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“Where is Sophie?” Leander asks as he enters his father´s office.
“Oh, I think she´s at Freddy´s.” Ben does not look up from his paperwork but then notices his son´s remorseful sigh. “You don´t approve? I am astonished. If I remember correctly, it was you who encouraged Freddy to open up the café in the first place.”
“Oh, it´s not that. I am glad it started so well. It´s just… Sophie seems to be married to her brother these days, more likely than to me.” He leans back in his chair across the office desk and crosses his arms before his chest. “Tell me, do I sound like an old grumpy husband?”
Now, Ben Achtmann laughs out loud and shakes his head. “Nonsense. You´re young and in love. You are annoyed that Sophie is out instead of waiting for you in the salon and probably helping you change into the dressing gown to sit comfortably in the great armchair; plus, serving you cigar and cognac.”
Leander rolls his eyes, and his lips pull into a sarcastic line. “I doubt she´d love you for that description.”
“I hear you.” Ben puts down his pen and leans back in his chair, too. “Now tell me. What is Sophie supposed to do, according to your idea.”
He points a finger at the young man, fully aware of how much respect Leander bears for his wife. For her wit and passion to do something for the poor. Even if it´s only a small contribution. Leander has introduced her to the life he rather does not like to talk about, even after living a year with his father.
Leander looks out of the window, studying absentmindedly the noble building facades surrounding the Achtmann house. Then, he turns to Ben with a serious expression.
“I want her to be herself. Not some made up chitty chatty wife who pretends to be happy in her so-called elite role of a grand burgher wife. No. Her ideas are great, yet she needs guidance not to overdo herself. Disappointment will follow soon enough. I want to be there to catch her when this happens. Meanwhile, she must be allowed to explore. Otherwise, she´ll wither.”
Ben tilts his head. “I´ve never thought about it. But you seem to know Sophie better than anyone else in this family ever did. Me, included.”
“I´ve seen what grandfather´s pressure and Konstanze did to her. She´s pressed the poor girl into a mechanism that Sophie wasn´t fit for. Konstanze believed that fame and success based on beauty and smart coquetry. It worked for her to a certain level. Unfortunately, I was not helping her career…” Leander sighs and lowers his eyes briefly. “I still wish things had taken another turn, and that I had been stronger to stop the madness sooner.”
“You can´t undo the tragedy. And I get the notion that Sophie has forgiven you, too.”
“She has. I can´t believe it. And that´s her strength. Sophie has character, a will to think for herself and not just titter as society expects from her. That´s what I want her to preserve. She shall never lose this personality that I fell in love in the first place.”
Ben looks at his son for a moment and then nods. “I understand. And when you talk like that, I can see your mother´s passion reflected in your eyes.”
Leander is not sure if he should tell Ben that it´s strange to him to think of his mother that way. He´s never seen her with passion in her eyes… all he can remember is her dazed gaze, blurred from the alcohol, and flickering to run from this hateful life… No. Ben should keep his Christine in mind as he remembered her. That´s the best thing for everybody. Even for his deceased mother. May she rest in peace, finally.
Leander smiles vaguely and then gets up, about to leave the office. “Well, I better go and see if I can find Sophie. There is still the matter of the charity shop that she wants to open.”
“Have you not discussed this already?”
“We have. But I asked her to wait until Freddy´s place is established, and she has more time and space for the next project.”
“Wise. Wise.”
“Tell my wife.” Leander laughs.
“No need for that. I just heard you.”
Sophie´s voice catches both men off guard and Leander swirls around, his eyes wide. How long has she been standing in the door?
“You could let us know…”
“And miss the interesting discussion?” Sophie tilts her head.
“I meant well…” Leander holds out his hand in defence.
“I know. You offer opportunities. But so do I.” She braces her arms in front of her chest and a snug smile appears on her lips.
“Oh… well…” Ben clears his voice. “I have something to do in the storeroom. You two… you figure out your… thing.”
“What is it?” Leander turns to Sophie once more the moment that Ben is out of the room, and she takes his hand, her face beaming with excitement. He could never get enough of seeing her like this.
“I got it.”
“What?”
“The room that´s adjoint to Freddy´s place.”
“What room?”
Sophie rolls her eyes. “That former office that is vacated since the great fire.”
“Oh, that one. What do you mean, you got it?”
Sophie lifts her chin. “I got a deal with the owner of the building.”
“You… you did?”
“Yes.” She frowns. “You don´t trust my business?”
“No. No! Not that, but… you´re a woman….”
“And I got a name, and he says that since Freddy is doing so well, he´ll let me the room.”
Leander opens his mouth to say something astonishing but then closes it again. His wife does not take praise easily. He needs to form his words wisely.
“I would have appreciated that you talked to me first.”
Now, Sophie lowers her eyes. “Sorry… was I overstepping? I thought you liked the idea that I take this in hand.”
“Yes, Sophie, I do.” Leander squeezes her hand. “I might had liked to be there and watch you sign that contract.”
“Because… you don´t trust me?” she asks too quietly.
“No, my darling.” He cups her chin and tilts his head to catch her soft glance now. “Because I am so proud of you.”
Now, her eyes refill with sparkle and her lips form into a soft smile. “You are not mad at me.”
Leander wags his head with a grimace. “A little bit.”
“Can I make it up?”
“I am sure you can.”
“Good.” She licks her lips and turns for the door, pulling her husband with her.
One hour later Sophie sighs, snuggling up against her husband´s chest and wrapping her arm around his waist. Leander runs a finger up and down his wife´s bare back, fascinated once again how home and loved he feels with her.
Sophie presses a small kiss onto his chest and then looks up at him.
“Say, you will help me with the shop opening?”
“I will do my best. It´s new to me, too. But I know people who know, you know.”
“Thank you. I am suddenly thinking I handled too fast.”
“Ah, I am sure you did it out of instinct. And Freddy will be happy to have you around.”
“Hm. I am so proud of him.”
“Valid. He´s talented and deserves his own place.”
“It´s thanks to you that he had the guts to try.”
“Yes…” Leander takes a deep breath and then pulls Sophie a little closer. “Sophie… will you spend all your days and nights there now?”
“No, why?”
“You were away a lot lately.”
“Really? I have not noticed.”
“Five nights at Freddy´s alone. And the other night you were working on that charity project.”
“Jealous?”
“Lonely.”
“You could come to Freddy´s, too.”
“I will… but I like to be alone with you, too.”
“We are alone now.”
“Yes…. but still.”
“I get it.” Sophie props herself up on her elbow and strokes his cheek, bathing in the warmth of his beautiful eyes. “I missed you, too.”
“I could come and pick you up from the shop and we go and have a coffee at Freddy´s before we head home.”
“That´s a fantastic idea.” Sophie beams.
“Glad you approve, Mrs. Achtmann.”
“I always admired your smart mind, Mr. Achtmann.”
He laughs and strokes a lose hair strand out of her face, his face suddenly very earnest.
“Not everything was smart that I did in the past.”
Sophie gasps, takes a deep breath and presses her hands to his chest, her voice husk with meaning.
“You once asked me not to hate you for what you did. You said you don´t expect me to forgive you, but I did. Please my love, leave the past behind and look ahead. What´s done is done, but what lays ahead can still be moulded.”
“I don´t deserve you, Sophie.”
“Oh, yes, you do. We are both the weirdos in this family, and we deserve to be happy together.”
Now, Leander gulps down the urge to cry but reaches to pull his wife into a passionate kiss. This is better than any words, and when she reciprocally answers by pressing her lips to his and her fingers reach into his hair, their world shrinks to one small happy place where everything around does not matter.