by Lost
‘Ah,’ Fifi looked pleased. ‘Here is Ruben and Victor. Oh, Raff.’ She put her hand on his arm. ‘Henri is here!’
Raff gazed at his father, tears pricking at his eyelids. This was something he thought he would never see; his father out and about in Paris again, not confined to the house. It had been enough of a miracle in Raff’s eyes that his father had ventured out into the garden.
‘Dad.’ He walked up and shook Henri’s hand. ‘I can’t believe you’ve made it.’
Henri gave a half-smile. ‘I can’t say it wasn’t difficult. Or strange. It feels so… bright out here. But Paris looks magnificent. I’ve missed it.’
Raff couldn’t stop smiling.
Pinter in the meantime had cornered Sophie. ‘So you’re alright after the other night? After all the Estelle stuff?’
Sophie nodded. ‘Yes, I’m ok. I think Raff and Coco had a difficult conversation with her and I understand that she has taken off now for good.’
Pinter shrugged. ‘For the best, I’m sure. I don’t advocate anyone being without their mum, but that wasn’t a good mum and she was doing more harm than good.’
‘Definitely. It wasn’t nice seeing Coco like that. She was so upset.’
Pinter eyed her carefully. ‘And… have you made any decisions yet?’
Sophie’s mouth twisted. ‘Yes, I think I have.’
‘Are you going to tell me what that decision is?’
‘Not yet. I need to speak to Raff first. Is that ok?’
Pinter smiled. ‘Everything is ok with me as far as you’re concerned. You know that.’
‘I do love you, Pinter.’ She hugged him. ‘And I’ll get Savannah’s photos sorted in a few days’ time. They look gorgeous so far.’
‘She’ll love them. I can’t wait to see them properly. Big business, wedding photography in Paris.’ He gave her a pointed stare.
Sophie rolled her eyes.
‘Right. I’m on champers duty so I’m going to make sure everyone has a glass in their hands for the speeches.’
‘I’ll help,’ Sophie offered.
Together, they opened bottles of champagne and filled up the plastic champagne flutes that Fifi had grudgingly agreed were rather more practical for the party than crystal. They made sure everyone had a glass of bubbles, apart from the kids who had plastic tumblers of orange juice, and then they lined up in front of Raff who stood in front of the macaron counter.
‘Ahem.’ Raff cleared his throat and everyone turned to look at him.
‘I just wanted to say a few words before we crack open some more bottles and let customers in.’ He looked nervous, but soon got into his stride. ‘I’d worked here for a while before as you probably know, and jumped at the chance when Mariele invited me back. Why? Because I love this local business and really wanted to bring something new to it. I’ve worked in large pâtisseries before and other macaron shops, but I think we can all agree, that this one is special.’
There were nods and murmurs of agreement.
Raff continued. ‘Mariele has worked hard over the years, mostly single-handedly, to provide a business that is both traditional in its values and commercial in its thinking. In her absence, Sophie and I have worked hard to keep everything running as Mariele wanted it, but as soon as she mentioned revamping it, we couldn’t help jumping at the chance.’
Sophie felt a bit emotional at the mention; she couldn’t stop herself checking the door just in case her mum was about to arrive.
‘When can we eat some macarons?’ Pinter called out jokingly.
‘Soon, soon,’ Raff laughed. ‘Ok, I’ll wrap this up. With Fifi’s help, we have managed to revamp the inside of the shop as well as the outside. We have new bags and boxes thanks to Sophie, and I created a couple of new macarons.’ He shrugged modestly. ‘So. All that remains for me to say is, thank you so much for coming today. Thank you for being here to celebrate with us and enjoy this launch.’ He met Sophie’s eyes. ‘And here is to Mariele’s safe return, whenever that may be. Mariele!’ he finished.
‘Mariele!’ everyone chorused soberly.
‘And the macarons!’ cried Pinter, popping open another bottle of champagne to whoops of joy.
Everyone starting tucking into Raff’s colourful macarons, exclaiming in delight at how delicious they were. Raff opened up the front door and pulled down the canvas covering the new sign. There were gasps at how shiny and beautiful the new sign looked and then customers started flocking in.
