The Apple Orchard

Part Ten





BAKED HOT CHOCOLATE

It’s crucial to use the best quality chocolate you can find. Don’t put anything in this dessert you wouldn’t eat directly. And don’t overbake. You want a delicate crust on top of a warm, silken interior.





9 ounces of dark semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes

4 eggs

1/4 cup sugar

whipped cream or vanilla ice cream to taste





Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange six small ovenproof mugs or custard cups in a baking pan.

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler set over barely simmering water. Whisk until smooth and set aside.

Whisk eggs and sugar together in a mixing bowl, then set the bowl over simmering water and stir constantly until warm to the touch.

Remove from heat. Beat egg mixture with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Fold egg mixture into chocolate mixture.

Spoon the batter into cups. Add enough hot water to baking pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Bake until the tops lose their glossy finish, about fifteen minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of ice cream or dollop of whipped cream that has been lightly sweetened and spiked with Cointreau.

(Source: Adapted from a recipe by Heidi Friedlander, former pastry chef of the Cleveland bistro Moxie)





Epilogue



The mariachi band came to the grand opening of the shop. The refurbished building looked as fresh as a new bride, hung with flower baskets filled with May-blooming lilies and vines. Rose blossoms were scattered artfully on the lawn and walkways, their bright tones reflected in the polished windows.

As the festivities ramped up, Tess was nearly giddy with excitement. The shop, once the place where Eva Johansen sold produce from the orchards, was now Tess’s very own domain. She had poured her heart and soul into transforming Eva’s place into her own. When she was ordering the sign that would arch over the front door, she had made a last-minute adjustment. Instead of calling the place Things Forgotten like her grandmother’s place in Dublin, she decided to rename it Things Remembered.

Everyone came to check out Archangel’s newest establishment and to wish Tess well. Even her friends from the city had come—Neelie, the newlyweds Lydia and Nathan, and Jude, trying hard to maintain his edge of cynicism amid the music, the food and wine. There were pavilions set up outside the shop for the band and the food, and a big area of the parking lot was kept clear for dancing.

Tess was startled by the arrival of a black town car, sending up a rooster tail of dust as it pulled into the parking area. “Excuse me,” she said, her stomach tightening in anticipation as she headed for the car.

“Oh, baby, I hope I didn’t miss the festivities,” Shannon said, exiting the town car on a swirl of colorful scarves, an oversize handbag on her arm.

There were a hundred things Tess could say to that, but she let go of her exasperation and hugged her mother close. “You’re just in time, Mom.”

“That’s wonderful,” said Shannon. “I’m so excited for you, Tess.”

“That makes two of us. Come on, there’s someone I want you to meet.” Tess took her mother’s hand and led her to the front of the building.

The VIP of the day was Magnus Johansen. He was in a wheelchair and could only be up a short time at a stretch, but he was getting stronger every day. Just as the doctor had predicted, he’d emerged gradually from the coma. Tess liked to think the main turning point had occurred when Annelise had visited him, taking his hand and speaking in Danish, sitting with him for hours.

“Magnus,” said Tess, putting a hand on his shoulder. “My mother’s here. Shannon Delaney.”

The old man looked up, dignified with his snowy froth of hair and the new shirt Isabel had given him. His lap was covered by a plaid woolen blanket. “I’m glad to meet you,” he said, extending his hand.

Shannon and Tess sat with him for a few minutes. “Erik told me about you,” he said.

“I didn’t know that.”

“I wish I’d listened better. I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize,” said Shannon.

“He didn’t take the egg,” Magnus said.

“What?” both Tess and her mother asked in unison.

“Erik,” Magnus explained. “He didn’t take the egg. My son was far from perfect, as are we all. But he was no thief. I sent him to sell it. That was the last I saw of my son—and the treasure.”

Tess leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. “Thank you for telling us.”

“Now everything is as it should be,” Magnus said. As Tess rose to resume her hostess duties, he reached for her hand one more time. “I dreamed of you,” he said. “When I was in the hospital, I dreamed of the day you’d come to Bella Vista. But this...” He gestured at the colorful gathering, the beautifully restored shop with its freshly painted sign. “It’s better than I could have dreamed.”

Her heart was full as she posed for pictures in front of the new shop. There was so much more of Tess here, objects that represented her taste and her values, but it wasn’t just her. Isabel’s jams, sauces and baked goods were offered, and she’d promised jars of honey from next year’s harvest. The gorgeous rare wines of Angel Creek Winery were featured—of course. There were some fine antiques, but they were mixed in with vintage items, as well—time-worn enamelware, vintage glassware, handmade soaps and candles, crafts from local artisans, anything that caught Tess’s fancy. Things Remembered already felt like home to her, a place filled with history and meaning for the Johansens, and now for Tess, as well. She thought her grandmothers, Nana and Eva, would approve. She knew for certain that Annelise did; she was a frequent visitor to Archangel, spending most of her time in quiet devotion to Magnus. She never failed to lift his spirits, and some of her best rummage-sale finds were now for sale in the shop.

