Chapter Text
Chapter Four
“Okay, sweetheart, are you ready for the next part of the story?” Tom asked the next night as Sabine tucked her in. Marinette was armed with that favorite cat of hers and an eager smile as her parents settled in and prepared for the last chapter of their tale.
“The baking business is a competitive one in Paris, and for my last project in school, I participated in a competition for the mayor’s official seal as well as a hefty grant to start up my own bakery. Your mother and I had gotten very close during our time in school, and I had a sneaking suspicion that she felt the same way about me that I did about her-”
“He’s a liar. He had no idea,” Sabine corrected, giving him a playful glare.
“Regardless, I determined that I wanted to impress her, so I decided to tell her how I felt after the competition, preferably after I won.”
x x x
Tom spent weeks slaving away in the kitchen in an attempt to perfect his recipe. Croissants were a staple in Paris, and Parisians were very particular about them. Second to baguettes, croissants were a determining factor for which boulangeries citizens frequented, and Tom had yet to master the perfect flake. Hours of his time went into rolling, layering, and shaping the dough for the texture that everyone adored, but something about each variation still left him wanting. He became so lost in his work, that he didn’t realize when Sabine arrived and stood in the doorway of his kitchen.
“Still baking croissants?” Her voice startled him a little, but he recovered and plastered on a smile. “There’s something I have to tell you…”
“Sabby! Good, you’re here; can you try this and tell me what you think?” He picked up a plate of possibilities and presented one to her. She nibbled off a piece and chewed it thoughtfully for a moment.
“It’s good,” She said finally, and Tom slumped.
“Just good?” He sighed, placing the plate back on the counter and moving back to finish rolling the dough on his next batch. “It needs to be outstanding. Best croissant you ever tasted.”
“Tom, you’re a very skilled baker. You’ve worked really hard in school; I’m sure you’ll do fine,” Sabine encouraged, placing a hand on his arm.
“I have to do better than fine. I want to win. I have to win,” He said, shaking his head, and sticking the pan back in the fridge.
“There are other ways to start up a business, Tom. I can help you-”
“I wanna do it on my own.” He cut her off with a determined frown, and Sabine eyed him for a moment before nodding.
“Okay. I’m rooting for you,” She said with a small smile, stepping aside as he returned to his mixer.
For him, it was a chance to test his skill and see if he truly had what it takes to be a baker, something that Sabine understood well and, therefore, gave him space to achieve it. This competition was important to him, and he was important to her, so she’d do everything to support him no matter what. Whether he won or lost, she’d be by his side, and by the end of it, she’d finally confess her feelings.
After all, it would probably be one of the last times she ever saw him, and she wanted him to know how she felt. She eyed the plane ticket stuck to her mirror with a pensive frown. Now that she had her business degree, her parents were making arrangements for her in China. In a few months, she’d have a much different life, and the thought of it made her stomach churn. She’d learned to love life in Paris. It’s where she’d grown up for most of her life, and to her, it was home. He was home, and the past couple years spent with him were some of her fondest memories. Memories she wasn’t quite ready to let go of yet because she felt like they had so many more to make, but not much could be done. Their flight was scheduled for the day after the competition, not that she could bring herself to tell him. It would only worry him more, and he needed all of his focus.
So she visited Tom often in the days leading up to the competition, watching, tasting, and critiquing croissant after croissant until he finally settled on his best. As he skimmed through his notes anxiously, Sabine moved around and placed a hand over his, brushing flour from his cheek.
“You’ve done your best, and your best is amazing. You’re going to do great tomorrow, and no matter what happens, I’ll be right there cheering you on, okay?” She cupped his face with a warm smile that he returned with equal emotion.
“Thanks, Sab. For everything. I know I’ve been crazy the past few months, but I really want to do well. You’ve been really patient, and I appreciate that,” He said, leaning into her touch.
“You’re my best friend, Tom, and I know this is important to you,” She murmured, and he leaned down to press his forehead to hers.
“It’s not the only thing important to me, ya know,” He breathed, eyes full of a warmth that made her chest tighten. His head tilted ever-so-slightly, and Sabine held her breath as their eyelids drooped and lips inched closer in time, but the sound of footsteps approaching forced them apart as if they’d both been shocked.
“Tommy! Have you seen my- oh!” Mrs. Dupain came around the corner, stopping short when she observed their close proximity. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt!”
