Vivien K. Wilk

They hadn't opened an hour before Grace realized the news got around, in fact, here really fast. Both the bookstore and the cafe had customers and while Grace got the feeling that people were curious about her, that didn't seem to be the only reason they stopped by. The first impression of Sidney and Kyle was very positive. They were friendly to customers, joked around and even knew many by name. It was easy to imagine that they had been a great relief for Evellyn. A feeling of uselessness began to creep in on her. She had stood with Sidney for a while, but she felt more in the way than she could help her. That's why she had moved to the café and thankfully accepted one of Kyle's delicious chocolate cappuccinos. As she sat there, lost in thought with her drink, she noticed someone step into her field of vision. Surprised, she looked up and felt her face instantly brighten.

"Is the place free?" Asked Björn with a charming smile.

"Of course, please have a seat."

Bjorn took off his brown coat, threw it over one chair and sat on the other free one. Briefly he let his gaze wander over the area before he turned to her. Grace got the impression that he looked very pleased.

"A really wonderful place. I would have thought that it would make me sad to see the place in operation without Evellyn, but basically the opposite has happened. It's nice to see how you, Sidney and Kyle take good care of everything. "

Grace rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment.

"I think I've done the least here," she replied, "They both know what they're doing."

"That's right. Still, I think it's nice that the shop is open and that will only have happened on your orders."

Grace didn't really know what to answer, so she only smiled briefly. At that moment Kyle stepped over to the table with a tray.

"A black coffee and a scone, as always", he turned to Björn while he put everything on the table.

Björn laughed in amusement.

"I still don't know if it's a good thing I'm such a creature of habit. Thanks Kyle."

"Makes my work easy."

Kyle seemed to want to stay with them longer, but new customers called him away and he gave a short, apologetic smile before walking over.

"You have been here often?"

"I have to admit every lunch break. I could never do without Kyle's coffee."

"It seems to be the case with many," said Grace as she looked around.

"Yes, that's true. It helped, of course, that the last real café in our district closed its doors years ago. This has filled a gap, something that many have wished for. A place where people can meet In the summer Evellyn even made a part of the garden available. At one point she told me that she would go crazy if she didn't have a hustle and bustle in the house.

Presumably she would have liked to start her own family.

Grace tried not to let the thought drag her down, so she just nodded. Fortunately there was no strange silence between them, because suddenly Björn sat up and raised his hand in greeting. When Grace looked in the direction, she saw a young woman, probably her age, with long, slightly wavy, reddish-brown hair. She wore a fabric sports jacket, jeans, and a purple cap on her head. She also raised her hand in greeting before walking over. Bjorn got up.

"Hannah, how nice to see you. How is your family."

Hannah stopped in front of him, leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"According to the circumstances," she replied.

For her slim stature, she had a surprisingly deep voice. Björn nodded in confirmation, as if he knew exactly what she was trying to say before he realized that he had not yet introduced Grace.

"Grace, may I introduce? This is Hannah Wood, cook at the bed and breakfast a few streets away. Hannah, this is Grace, Evellyn's great niece."

Immediately a broad smile appeared on Hannah's face and she sat down on the chair on which Björn had hung his coat. This wasn't fast enough to take it off and Björn seemed unsure whether he should just pull it away from behind her back.

"How nice to meet you, Grace. I was actually hoping that you would stay with us, but I can understand that you wanted to be in your aunt's house. How do you like it? Isn't the place wonderful?"

Hannah began to take off her jacket as she spoke, revealing a plain black sweater. The next moment, however, she paused. The expression on her face changed from lively, to serious, and then to apologetic.

"I mean ... my condolences. I was so excited ... I didn't think about why you're here for a moment. I'm sorry. That must have been quite a shock."

Grace laughed uncomfortably.

"It's okay. It's ... unreal."

Hannah nodded in confirmation.

"It really is. I still think that she always comes around the corner. Sometimes she came to us for lunch with Sidney and Björn on her break. When I get her favorite order, I still think for a moment that she will visit us again. "

Björn had meanwhile sat down again and was drinking his coffee. He always nodded lost in thought.

"If you need any help, Celina and I are happy to help," added Hannah. "Do you already have a catering for the funeral feast?"