The delicate chords of the vihuela heralded the mariachis’ signature song, “Cielito Lindo,” and nearly everyone danced. These days, she saw everything through a gauzy dream of happiness. It was Dominic’s doing. She had completely changed her life for him, and her every instinct told her she was finally on the right path. When he arrived with his kids, she felt a flood of emotion that underscored those instincts.

“Listen,” he said, “I need to talk to you. I know you’ve got a lot going on today, but it’s making me crazy to wait.” He took her hand and led her into the shop, which was closed off to the public until the ribbon cutting. Everything inside had been restored and arranged, the antiques and collectibles beautifully curated on shelves, the local produce, including Isabel’s preserves and Angel Creek wine, displayed in abundance. In the center of the place, as grand as a church organ, sat Nana’s desk, from where she had presided over Things Forgotten in Dublin. Tess ran her hand across the top of the massive piece, suddenly filled with memories. Nana had never really left her.

“The first time I set foot in your apartment,” Dominic said, “I knew I was going to fall in love with you.”

“Really?” Her heart skipped a beat. “I was so embarrassed. The place was a mess. I was a mess.”

“True,” he said, “but that didn’t stop me. Maybe it was the way you kept your files in the fridge, or the panties drying on a lampshade.” He laughed at her expression, then turned serious. “It was just...you, Tess. I liked everything about you. I could see your heart in the things you collected and surrounded yourself with.”

“Other people’s treasures,” she said softly.

“I loved that, and I loved the fact that you kept your grandmother’s desk.”

“She’d be so happy for me today,” Tess said.

He brought her over by the old iron stove, now restored to a fresh gleam and decked with cut flowers. “This,” he said, “is when I knew for sure I loved you. Right here, the day of the storm.”

“You made a fire. I loved that day, too. And I loved you. I wish I’d told you then.”

“You can tell me now.” He took a ring from his shirt pocket and slipped it on her finger. The chill, bright platinum immediately warmed, and the diamond winked in the sunlight through the window. “Your grandfather gave me the diamond,” Dominic said. “I had it made from a tie tack his wife gave him as an anniversary gift one year. Marry me, Tess.” He lifted her left hand to his lips. “Say you’ll marry me.”

She couldn’t speak, but she knew her heart was in her eyes when she looked up at Dominic. He bent and brushed his lips to her temple. “Okay, how about this. Stomp your foot once for yes, and twice for—”

“Yes,” she said on a rush of joy. “How could it be anything but yes?” They shared a long kiss, and she felt the world shift—invisibly, inexorably.

Arm in arm, they walked outside together. “Ah, Tess. It’s going to be so good.”

“It already is,” she said. “But what about—”

Trini and Antonio hurried toward them, their faces lit with curiosity.

“Something tells me they already know,” said Dominic.

“Did you do it, Dad? Did you pop the question?” Trini demanded.

“Actually, I—”

“I knew it!” Trini said, throwing her arms around Tess. “I totally knew it!”

Tess looked at Antonio over his sister’s head. “We wanted you guys to be the first to know. Are you okay with this?”

“Does it mean you’re gonna move in?”

“Yes, after we get married.”

“Where’s the ring?” Trini grabbed both her hands. “Gosh, that’s a really pretty ring. Can I tell people, Dad? Can I?”

“Sure, you can.” He tousled Antonio’s hair. “You want to go help spread the news?”

He took off, and within moments, literally, Tess and Dominic were inundated with well-wishers. She caught his eye as he submitted to the backslapping and high-fiving, and mouthed the words, I’m going to love it here.

Whether he understood her or not, she couldn’t tell, but he looked ridiculously happy as he opened a jeroboam of his best wine.

As the wine was being poured, Tess spied Isabel through the crowd, and when their gazes met, they made their way toward each other, jostling past friends and neighbors. Isabel looked so beautiful to Tess just then, her face shining with delight. She looked like...family. “When?” she demanded, pulling Tess into a hug.

Tess pulled back. “Just now. I swear, I didn’t see it coming. I wished for it, of course. Dreamed of it, but...he took me totally by surprise. I think I’m in shock. And so happy, Isabel. I never thought I could be this happy.”

“It’s only the beginning,” said Isabel. “And it’ll only get better from here.”

Tess extended her hand to her sister. They held fast to one another as they headed toward the dancing crowd, aglow in the golden light of late afternoon, surrounded by the bright sounds of music and laughter.