Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Lukas
As the weekend gets closer, I miss my parents more. I wish they were here to help me navigate this life. Sometimes I feel like I’m failing my siblings. I don’t always know how to help them when they need it. My siblings and I are all a year apart. So it felt weird having to take over as a parent figure when I had to.
When I met Emmanuelle, it felt so natural having her in our family. She was my equal in every way and she helped all of us deal with our sorrow. I know that she’s kept in touch with Felicity even after we broke up. And for that I’m so grateful to her. Felicity needed more than I could give her and we don’t have any other family around. I didn’t want to break up with Emmanuelle, I would’ve done anything to make it work with her. But again, neither of us were in the position to move to be with the other. And I’m still not able to do that.
“I’m going to go to the resort and talk to Karen about the memorial,” I say to Paxton.
“Okay. Are we still closing the store on Saturday?”
“Yeah. I don’t want to hire anyone to run the store. And I want all of us to go.”
“Are you coming by the store today? A customer came in yesterday asking for your popcorn.”
“Yeah, I’ll be in. Tourist?”
Paxton nods. “Your popcorn is getting to be well known.”
I chuckle. “Who knew that playing with flavors and popcorn would become something to be known for.”
“Right? It’s popcorn. But delicious popcorn.”
“You know Mom and Dad would be really proud of you and Rhett,” I say to him.
“Thanks. And I know we don’t say it enough, but thank you for everything you’ve done for us.”
“You’re welcome. I hope that I did right by all of you. I worry that I missed stuff.”
“What do you mean?”
“Like did you guys have everything you needed?”
“Yes. We never really needed anything. We’re all doing well now and even though we could move away and start a different life? We don’t want to. Mom and Dad would want us to stick together. So that’s what we’re doing.”
I nod. Pax is right, this is what our parents would’ve wanted. Which is why I can’t move to Storyville. And I selfishly wish Emmanuelle would move here. But that’s not fair of me to want that either. Her family is just as important as mine.
I head over to the ski resort to talk to Karen James.
“Hi I have an appointment with Karen,” I tell the hostess at the front.
“Your name?” she smiles at me.
“Lukas Vandenberg. I’m a little early,” I say just as Karen comes over.
“Lukas.” Karen smiles and gives me a hug.
“Hey Karen, thank you for meeting me. I just wanted to go over the details for tomorrow.”
“Of course. Let’s take a walk. I can’t believe it’s been five years,” she says.
“It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long. Thank you for letting us do the memorial here. It feels appropriate. To say goodbye again to them.”
She nods sadly at me. “We miss your parents too. They were a great couple and they loved all of you so much.”
“Thank you.”
“So, you want to do a buffet lunch and a small ceremony?”
“I do. I’d like to make a short speech. Today is for everyone who knew our parents. They were loved by our community and we miss them every day.”
“I love that idea. We’ll have everything ready by eleven o’clock. Then you can make your speech and we’ll start the buffet.”
I look over at the mountain. We’ve had a good snowfall this year, it’s come a little early and the mountain looks like a fluffy cloud. “I have to get to the store, thank you again. I’ll be here about ten-thirty tomorrow.”
Karen gives me a hug again.
I head to the store that my parents put their life savings into. We’re a grocery store, hardware and wood store, pharmacy and bookstore, all in one. Paxton runs the hardware and wood section, Rhett is in charge of the pharmacy and Felicity runs the bookstore. Me? I do everything else.
I start making popcorn the minute I get to the store. We sell plain, buttered, sweet and savory, candied and I’ve been experimenting with more savory flavors. I’ve also been trying to make a few heart-healthy options. It’s been fun trying all these different flavors.
“Is everything ready for tomorrow?” Rhett asks as he comes over to grab some popcorn.
“Yep. We need to be there at ten-thirty. And start at eleven.”
“Okay.” He nods as he munches on the popcorn. “This is good. New flavor?”
“I was trying to get a beef-stew flavor.”
“It actually does taste like beef stew.” He laughs. “And the popcorn makes it taste like the bread that goes with it.”
I chuckle. “So I should keep this flavor?”
“Hell yes. I think we need more like it. It’s like eating a home-cooked meal.”
“We need to brainstorm and come up with other meals that could be popcorned.“
“I’m in. I’m sure Pax and Lissy will want a say too. I’ll take some samples to them and see what they think.”
“Thanks.”
I go back to listing more flavors to try with the popcorn. I’ve been making them two different ways. One is to make the food, freeze it, then dehydrate it and then blitz it into a powder. The other way is to take the food, blend it and then pop the kernels in it. The second way works better with the candied versions. There’s a third way I want to try and that’s to soak the kernels in the flavor and then dry it out before popping it.
Emmanuelle
I’m still really nervous to see Lukas. I know we talk on the phone and text. But seeing him in person is my weakness. It’s harder to deny what I feel when we’re face to face.
“Are you going somewhere?” my oldest sister Amélie asks.
“Yeah, I’m headed to Wintervale.”
“To see Lukas?”
“No. I’m going because Felicity asked me to. They’re having a memorial for their parents. It’s been five years.”
“Wow. Five years already?”
I nod.
“You know we would’ve gone with you if you had told us.”
“I wasn’t planning on going. But Lissy kept asking, so I decided yesterday. And I thought it was too short notice.”
Amélie watches me.
“Are you sure it’s a good idea? What about Lukas? Does he know?”
“I don’t know if he knows. But I’m going anyway. I was there when they found out about their parents. I think I need to be there now.”
Amélie knows that I still love Lukas, in fact all my siblings know. And they’ve always said I should move there since he can’t come here. But I was moving up in my department and if I had left then? I might have had to start over….but now I wish I had.
As I continue packing, my maman comes into my room.
“Amélie says you’re headed to Wintervale,” she says smiling at me. I love listening to her french accent. It’s gotten a little lighter over the years.
I look at my maman and nod. She’s always been a big supporter of my relationship with Lukas.
“Are you reconciling?” she asks as she sits on my bed.
“You know I can’t do that, Maman. I can’t leave all of you.”
“Mon ange, you wouldn’t be leaving us. You will always be a part of us. But it’s time you start your life, I know that Lukas makes you happy.”
I sit down next to her. “But I might have to start over as a firefighter. And what if he doesn’t want me anymore?” I say softly.
“Is it worth starting over to be with him?” she asks.
I nod. “I’ve always felt that he was the other half of me.”
“Then starting over is nothing. That’s just something that you’ll do. And as for Lukas not wanting you? Never. I saw the way he looked at you. Like you light up the night sky for him. That kind of love never fades.”
“How did you know Papa was the one?”
“I saw him in class and all I could focus on was him. He came up to me and introduced himself. I felt it deep in my soul that he was the one. I think that when you find your soulmate, you just know. And others can see it too. I see that when I look at you and Lukas and I never understood why you broke it off.”
“I was scared.” I sniffle. “I was so afraid to leave everything I loved and move there to be with him. And then he would change his mind. What if he decided that it was grief that made him be with me and not love?”
“Mon ange, listen to your maman. Lukas loves you. That love I saw? That wasn’t false or because it was convenient. Take this weekend and see that I’m right. And if you decided to move there? Know that all of us are behind you. One hundred percent.”
I hug my maman and wipe my tears.
“Merci, Maman. Je t'aime.”
“Je t'aime, mon ange. You deserve all the happiness this world has waiting for you.”
Listening to my maman gives me more courage to face Lukas. If they saw what I felt, then it must be true. Maman always said true love shines through the darkest nights.