Ch. 1

That was two weeks ago. Everyday life has returned and nobody talks about it anymore. At least not near Mia.

She smiles and greets the people and sips her champagne glass. Kim and Lukas have their engagement party today. All family members, friends and colleagues were invited to this event. You have rented a hall. Ordered a buffet and borrowed seating from a company. Music is playing in the background, everyone is happy and content.

Only inside is an ice-cold wind roaring. Remove any emotion that tries to penetrate the outside world. Her dress is tightly cut and shows a lot of leg. Kim has chosen it for her so that she can go on `man hunting´ .. Mia just does n't want anyone else. She should have handled his decision better. She also promised Summer to try. Trying to stay friends She has called a few times, but never answered. Even Jack tried it twice. That kind of makes it worse. What else does he want to say to him? His actions speak loud enough. Mia finally has to accept that and move on. Mia knows that she has never really been in love, that she still had fireworks in her stomach, but the thing with Jack ... that was a rocket into space. Damn it, and she couldn't hold Jack. Your eyes get wet.

“No, Mia! Pull yourself together, this is Kim and Lukas day. ”She reminds herself again. She looks around searchingly and immediately finds a group to join. “But it was finally about time. The poor man had been carrying the ring around for a month. The boy never dared to pull it off. ”, Lukas' mother stands on her left. "Really? Is that why he did it more often than usual? ", Mia smiles one of her rare real smiles. "What do you think, Schnucki? Every time he called me to confess that he didn't make it again. Imagine, Lukas was afraid that Mia would say 'No'! I can tell you, the girl has been waiting a long time for her next step. ”, A mischievous grin adorns her face. Ingrid, Lukas' mother, wears her heart on her tongue. She is an extremely interesting and charming person. There is hardly anyone with whom she has made the acquaintance and manages to develop an aversion to her. Luke inherited this gene. It's a little more reserved, more modest, some would say he's shy. You just have to give it enough time and it shows its 'wild' side. That consists of drinking four glasses of red wine and then almost falling into a coma. A living teddy bear, you just can't avoid wanting to hug it.

"Do you know what's missing now, Schnucki? A baby or two. Maybe a soccer team too. I can't wait to become a grandma. The rascals are all spoiled by me. You don't happen to know whether that was his reason for finally daring himself, do you? ”She whispers the last sentence in her ear. A tiny giggle escapes Ingrid. “No, unfortunately I have to disappoint you. Kim is not pregnant. “, The person opposite pulls a pout before she turns to the rest of the group. She is already a gold piece. You can talk to her about anything without any shame. In fact, she can never be found without her husband. Where was he hiding? Mia cranks her neck. Kim's parents are there with Jonas, their companion for the evening. Further down, she discovers a group of pregnant teenagers, in another uncles and aunts, cousins, or close friends with their family. Nobody stands there lost, everyone feels good and she wanted to keep an eye on them tonight.

Then she catches Lukas' father, he has teamed up with a few friends of Kim. Male friends who try not to blush ashamed or to avoid his eyes. You just have to like this family.

Mia decides to help the poor men anyway. She quickly apologizes to the group and approaches Bernd. “I just want my son to regret his decision afterwards. So out with the dirty secrets. Are there any affairs? Abortions? Relationships that weren't entirely kosher? Finally spit it out! “, She quietly joins them. “Bernd, how long have you known Kim? Three and a half years? You have never had anything against her before. You welcomed her to the family the first time you met. Why so harsh today? ”, Mia remembers exactly the day when Kim came home with a megawatt smile. Beaming with joy, she reported how impartially they accepted everyone, especially Bernd. He takes a long swig from his glass. "I am nervous. My boy wants to marry Kim. I am proud of him, but as a father it is difficult to accept that his son has now grown up and is starting his own family. ”Another big gulp follows.

Mia means to go to the men who give her relieved looks. How long had he been in need of it? "Of course Lukas will go his own way, but you will not lose him by doing this. He will come to you all his life and to ask for your advice and your opinion. The engagement is not a farewell, it marks a new chapter in life for both of you. ”, She carefully takes the glass from his hand. Who knows how much he already had! Mia identifies the happy couple and directs Bernd's gaze in their direction. "Are you happy! Kim loves Lukas as much as he loves her. Don't worry about visions of the future that will probably never come to pass. ", She continues talking to him a little longer and steers him to his son. Bernd should convince himself of her luck again.

Then she turns around and looks for the next group. Always keep moving, always have something on your mind. Then a certain person cannot sneak in. On the way to her protégés she is stopped by Ute. Kim's mother. "Mia! Nice to see you again The weeks before the show you made yourself scarce and then you went into hiding. “Ute hacks her at her place.

Mia has a good knack for parents of friends. So far she has been able to get everyone on her side. The only problem is with her parents. She hasn't seen or heard from her father for the past six years. After her mother died in a car accident, her dad shut up. He emigrated less than two months after the funeral. She doesn't even know which country. One day there was a note on the sideboard in the hallway: “Can't do any of this anymore. I am so sorry. I love you, your daddy. ”That's what she called him as a toddler. At the age of just 18 she was in the empty house and had no plan for the future. That's probably why she works so hard to prove that she can. Take care of oneself.

