susanne struggled to breathe evenly, and it wasn’t just because of the hike up the hill. She was stunned at how much she had told Anja. She couldn’t remember ever telling anyone this much about her family history.

  Before she could decide if she should say anything else, the path took one last turn, and they reached a square. Benches were set around several massive, old trees and close to the edge of the square, which offered a breathtaking view over the city and the surrounding area.

  Susanne walked up to the waist-high railing. The cathedral and the Old Town lay below them, and behind them, a mountain range stretched out in the distance. “Wow.”

  Anja stepped next to her. “That’s the Vosges.”

  “So that’s France already?” Susanne pointed at the horizon.

  Anja nodded. “We’re just thirty or forty kilometers from the border and not much farther from Switzerland. There’s an observation tower a bit higher up. You’ll probably have an even better view from there. Want to go?”

  “Sure.” She turned toward her sister. “Are you up for a bit more hiking?”

  Normally, Franzi was up for pretty much anything and never admitted defeat before Susanne did, but thi
s time she hesitated. She exchanged a glance with Miriam. “Miri has promised to introduce me to the Flammkuchen in the beer garden.”

  What the hell…Miri? Half an hour ago, her sister hadn’t even known Miriam existed, and now she was already calling her by her nickname? Well, at least she was no longer flirting with Anja. “If you wait a little, we could all have Flammkuchen together.”

  “We can’t take Gino up to the observation tower.” Miriam pointed at her dog and threaded her arm through Franzi’s. “We’ll wait for you down there. Just join us whenever you’re ready.”

  Before Susanne could think of something to say, the two strolled back to the path leading to the beer garden.

  Anja stared after them. “I was pretty sure they’d hit it off, but I didn’t expect this.” She gestured at the disappearing act they were pulling. “Your sister isn’t going to break Miri’s heart, is she?”

  “Hey, why do you think my sister’s going to be the heartbreaker? It might be the other way around.” Truth be told, she wasn’t too worried about her sister. Franzi usually was quick to jump into flings but slow to lose her heart to anyone.

  “True.” Anja shook her head at them, then turned toward Susanne. “Well, they’re both adults.”

  “At least according to their passports,” Susanne threw in.

  Anja chuckled and set them off toward an even steeper, winding path.

  For a moment, Susanne half expected Anja to thread her arm through her own the way Miriam had done with Franzi, but she didn’t. Susanne shoved her hands into the pockets of her coat and pushed away the weird feeling of disappointment coursing through her.

  It took a bit of searching for them to find the tower because there were no signs pointing out which path they needed to take. “Sorry,” Anja said, sounding a little breathless from the hike. “It’s been a while since I was here.”

  “I don’t mind,” Susanne said and found that it was true. It was nice to be so far removed from her everyday life and the problems they dealt with at work. She looked around the slopes of the hill. “Why is it called Schlossberg?” They were nearly at the peak now, and still there wasn’t a castle in sight.