“It’s fine, Ma,” Tom sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“I was actually just leaving,” Sabine said, grabbing her bag off the chair and nodding politely to Mrs. Dupain. “Lovely to see you. Good luck tomorrow, Tom.”
“Hey, Sabine!” He called, holding up a hand as if to stop her, and she froze in the doorway, heart pounding a mile a minute in her chest. “Let’s get lunch this week. Maybe on Saturday?”
“Uh, sure. Sounds great,” She replied with a pained smile before rushing out.
She cupped a hand over her mouth as she walked, wincing against the stinging in her eyes. Of course she suspected that Tom had feelings for her, but the reality of it only made things harder. Tomorrow was her last day in France, and leaving him was going to kill her.
Neither one slept very well that night. Tom was too giddy and nerve-wracked about his competition and the almost-kiss with the girl of his dreams, and Sabine spent a better portion of the night quietly and unsuccessfully fighting back tears. The judging would take place at noon, and Tom got up early to prepare his entry. His mind wandered to Sabine often as he waited for the dough to chill between turns, and thinking of how close their lips came to meeting made his heart flutter. He’d win the competition for sure then he’d tell Sabine how he felt, they’d get married, open up a shop together, start a family, and live happily ever after.
Tom boxed up his entries and followed his classmates to set up and wait for the judges to make their rounds. He glanced around and noticed Mr. Dufour and Sabine standing across the room and offered them a wide grin. Sabine waved, returning the smile, though something about it seemed off. He didn’t have time to survey her as the mayor approached with the panel to sample his creations.
“Mmm, excellent work, Mr. Dupain,” He complimented, and Tom perked up.
“Thank you very much, sir.” Tom nodded politely as the panel moved on. He shot a thumbs up to Sabine who clasped her hands together over her heart proudly.
While the judges deliberated, Tom made his way across the room to meet up with Mr. Dufour and Sabine. Having them there meant the world, and he shook hands with his mentor who congratulated him for coming so far. Sabine remained quiet, unable to bring herself to meet his gaze head-on, even when he scooped her up into a tight hug.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” He breathed, and she felt her stomach flip with guilt.
“I told you I’d be there to support you. We’re just lucky Mr. Dufour had an in with one of your professors,” She squeaked as he squeezed her tighter. “Tom, I really can’t breathe.”
“Sorry.” He released her immediately, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish wince.
“How do you think you did?” She asked.
“The mayor seemed to like them, so we’ll see…” He shrugged.
“Having the mayor’s stamp of approval will certainly help kick start your business, but it’s also important that you know how to maintain it. People will have high expectations if the mayor endorses you, so you’ll need a plan, Thomas,” Mr. Dufour advised. Tom glanced back at Sabine, who shifted her gaze to his hands on hers.
“I’ve got one,” He assured him as the judging panel reappeared. “Gotta go. I’ll see you both after.”
“There were many outstanding entries today, and choosing my favorite proved quite difficult,” The mayor started as the contestants lined up. “But a winner must be named, so, excelling in taste, texture, and presentation, it is my honor to announce my full endorsement to Mr. Thomas Dupain. Congratulations, Thomas, and thank you to all of our participants. You’ve all done exceptional work.”
Tom’s jaw hung slack for a moment before he stepped forward to shake the mayor’s hand and accept the plaque. The world seemed to move in slow motion as several judges, teachers, and classmates passed by offering their congratulations. He’d actually won, and for a while, everything seemed surreal. It wasn’t until the news actually sank in that he began frantically searching for one person with that wide grin of his.
“Tom!” He spun around to see her racing up as the crowd around him thinned. He held out his arms to catch her embrace, but to his surprise, she jumped at the last second and snaked her arms around his neck, pulling his lips down to meet hers for a brief, sweet moment. “You did it! You won!” He stared at her dumbstruck, and she felt her cheeks flush when she realized what she’d done.
“I love you.” The words spilled out of his mouth before he could think.
“You- oh, okay, um,” Sabine stammered, cheeks flushing.
“Is that okay?”
“Yeah.” She nodded. “It’s perfect, and…I love you too, but-”
“That’s great!” He cheered, lifting her up off the ground and crushing his lips to hers once more, and Sabine savored it while she could, but he needed to know the truth. “Sabine, let’s open a boulangerie together. You and me, what do you say, huh?”
“Tom, I’d love to, but I-”
“You’re so good with business stuff, and I can do all the baking. It’ll be perfect!” He sighed, nuzzling her nose with his own.
