CHAPTER 8
MY TIME WAS winding down, and we had reached the last hotel where we’d be staying. It didn’t have the charm or the breathtaking lake view of the Black Forest like the last hotel. Instead it was much more modern, catering to the business traveler and overlooking the Rhine River. The tradeoff for me out of all of the other places we had been was the Christmas market. They had truly saved the best for last. Mainz Christmas market was like walking into a fairy tale. Beautiful church steeples peeking into the backdrop, castle-like buildings, and two carrousels all adorned in beautiful white lights. In fact, everywhere you looked was a sea of lights. The sweet smell of oranges and spices drifting in the air as you neared the glühwein stands seemed to be a lot more intense than any of the other markets we had been to, adding to the Christmas magic this market seemed to possess.
DeAndre had gone back to the hotel to FaceTime with Louis, while I stayed at the market, savoring in every last minute we had to spend there. I had spent a good deal of time at a jewelry stand I had found and also spent a lot of money there as well. I found several unique handmade ornaments, some I purchased for myself and some as souvenirs for others.
After I had gotten shopping out of my system, I just walked around, taking everything in. I wanted to memorize every last detail of this place, so when I was back at home I could close my eyes and feel like I was here once again. The sounds, the smells, the magic. I wanted to bottle it all up and pour myself a glass of it from time to time when I needed it. As I stood off to the side and people watched, I wondered what it would be like to pick up and start over in a different place where no one else knew you. A place to reinvent yourself into the person you wanted to be and help you forget about the person you once were. It seemed alluring and terrifying all at the same time. “I thought that was you,” a familiar voice came up from behind me.
“Theo.” I smiled. It was as if I was given a reminder that I wasn’t here alone. “Is Kate here?”
“No, she’s back at the hotel, packing. You know, she can’t just throw her dirty clothes in the suitcase like the rest of us, they need to be folded just so.”
I laughed, even though my heart was aching a little just thinking about leaving in the morning. We had our farewell dinner a few hours prior where I said my goodbyes to everyone on the tour, but Theo and Kate were going to be my hardest farewell. I took comfort in the fact that DeAndre would be on my flight home, and he was close enough where we could meet up for lunch or dinner every now and then. But Kate and Theo would be an ocean away, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a soft spot in my heart for both of them. Kate was like the friend I always yearned for in life. Sure, I had my friend Aimee, but sometime over the years, I found myself confiding in her less and less about things that mattered most to me. She had a life of her own, and I didn’t want to intrude on that life. Her husband and kids were her number one priority as they should’ve been. My draw to Theo was so much harder to explain. He was adorable, flaws and all, there was no denying that. The way he had taken over and become Kate’s caretaker when she was younger and the way he still looked out for her now was beyond commendable. He was so easy to talk to, and like his sister, he made me feel comfortable in his presence right away.
“I guess we’re the last of the stragglers not ready to say goodbye to this place.”
He nodded. “Yeah, it truly is remarkable. Isn’t it?” He titled his head up to the lights hanging overhead. “Hey, did you want to check out that beer hall that Nino had told us about earlier?”
“The one they allow smoking in?” I raised an eyebrow and smirked.
“Really? I must’ve missed that part when he told us about it.” He tried to keep a straight face and failed miserably.
“Sure, maybe after a few beers I’ll forget all about the secondhand smoke coating my lungs.”
“That’s the spirit.” He beamed, taking me a little by surprise when he linked his arm in mine and we ambled on.
When we reached the beer hall, we took a seat at the end of the long picnic-style table, and Theo ordered us each a beer. We struck up conversation with a German couple who sat at the end of our table, then two Australian guys who took their place once they had left. Each set of table mates had mistaken us for husband and wife. Theo of course took great pleasure in messing with them and making them believe it was true. He actually had the German woman believing I was a mail-order bride. He was even funnier once he had gotten a few beers in him. He had a contagious sense of humor and wasn’t afraid to use it to initiate conversation with new people.
By the time we were walking back to the hotel it was well after midnight. I couldn’t remember how
