Love Is Pink!

After gathering myself, I grabbed a shopping cart and began wandering down the aisles. No problem. After all, just a few years ago, I used to shop at discount chains without even thinking twice about it. No prong would break off my crown for shopping here.

And it wasn’t bad at all, I soon realized. In fact, I could find everything I needed quite easily here. And more. It wasn’t even expensive. Dog food for Baby, a couple of frozen hamburgers (which I’d recently acquired a taste for), tangerines, stollen, gingerbread cookies, toilet paper, bread, milk, eggs, butter, cheese—and even a digital wristwatch. All this had nearly exhausted my budget. Then I realized that I didn’t have any Christmas decorations in my apartment. Valentin’s taste—or, should I say, his strict standards—were no longer of any concern to me. So I quickly grabbed myself a discounted Advent calendar, a string of lights, and a couple of red candles with holders in the shape of reindeer. In the checkout aisle, I found a Christmas CD—also inexpensive. I couldn’t pass it up. I stuffed my treasures in plastic bags and stomped home, weighted down but in the best mood.

Baby greeted me with a hobbling happy dance, as though I’d been gone for hours. It was the first time that someone had cheerfully welcomed me into this apartment.

As I heated up a burger in the microwave, I fed my new roommate. I poured him a big portion of dry food in a Rosenthal bowl made of porcelain, and he went at it with ardent zeal.

After eating, I decorated the apartment as best I could. I taped cotton balls on the string of lights and draped it around the window. I placed the candles on the coffee table. I prominently displayed the Advent calendar on top of the sideboard.

Next, I unpacked the Christmas CD and slid it into the player. David, Emma, and I had heard many of the songs on our trip.

I sat myself down on the sofa, and Baby lay his head on my thighs. I closed my eyes and pictured all of us together again in our pink-red Citro?n, driving through the heavy snow.





37


Without a job, I had nothing to do and nobody waiting for me. I ate a few cookies, manicured my nails, polished them, found that color stupid, and chose another one. Then I brushed Baby with his hairbrush, the one that used to be mine.

The time didn’t seem to want to pass.

The doorbell rang.

I pushed Baby’s head off of my lap, got up clumsily, and went to the door. I looked through the peephole and saw my Prada bag being held up on the other side. The concierge had kept his word. The delivery company was reliable.

I opened up and nearly gasped in surprise.

No FedEx messenger, no DHL employee. Instead, there stood David.

He smiled somewhat bashfully and held out the purse. “You left it in the car.”

I grasped it. “Thank you, but it isn’t mine.” I sounded a bit dense, but my mind was otherwise occupied with David’s dimples, the curve of his cheekbones, the fine lines around the corners of his mouth . . .

David acknowledged my comment with an understanding nod, and we stood across from each other without speaking.

“Would you like to . . .” I pointed over my shoulder to my apartment. “Don’t you want to come in?”

David nodded again. He thoroughly cleaned off his shoes on the runner and came inside.

Baby scuttled off his chair as fast as he could, hobbled over to David, and pushed him with his paw. “Baby!” David knelt to pet him affectionately. Both forgot me for a while.

Typical males.

“How was the court date?” I asked.

David gave Baby another friendly pat, then got up and said, “Good. It went really well. I’m a free man. And I’m officially allowed to raise Emma.”

I smiled. “I’m so happy for you both! How’s the little one doing?”

David let his gaze wander around my apartment, but I had the feeling that he wasn’t really present. His thoughts seemed to be somewhere else.

“She’s well,” he answered. “But she misses you a lot.”

“Is Emma the only one?” I said without thinking.

David now directed his blue eyes at me. In a flash, any uncertainty they contained disappeared. “If I’m honest, I miss you, too.”

“Oh,” I said, before falling silent.

David smiled. But only for a moment. “What’s going on with Valentin?”

“I banished him to his castle.”

“Is it over between you?” His voice sounded almost forced.

“Yeah. He should stay with his queen.” I smiled, and David’s eyes twinkled with amusement.

“If I’m reading things right,” he said, pointing to my chic cotton-puff string of lights and the slightly battered Advent calendar, “you don’t have anything special planned for Christmas. Or do you?”

“What big plans should I have?” I said. “I’ll be sitting here with Baby . . . and we’ll have a good time.”

David went over to Baby’s chair and began folding his blanket. “And look how well you’re doing. Just a little bit better and you’ll be jumping off the roof! Would you and Baby like to come to our place?”

I took a little time to answer. “Do you even have the space?”

“We’ll manage to find a little corner. We’ll huddle together a bit. If you like—”