“Tom!” She shouted in exasperation, and he finally focused back on her. “I have to tell you something.”
“What is it, my love?” He cooed, planting several more kisses on her cheek.
“I’m leaving France tomorrow,” She said, letting out a deep breath.
“Where are you going?” He asked, caressing her cheek delicately.
“China.”
“Oh, when will you be back?” She averted her gaze, and he sobered a little. “Sabine-”
“I don’t think I’m coming back, Tom,” She said quietly.
“What?” His face fell. “No, you can’t leave! We just…We just confessed our love, and I don’t want you to leave.”
“I don’t have a choice,” She croaked, biting her lip to hide how it quivered.
“Then I’ll come with you.”
“No.” She shook her head. “Tom, you’re an amazing baker, and you belong here in Paris.”
“I belong with you.”
“I wish there was something I could do, but I already have a job in China.” She stared dejectedly at her hands on his chest.
“Well, quit.”
“I can’t.” She shook her head once more and glanced at her watch. “I have to go. I’m proud of you, and I know you worked really hard for this. For what it’s worth, I’m really glad I got the chance to know you.”
In a matter of minutes his world had erupted with such light and life only to be shattered in an instant. This wasn’t how he pictured things at all, and the gaping hole in his heart had already begun to set in as he watched Sabine walk through the doors and out of his life. It was as if a piece of him had gone with her and left a bleeding wound in its place. That pain lasted for several months as he continued his apprenticeship with Mr. Dufour, and somehow, the passion he once had for creating had fizzled out. His eyes kept wandering to the front counter where a new cashier had taken Sabine’s place, and that bakery felt much different to Tom now. The air was no longer light and welcoming, but often times felt suffocating and heavy which didn’t go unnoticed by the old baker watching over him.
“It’s not the same, is it?” Mr. Dufour remarked one afternoon as Tom gazed at the front counter with a distant expression.
“I miss her,” He murmured, shoulders slumping.
“I found myself in a similar situation many years ago when my wife passed away,” Mr. Dufour said, retrieving a few loaves of bread from the oven with the wooden peel. “I lost my desire to work for a long time, and even now, some days are still hard.” He turned to Tom and gave him a stern frown. “You can guarantee that if she was still alive that nothing, not even a continent, would stop me from being with her.”
“I don’t know what to do! She told me to stay here,” Tom said defeatedly. “I know she’d want me to follow my dreams, but she’s part of those dreams.”
“For goodness sakes, boy,” Mr. Dufour groaned.
“Um, excuse me,” The small girl from the front register interrupted quietly, shrinking a little when they turned their attention toward her. “A letter just got dropped off for you, Mr. Dupain.”
Tom’s eyebrows knitted together curiously as he accepted it, and upon reading the address, he ripped it open eagerly.
My Dearest, Tom,
How is your apprenticeship going? I am overseeing my uncle’s business here in China, and frankly, I couldn’t be more bored. I miss you terribly every day. China is even more crowded than France, and even though I’m surrounded by family, I couldn’t feel more alone. I thought that after several months things would get easier, but I still think about you all the time. So I thought maybe we could write letters to keep in touch, but even as I sit here to write this, I become even more homesick for you. I would give anything for a macaron right about now or to be able to see the Eiffel Tower again. I hope you are doing well. Please write back soon! I long for something of you here.
Love,
Sabby
“If I were you,” Mr. Dufour started. “I’d take that address and go after her.”
It took him a while to find a flight, but within a week, he found himself in a foreign land with nothing but a suitcase and a letter, searching desperately for the woman who changed his life by knocking a cake onto the floor. Without Sabine, he never would have known how much he loved baking, and without her, none of it even really mattered to him. And so long as she still loved him, he was going to find a way to be with her even if it meant abandoning his life in Paris. Even if it meant he’d never bake anything again.
Several kind natives eventually pointed him in the right direction, and he found himself outside a large office building. Taking a deep breath, he walked up to the receptionist and held up a picture of him and Sabine that his mother had taken outside the bakery.
“Sabine Cheng,” He said hopefully, and the woman looked him up and down curiously for a moment before reaching for the phone and rattling off something he didn’t understand into the other end. After a brief conversation, she hung up and pointed Tom to the small sitting area across the room. “Uh, thank you?”
He sat down awkwardly, shifting his eyes around the room to all of the other clients trying their best not to stare. After several minutes of waiting, Sabine burst through the doors with a stunned expression, blinking several times to make sure she wasn’t imagining it.
