Chapter Text
I know I've got to find
Some kind of peace of mind
Maybe
– Jimmy Ruffin, What Becomes of the Brokenhearted
“For god's sake!”, Regina exclaimed in frustration, she closed the lid of her laptop and threw it next to her on the couch.
Then she got up, pulled at her tight bun and shook out her long auburn hair, “I'm too stupid!”
Hands on her hips, she blew a strand of hair out of her face and turned to her family.
Her son, Bartosz had just looked at her briefly and now his smartphone got his full attention again.
Her husband Aleksander, closed the folder with reports, he had taken home from work and stood up, to extended his hand to her.
“No, you're not. Come here.” he smiled.
Regina knew, he would always find a way to cheer her up and even if she wasn't in the mood for returning the smile
and only rolled her eyes at him, she still put her hand in his. He led her through the door, into the garden.
It was a mild summer evening. Regina loved the slowly colourful sunsets,
the way the birds sang and the feeling of the dewy grass beneath her bare feet.
This was part of the home, they had build for their little family, and it filled her heart with joy.
But tonight, she was frustrated, even the beautiful purple-pink shades of the sky couldn't calm her down.
It was the damn website, she had to build on time for her hotel. She was technically skilled, when it came to media and internet and stuff
– she hadn't been called a nerd in the 80's for nothing – but somehow the homepage didn't meet her expectations...
Aleksander started kneading her shoulders in a pacifying manner.
“Those are very tense,” he said and worked his fingers a bit firmer into her knots, which caused her to sigh in relief.
“What is it, that really got you so worked up?”
Regina gave a laugh, he knew her too well.
She felt his lips at the spot behind her ear; even after all these years his kisses were still able
to get her knees weak and to cause a pleasant shiver all over her body.
“Give me a proper kiss, perhaps I'm gonna tell you,” she turned around to face him.
She closed her eyes, while he lifted her chin up and kissed her.
As they parted, Regina whispered: “Why their daughter?”
Aleksander looked at the door and put his arm around her, to pull her a bit further away, out of earshot of their son.
“His best friend isn't here, he's bored,” he shrugged his shoulders.
Regina stopped walking, “Bored? That's low from you – I hope, we raised our son, not to be one,
who's just taking advance of girls hearts out of boredom! I have nothing against him dating, having a girlfriend
– I just... Why, of all the girls in whole Winden, he chooses Katharina Nielsen's daughter?”
Bartosz put his head out of the door. “Mama, Papa? I'm driving over to Martha,” he called.
“Okay,” Aleksander answered, “But don't come home late!”
“Have a good time,” Regina added.
“Thanks,” their son waved good-bye and disappeared.
They went back inside, as well.
“Why them?” Regina still complained. “Katharina hates me. Ulrich hates me. And well, I can't stand them either.”
They went to their little kitchen.
"And you know, it isn't only about them. Jana still looks at me, like I am some sort of threat against her family.
Everybody knows: I am not her husbands illegitimate daughter,” she paced back and forth,
while Aleksander leaned against the kitchen counter, thoughtfully listening to her.
“I don't get it. I agreed to the paternity test and still she is not okay with me walking the earth. What did I do?”
she threw her hands in the air and looked at him desperately.
“I guess it's Jana's memory of Claudia.” Aleksander encircled her waist, in an attempt to calm her down. “She sees your resemblance and –”
Regina pushed both hands against his chest. “What kind of reassurance is that, Aleksander?
Half of town hates you, darling, because you look like your mother? Are you kidding me?”
“I would never dare to call you darling,” he said, with a grin on his face and let go of her.
“You better – whatever,” she sighed.
“I thought way too much, about these people. I don't want to dream about the woods tonight,”
she said, with a weak smile. Even if she tried to make it sound like nothing, he could hear the fear in her voice.
Aleksander took both of her hands in his, “Listen, I can't guarantee you, that you won't have nightmares,”
he stroked her hair back and looked into her eyes,
“But I promise you, to be at your side.”
She nodded, “You're my hero,” she said sweetly.
“You're so much braver than me, Regina.”
She put her arms around him and lied her head against his chest,
“Tell me everything will be alright.”
“Everything will be alright – darling” he added with a smirk.
“Aleksander!” she exclaimed in playful annoyance.
A few days passed and one evening Regina had to face a dilemma.
What would be worse? Not knowing about Bartosz's whereabouts or calling Katharina to ask her, if she had an answer.
Ugh, she was almost about to call Aleksander. Despite the late hour, he wasn't home, because he had to attend a board meeting.
'No, you're not bothering him during a meeting, because you are acting like a scared teenager,' she strictly told herself.
She felt her courage slipping again.
'Get yourself together', she thought and dialed Katharina's number.
She got it from the sticky note Bartosz had left at the fridge. Martha's Mom.
Her son knew her tendencies too well. Why couldn't he just answer her messages!?
'He's probably at the lake', she tried to reassure herself.
The mobile phone reception wasn't good there. But what if not... Images of the woods flooded her mind. She touched the call button.
“What?” spat the school directors voice in her ear. How charming.
“It's Regina.”
“Yes, recognized your number. Martha had given it to me.”
Oh that was kind of interesting – was Katharina perhaps a little bit of a helicopter mother herself?
“I just wanted to ask, if Bartosz is with Martha,” Regina asked.
“Why, don't you know where your son is?” the woman mocked her.
“Please, Katharina – just tell me, if he's at your house.” she pleaded impatiently.
“No, but he is with Martha. They're at the lake. I told them to get home by 11.”
Regina held her phone away from her face and breathed a sigh of relief.
“Fine. Thank you.” she was about to end the call, as: “Hey! Regina?”
“Mmh?”
“I'm not allowing him to stay here overnight.”
“I didn't assume that.”
“I'm not so keen, on becoming grandmother of your grandchild, Tiedemann.” Katharina said dryly.
“Me neither.” Regina scoffed and with that she cut the line.
She put the phone aside and ran her hands through her hair.
“You got this,” she thought to herself.
“I overcame an obstacle today” she greeted Aleksander in the hall, as he came home late from the meeting.
“How so?” he asked confused and suppressed a yawn, while he hung his coat at the rack.
“I called Katharina to find out when Bartosz is coming home. And we stayed almost civilized.”
“Aha. Good,” he said a bit distracted and came over to hug her. “Then I'm proud of you, I guess.”
Regina laughed and they kissed.