Sophie stood by the door expectantly, saying hello to regulars and new faces, but struggled to hide her disappointment that none of them was her mum.
‘She might still turn up,’ Raff said, squeezing her waist.
Sophie leant into him. ‘I know. It would just be so perfect if she walked in right now and saw all of this.’ She met his eyes. ‘Actually, it’s not about any of this; it’s just her. I really want to see her. She used to come over to England every couple of months or so… this is probably the longest amount of time I’ve been without her.’
Raff nodded. ‘It’s tough when you’re so close. It’s like me and Coco; we’re together so much and there’s only me – especially now – so I feel it more when she’s not there. That’s why I really felt for you when Coco went missing the other day. I know it’s different, but this is what you’ve been dealing with for the past few months. I think I’d have gone crazy.’
‘I think without the constant texts I would have done,’ Sophie admitted. ‘They have been an absolute lifeline. It has been like… having mum here, but not having her here. But at the same time… those texts…’ She faltered.
‘What?’ Raff asked. ‘You think there is something strange about the texts. But she did call that time, remember? You’ve spoken to her.’
Sophie took her phone out. ‘I know and the phone call was reassuring, although very brief. But the texts… I can’t explain it, Raff. They sound like her, but not like her at the same time. It’s as though… I don’t know. They are her words, but the texts don’t read the way her texts normally do. But I know it’s her because she knows things that no one else could possibly know. The things from our childhood… only Eloise and I were there. And I can’t imagine she would have told anyone else such silly, insignificant details, nor would anyone be able to remember them all, I shouldn’t imagine.’
‘It’s definitely weird,’ Raff agreed. ‘But I guess we’re not going to be able to figure it out. We’ll have to just wait until she gets here so she can explain everything.’
Sophie nudged Raff. ‘Ooh look. Fifi is introducing Henri to someone. Do you think it’s her friend Margaux?’
Raff turned and watch his father go into gallant mode over Fifi’s friend. She was a kindly looking woman in her sixties at a guess, with blond, shoulder-length hair and a caring face. She was well turned-out and dressed in a smart pair of jeans and a thin pink sweater that matched the walls of Mariele’s Macarons, and she was laughing softly as Henri held on to her hand rather longer than he was meant to.
‘Well, that’s something I thought I wouldn’t see for a while,’ Raff murmured.
‘Do you mind?’ Sophie probed. ‘Does it feel as though it’s too soon, perhaps? It’s only been a year or so.’
‘No.’ Raff smiled as he watched his father. ‘It would be odd to see him with someone else, of course… no one can replace maman… but I just want to see him happy. He’s been so grief-stricken, so depressed. I honestly thought his agoraphobia was a permanent thing. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to see him smiling again. Out in the city he loves.’ Raff grinned. ‘Flirting.’
Sophie felt her phone ringing in her pocket. ‘It’s Jo,’ she said, surprised. ‘Probably phoning to wish us good luck. Hey. Are you ok?’
‘I’m fine,’ Jo said, sounding excited.
‘What’s up? I’m at the macaron shop for the re-opening. Hello, Madame Bouchon.’ Sophie smiled at a regular customer.
‘Oh yes, of course! I totally forgot that it was today. N
o, I’m phoning about something else.’ Jo paused. ‘You know that photo of that guy, Theo?’
‘Yes. I can’t find it though.’
‘I took it,’ Jo confessed. ‘Don’t be cross with me; I just thought I might be able to do a bit of digging once I was back in England.’
Sophie was taken aback. ‘Ok… well, did you find anything out?’
‘Yes!’ Jo sounded exultant. ‘You remember that it said Surrey on the back? Well, it wasn’t just that; he was standing in front of this huge house with a tea shop next to it.’
‘Was he?’ Sophie couldn’t remember. She had only looked at the man’s face.
‘I got on the phone and spoke to a friend of mine… another estate agent, to see if she recognised the tea shop. She did and she said it had been sold some years ago and turned into a bakery…’
‘Right…’ Sophie really couldn’t see where this was going. She glanced to the door to see who was coming through it. Her heart sank again when it wasn’t her mum.
‘I should say, a cake shop, not really a bakery.’ Jo’s tone was triumphant. ‘A pâtisserie, if you like.’