“Tom, what on earth are you doing here?” She gasped, meeting him halfway in the lobby. She took his wrist and dragged him back to her office then faced him with a scolding frown. “Have you lost your mind?”
“Yes.”
“Tom, I can’t go back with you.”
“I know,” He said with a shrug, and Sabine rubbed her temples. “I’ll move here.”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that. You can’t open a bakery here like in Paris. I don’t want you to give up your dream for me.” She took his hands pleadingly.
“Sabine, you’re my dream, and I know that I’m yours,” He replied, leaning down to press his forehead against hers. “I just want to be with the woman I love.”
“Tom…” He silenced her with a soft kiss, and a good bit of her will ebbed. “I want to be with you too, but not like this. Not here. We both know we belong in Paris.”
“So, what are we gonna do?” He asked, and Sabine contemplated it for a moment.
“The only thing we can do,” She said, pressing her lips into a firm line.
“What’s that?”
“Run.” She let out a breathy laugh.
“As in-?” He cocked a brow.
“Take me back to Paris. I’m running away,” She whispered, stretching up to touch her lips to his. “I’ll meet you at the airport tonight.”
“Are you sure?” He raised his eyebrows and searched her expression.
“It’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission. I’ll deal with the consequences later,” She assured him.
“Sabine-”
“Go find us tickets,” She ordered, swatting him with the file in her hands.
“Right.” Tom nodded, grabbing his suitcase and sweeping her up for one last kiss before rushing out.
That night, Sabine packed a small suitcase and wrote a letter to her parents. It was the craziest thing she’d ever done, but Tom was worth it in her eyes. Work in China was bleak and unsatisfying, and if they stayed there, neither of them would be truly happy. She only hoped her parents wouldn’t be too hurt by her decision, but for once in her life, she had a clear picture of what she wanted, and it was a bakery in Paris with Tom.
“You’re leaving.” She jumped at the sound of her mother’s voice in the doorway behind her. Sabine spun around guiltily, shrinking like a dog being scolded for tearing up a shoe.
“Mother, I-”
“It’s okay.” She cut her off, holding up a hand. “You’re unhappy here, I can see it.”
“This is the first thing that I’ve ever wanted, Mother.” Sabine grimaced, stepping into her mother’s embrace. “I want to be with Tom.”
“I know,” She replied, breathing her in deeply. “And you should be with him.” Sabine pulled back to see her sad smile as she brushed away a tear from her daughter’s cheek. Her eyes were filled with understanding, and Sabine wiped an arm across her face. “Go. I’ll handle your father.”
“Thank you,” Sabine croaked, collecting her bags and walking away from her old life toward her one and only dream. It was the hardest decision she’d ever made, but she never regretted it.
Upon returning to Paris, she and Tom were married, and Sabine helped him start up their very own boulangerie. They had a rocky start, and things weren’t always perfect, but they had each other which made the bad times more bearable, and soon enough, they found a steady routine that got them on their feet. Looking back, neither of them could have ever imagined that they would have ended up together this way, but life often had other plans. And such was the story of the baker and the business woman that had all started with a cake.
x x x
“What happened next?” Marinette asked, tilting her head to the side.
“Well, they got lots of good business, and eventually had a crazy little girl,” Tom teased, tickling her belly and prompting a series of high-pitch shrieks and squeals.
“And they’re living happily ever after,” Sabine added, leaning over to peck her husband’s cheek.
"I wanna marry someone like Papa one day," Marinette declared, and Sabine and Tom chuckled in amusement.
"You're going to meet so many people in your life, sweetie, and one day you're going to find someone who makes you want to be better. Who will support you no matter what, a partner who will help you bear your burdens against all odds, who will be your best friend and who will love you despite all of your faults. And that is the person you should marry," Sabine explained, smoothing her hair. "But you've got quite a few years before that happens."
"And don't you dare rush them," Tom said, pinching her cheeks with a playful glare.
“Can you tell the story again again?” Marinette requested, bouncing excitedly.
“Maybe tomorrow night, sweetie. It’s well past your bedtime,” Tom said, kissing her hair.
“Promise?” She pouted, and her parents pulled her into a warm embrace.
“Promise. Now get some sleep.” Sabine tucked her in again as Tom clicked off the light.
“Good night, little princess.”
“Good night, Mama and Papa.”