"Uh, I ... no. The undertaker had given us a couple of restaurants whom he had worked with, but he has not sent me the homepages yet."

"If you want, I can do that. I've already done this a couple of times when our party room was rented. And I'm sure that we can accommodate you in the price. I have to discuss it with Celina, but I think she will have no objection. "

Grace was taken by surprise at the sudden offer. Up until now she had tried to suppress the thoughts of the funeral a little. They had already discussed a lot, but there were still the details that needed to be clarified. And Hannah seemed nice, she didn't want to offend her. But was it a good idea to just accept the offer? The silence seemed to speak volumes, as Hannah smiled apologetically.

"I don't want to impose myself. Just help."

Hannah thought for a moment before a smile appeared on her face again.

"How about you just come to the restaurant tomorrow. I'll talk to Celina beforehand and then I'll serve you some of my food. Then you don't have to say blindly."

The suggestion sounded sensible, and Grace felt the tension release a little. She could still say no then. But maybe it was a nice idea too, since Evellyn had apparently enjoyed eating there.

"Agreed. I would come around 2 pm."

"Perfect", Hannah beamed happily, "Then I can introduce you to Celina and Sinje too. They will be happy to meet you."

A little overwhelmed, Grace just nodded in confirmation. She had to admit that her head was slowly buzzing with all the new names and faces. And somehow she was sure that it wasn't going to decrease anytime soon. It was a welcome break when Kyle brought Hannah some coffee to go. The two exchanged friendly words for a moment before Kyle went back to work.

"Don't you have to go to the restaurant again?" Asked Björn.

Hannah glanced at her watch and made a disgruntled face.

"Do you want to get rid of me, Björn?", She asked a little sullenly.

"No, absolutely not dear Hannah. Your presence is always a blessing, but I also know that Celina can sometimes be a little exhausting in these matters."

"Tell me something new. I love this woman, but sometimes she drives me crazy."

Hannah laughed out loud before getting up. She put her jacket back on and smiled at Grace.

"See you tomorrow then."

"Till tomorrow," Grace replied with a smile too.

Hannah raised her hand again in goodbye before reaching for her coffee and leaving the shop. Grace watched her go for a long moment before leaning back with a deep breath.

"Did Evellyn get on so well with everyone?"

"Most of them, yes. I think we will all be a little overwhelmed by how many will come to her funeral. So if I can make it easier for you, let me know. And maybe it would be a really good idea to give the buffet to Hannah. She may be a bit work-shy at times, but never with things that are really important to her. And I can guarantee that helping you will be very important to her. "

"Why?"

The question was out of her mouth faster than she could really think about it. Björn seemed just as surprised by her directness. It took a moment for his answer.

"Evellyn helped her too. She supported her family to put down roots here. Basically just like me. She wasn't as narrow-minded as some of the others here."

"You mean, she and Celina are a couple?" Grace asked hesitantly.

"Married to be precise. And Sinje is they adopted daughter."

"I think I understand."

If Evellyn had been so open to them from the start and had supported the family, she understood much better why Hannah wanted to help her. And she was satisfied that her great-aunt, despite her age, had evidently been so cosmopolitan. When she thought of her grandmother, that was probably one of the biggest differences between the two sisters. Grace shuddered slightly as her thoughts returned to some very uncomfortable conversations with her grandma they'd had on the subject.

"Is everything all right my love?"

She was glad that Björn's words got her out of her mind.

"Yes, everything is fine. Just lost in my thoughts for a moment. I'm definitely looking forward to lunch."

"I speak from personal experience when I say that I am sure you will like it."

The lawyer checked his pocket watch.

"I'm just afraid I'll have to go back to the office. I still have appointments this afternoon. Can you handle everything by yourself?"

"Strictly speaking, I'm not alone."

"That's true", Björn smiled, "If there are still problems with the undertaker, please get in touch."

Grace returned his request with a nod, whereupon Bjorn finished his coffee. He grabbed his coat and got up. He gave her another encouraging smile before saying goodbye to Kyle and Sidney on the way out. Even though Grace had been convinced of her own words, she felt a little sad that he hadn't been able to stay. It was true, she wasn't alone, but he felt like her closest ally next to Brigitte. She took a sip of her cappuccino while she continued to take in the atmosphere of the shop.