Sophie frowned. ‘A pâtisserie. Really? Ok, that’s slightly weird…’
‘Isn’t it? Ok, so it was this guy Theo who bought it. And the house next to it. And he ran the pâtisserie himself, because he’s a pastry chef.’
‘Well, that must be how mum knew him. Perhaps they trained together.’
‘Quite possibly, but that’s not even the best bit.’
Sophie was beginning to feel impatient.
‘I went to Surrey!’ Jo said. ‘I played detective and I went there. Guess what, Theo hasn’t been around for the past few months, so someone else has been running his business for him. He was married but he left his wife two years ago.’
‘Ok. I’m confused here. What’s the important part: that he was married and left his wife, or that he’s not been around for the past couple of months?’ In spite of her confusion, Sophie felt a flash of excitement in her gut. This was significant; she could feel it.
‘Both. That’s all I have for now, apart from the last bit, which is his name.’
‘What, Theo? We know that?’ Sophie looked up. Pinter was waving his arms at her agitatedly. She started to smile, thinking it must be her mum back, then realised Pinter looked stressed out and her smile faded.
What’s wrong?’ she mouthed.
Pinter stabbed a finger at the door. Sophie looked over then felt herself turn pale. Oh no. It couldn’t be…
‘Sophie, are you listening?’ Jo was talking louder.
‘Jo, I’m going to have to go…’ Sophie said.
‘You can’t!’ Jo shrieked. ‘I have to tell you about his surname. It said “M” on the photo and that stands for Mar…’
Sophie hung up.
‘R-Ryan…’ she stammered.
Raff’s head snapped round. Surely not…
But yes. Standing in the doorway, his broad shoulders filling the space, his tan deep and his smile wide but nervous, stood Ryan.
‘Hey,’ he said. ‘You didn’t tell me not to come, so here I am.’ He had his fingers curled around a small box.
Sophie gaped. Oh God. She hadn’t answered Ryan’s text. She had got so caught up in Coco going missing and getting the shop ready for the launch and for her mum to return that she had completely forgotten to go back to her ex-boyfriend to tell him not to get a flight from Dubai to Paris.
‘Oh, Ryan. I’m so sorry.’ She shot a glance at Raff and shook her head.
Raff looked tight lipped, but he said nothing.
Ryan’s smile faded.
Sophie went over to him and took him to one side. ‘I should have come back to you. I can only apologise…’
‘You didn’t want me to come.’ Ryan looked crestfallen. ‘What an idiot I am. I shouldn’t have worded the text that way. My mates told me I’d done it all wrong.’
‘It’s not that; there has just been a lot going on here.’
Ryan tucked the box into his pocket, looking foolish. ‘I was trying to make a grand gesture. To show you how I feel. But it’s too late, obviously.’
Sophie felt awful, then steeled her nerve. Ryan had broken off their engagement and their relationship and had focused on his job, leaving her high and dry. It was a lovely thing, to have flown all the way over here, but it was too late. Mostly because of Raff, but just because of… well, everything.
‘It’s a sweet and romantic thing to do,’ Sophie told him quietly. ‘But I don’t feel the same any more. I didn’t after you left and definitely not since I’ve been in Paris.’
‘Anything to do with that sex god of a man over there?’ Ryan commented sharply. ‘The one who’s been staring over since I arrived? I suspect he’s important to you.’
Sophie winced. Was it that obvious? ‘I’m afraid so. But that happened after I came to Paris. My feelings changed before that.’
Ryan put his head down. ‘It’s my fault. All I could see was job progression and pound signs. I just didn’t see what was important. What was right in front of me.’
‘Well, we’ve all been guilty of that in our lives,’ Sophie said gently. ‘I’ve done the same thing. But… yes. I’m afraid it’s too late for us.’
Ryan lifted his chin. ‘Ok. I’m gutted, but I guess we’re just not right for each other. I shouldn’t have left you and you shouldn’t have been able to get over me so easily.’
Sophie nodded, feeling tearful. ‘It wasn’t quite as simple as that. I was gutted, I really was. But… maybe not as much as I should have been. Sorry, Ryan.’
‘Don’t be.’ He hugged her. ‘I’ll leave you to it. Head back to the airport so I can just jump on the next flight back.’ He nodded over in Raff’s direction. ‘You need to go and put that right. He’s fuming.’
