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“Grandpere, tell us a story,” Lou shouted, giggling as his grandfather tickled him a bit. He snuggled deeper into the big man’s arms, seeking his favorite spot.
“Yes, please tell us a story,” Emmy asked, her quiet voice still carrying over the loudness of her brother. “We love the one about how you and Grandmere met. It’s our favorite.”
Bella and Finn cooed from their bassinets, agreeing with their older siblings.
Chuckling to himself, Tom settled into the small rocking chair he’d gotten Marinette when she’d announced she was pregnant with Emma, the oldest. He’d been so happy for her that day though a little misty-eyed as he realized how much his daughter had grown before his eyes.
Her little family had certainly blossomed over the years as she and Adrien worked hard to provide for each other and their children.
“Grandpere, please,” Emmy urged, her small hand finding his and trying to lace their fingers together.
“Okay, my sweet girl, you win.” He pulled her into his lap, setting her opposite Lou while ensuring he could make out the twins nearby. “Well, let’s see if your old grandpappy can remember that far back.”
He scrunched his thick, slightly greying brows together, feigning great concentration before a large, beaming smile spread across his features.
“It was a beautiful summer day not too long ago,” he began, his story already unfolding within his mind as he replayed it for his grandchildren.
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The warm day had Tom ducking outside for the barest hint of breeze he could from the ovens he’d been bending over all morning. He certainly had put in a long day’s worth of work in the little bakery he’d found and begun working at a year back. He enjoyed the work and the people who came in, hopeful of owning his own one day.
As he took the mini-break, he wandered outside, his eyes not focused on anything in particular while his mind went over the last few batches he still needed to make for the day. His dreams were slowly coming true, he knew, but he itched for something a little more than just a career. He wanted a family, too.
Not that he was running out of time, mind you, but he longed for someone he could come home to each night, someone willing to help make his (and her) dreams come true. He wanted children, lots of children, but he’d be more than happy with one or two.
He could attribute this need to his mother’s own need for independence and freedom. She’d done her best with him, remaining a loyal and loving mother until he’d grown up and moved out. Her urge had taken her to places that Tom could only imagine, only wanted to imagine as he remained more than content in Paris.
He sank into one of the chairs situated outside the bakery, making sure the umbrella above him kept him shaded from the warm rays of the sun. He didn’t want a sunburn on top of the heat he already experienced on a daily basis within the bakery. His eyes even closed as that promising breeze found him, tickling at his skin and drying the beads of sweat that had formed minutes earlier.
“It’s rather warm, isn’t it? I hadn’t expected it to be so warm,” a feminine voice nearby said in the softest tone Tom had ever heard.
He blinked his eyes, hoping she wouldn’t disappear before he could put a face to that sweet voice. When the small woman at the next table offered him an equally soft smile, he felt his body jolt, almost as if he’d been struck by a bolt of lightning. Weird, since not a cloud roamed above them.
“July can be quite warm in Paris. It’ll cool off soon enough though. Autumn is the best time of year.” He moved with some caution in his seat, not wanting to startle the woman with his great size. He’d had that happen a time or two in the past, always hating the feelings it stirred.
She merely watched him, her smile never faltering. When she spoke again, her voice floated over the breeze, still soft as the first time yet no less poignant as his blood thrilled at it.
“It’s too bad. I would like to see Paris then, but I’ll be back with my family. I’m only here for a few days.” She took a sip of her teacup.
“That is indeed too bad.” He thought for a moment, his brows knitting to match the intensity of his working mind. He found he didn’t want her to leave, at least not until he could explain the sudden jolt she created to his system. He didn’t dare name it anything like love. It simply couldn’t happen that fast, could it? Shaking his head, he said the first thing that popped into his mind. “Have you seen much of the city yet?”
She shook her head. “Not as much as I want to see. I’m afraid Uncle Cheng prefers I stay close since he’s my chaperone for this visit.”
A chaperone? Hmm, that could make this a bit more complicated, but he wasn’t ready to give up so easily either. No, he needed answers, and she seemed to have them. He couldn’t let her go without knowing what she did.
“I wouldn’t mind showing you a few places.” At her arched brow, he held up his hands and added, “Nearby. I swear we won’t go far.”
She seemed to deliberate for far longer than he thought anyone could possibly do so, but the smile she eventually showed him had his heart rate accelerating to dangerous levels.
“I think that can be arranged. Monsieur?”
He smiled and held out his hand, which she took without hesitation, “Tom. Name’s Tom Dupain.”
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Tom looked down and smiled, his beautiful grandchildren fast asleep. Standing he moved to place first Emmy, then Lou onto the bed their mother once used during her childhood. He kissed each of the cheeks before heading toward the trapdoor where he glanced once more and going downstairs. He met his wife at the bottom of the stairs, wrapping his arms around her tiny frame.
“It’s nice having them here, isn’t it?” she whispered.
“Hmm, it is, but I wouldn’t mind some time with the most beautiful woman in the world.” He peered down at her, his brows waggling much to her amusement.
“You’re a bad influence, you know that? That’s the reason we have four grandchildren.”
“Not that you’re complaining, right?”
Sabine smiled then. “Not that I’m complaining.”
Soon, they moved toward their bedroom, happy they’d found each other that summer day so long ago and the family they’d created while also making their dreams come true.