Sophie glanced at Raff. ‘You’re right. Bye, Ryan.’
He left and Sophie didn’t watch him leave; she headed straight for Raff. She had important things to sort out.
Chapter Twenty-Five
‘Raff.’
He was standing in the kitchen away from everyone. And he looked pissed off. Understandably.
‘Right.’ Sophie took stock and got herself together. ‘I should have told you that Ryan messaged me saying he wanted to come over.’
‘Yes,’ Raff said tightly.
‘But I forgot.’
‘You forgot?’ He looked disbelieving.
‘Er… yes. I actually did. As terrible as that sounds, I forgot to mention it to you and I forgot to go back to Ryan to tell him not to come.’
Raff raised his eyebrows. ‘Yes, Sophie. I gathered that.’
‘I was so worried about Coco,’ Sophie explained swiftly. ‘Not that I’m using that as an excuse as such, but I was. And it went out of my head and I’ve been so concerned about the shop and about mum coming back and about you…’
‘About me?’ Raff looked disbelieving again.
‘Yes.’ Sophie bit her lip. ‘But I’ll get to that in a minute. Listen, I was out of order not letting you know about Ryan, especially since I gave you a hard time over you not telling me that Estelle had been in touch.’
Raff inclined his head, but didn’t comment.
‘And I feel awful that he flew all this way, when he didn’t have a hope in hell of getting me back. But I haven’t encouraged him to think that, either; I’ve ignored his texts pretty much from the start. And I think it speaks volumes that I forgot to go back to him on such an important text,’ Sophie finished. ‘I was so caught up with everything here, I wasn’t even remotely focused on Ryan.’
‘He looked as though he was holding a box in his hands,’ Raff commented, crossing his arms. ‘A small one. The kind an engagement ring comes in.’
‘Yes,’ Sophie admitted, cringing. ‘He was. Because he thought he could let me down and come back and be with me again.’ She bowed her head. ‘Kind of like me. I let you down and I’ve come back, but I haven’t assumed and actually I didn’t even see
it coming. But I want to be with you again.’
‘Do you?’ Raff unfolded his arms. ‘In what capacity, Sophie? Long distance? Are you going back to England?’
‘Yes.’
‘Yes?’ Raff looked dumbfounded. ‘After everything you’ve just said, after everything we’ve been through, you’re going back to England? Mon Dieu, Sophie! Well, ok. It’s better that I know.’ He shook his head, furious. ‘I can’t believe I actually thought you might stay in Paris. I’m an idiot, a fool. I’ve been so stupid… poor Coco… she will be absolutely devastated…’
‘Stop.’ Sophie silenced him, by kissing his mouth, hard. ‘Stop talking.’
Raff held her away from him. ‘No, you stop. What do you think you’re doing?’
‘I’m kissing the man I love and I’m trying to explain to him that I’m…’
‘Sophie!’
Raff and Sophie looked up.
‘Eloise…’
Sophie and Raff rushed out of the kitchen. Sophie clapped her hand to her mouth. There, in the middle of the macaron shop was her mum. She was in a wheelchair, but she was here. Here, in Paris and in her shop and she was home. She looked pale and her dark hair was longer than she normally wore it, but it was neat and tidy and she still looked like herself. Eloise was leaning over her with her arms wrapped around Mariele’s shoulders. There was a dark-haired man behind her, pushing the wheelchair and he looked familiar. He was tall and handsome and his face was kindly.
Sophie was vaguely aware of Pinter in the background, looking delighted, of Fifi weeping quietly into a silk handkerchief and of Albert and Daniel jumping around and yelling.
‘Maman!’ Sophie walked to her and dropped to her knees so she could hug her. She fell on Mariele and held her tightly, feeling Eloise’s arms on her head and her mum clutching her arms until they were all merged into one.
‘Where have you been?’ Sophie said tearfully.
‘We’ve been so worried,’ Eloise choked.
‘I know.’ Mariele stroked their hair. ‘I’m so sorry, mes filles. I know this must have been awful for you.’
Pinter took off his jacket. ‘Sophie, take your mum into the house. Me and Esther are running the shop.’