"I've worked a lot.", Ute's face wrinkled with worry. “You hid behind your work. You dug yourself in and didn't intend to show up anytime soon. ”She may be right. "I would have thought that you would bloom after the show, but the only thing you can see out of the rabbit hole in which you are hiding is a strand of hair. Girl, this can't go on Sure, your heart needs time to heal, but you should Jack ... “, the rest of the sentence is drowned in the thundering storm inside her. It sweeps through every corner, every imaginable crack and extinguishes all heat. Mia freezes and turns into a block of ice.

"Exactly, that's what I mean! You can't fall into this state forever at the mention of his name. ”Kim's mother sighs unhappily.

#

Jack has just closed his last pro bono case. He proudly enters his little new office. Before that he worked in a somewhat larger storage room. From tomorrow he will go to this office. An office with a window, a large desk and its own filing cabinet. This is the first step for the rest of his career. That is what he has been working towards for the past few years. This is a victory, a victory that flatters his soul. Tomorrow he will sit here, look at a file and look out of this wonderful window while thinking. He'll ask clients in here and talk to them.

Jack is in a party mood. Now he would like to go to a bar with friends and have a beer. Unfortunately, he can only give himself the edge at the weekend. After all, he’s sitting in this incredibly wonderful office tomorrow and without fighting a hangover if possible. He says goodbye to his colleagues who congratulated him extensively. With a lively step he leaves the building and makes his way home.

A blinking answering machine awaits you there. As he loosens his tie and opens the collar, he listens to the news. “You have three new messages. The first message came at 5:03 p.m. `Hey! It's me, Summer. I wanted to ask you if it is still there tonight.´ 5.30pm `I thought you ended at 5pm! Do you work overtime Please contact me when you come home so that I know exactly when I should come over.´ 18.04 `Now you should finally come home. Call me, I'll wait. ""

Why isn't Summer working? So far it has always been longer. The last two weeks have passed by in a flash. They turtled, couldn't keep their hands off each other and every free minute was spent together. The day before yesterday, on Saturday, Summer started calling more and more often. Even before his work, she didn't stop. One of his colleagues noticed this today and teased it all day. Hopefully this will be forgotten again tomorrow. He worked so hard and earned the necessary respect, which he doesn't want to lose again right away. Besides, he's just got a promotion. After Jack has drunk a glass of water, he picks up the phone and dials her number. It rings once then buzzer picks it up. "Jack? Is it you? I answered your call. Are you pissed off because I called at work? I'm sorry, I don't know what got into me. ”How should he react. At the weekend, Summer was a real bum and he seriously thought about whether Summer had pretended to be the four weeks. But now she sounds like the old one he chose.

“Don't worry, I would still be grateful if you didn't call the office again. At least not for the next time. ”“ No problem, I'll have myself under control next time. Should I come over or shouldn't I? ”Jack thinks about it for a moment. He still wants to celebrate his success. "Come over. There is something we can toast and on this occasion you can tell me why you have already finished work. Have you already had dinner? ”, In the last two weeks he was able to persuade Summer to have a bite to eat in the evening. A huge admission, as she assures him every time. “Jack, thank you. I'll be there in twenty minutes. See you soon. ”, She hung up.

Jack didn't have time for Summer on the weekend. He took home work and met with other lawyers. In addition, a case went to court on Saturday that he was following from the office. He didn't want to miss the trial. It was about domestic violence. It was not the man who hit the woman but the other way around. The woman beat up her husband and did not spare her children. Fortunately, the father has finally filed a complaint and his wife can be held accountable. She was sentenced to four months probation and a restraining order. She must not get within 150 meters of the children, the father or their house. The divorce was filed later. A difficult case, especially since there were no eyewitnesses and the male parties have tried many times to deceive. Ultimately, it was the children's testimony that confirmed their father's accusation. Additionally, recordings of his bones don't lie. The various healed fractures cannot be attributed to clumsiness. Investigations still come to nothing because the lack of evidence does not support an unambiguous crime. Jack was happy for the children. That they can finally be children in peace. Nobody should have such a past. Nobody deserves that.

He sits down at the dining table with a bowl of soup and turns on the television, which has a great view. Right now there is news filled with all sorts of atrocities in the world. Young people run amok, soldiers and the state wants more and more taxes from its citizens. A sad outlook on what will happen. News is depressing, only bad things are shown. After all, good things don't get ratings. Resigned, he taps through all the channels and gets stuck on a soap. A woman cheats on her husband who finds out that his affair is pregnant. The bad boy becomes a cuddly toy and the nun becomes a combat drinker. Ridiculous! However, it has some entertainment value. After he finishes his soup, he takes it to the kitchen and quickly cleans it. Why not? It's faster than waiting the two hours of the dishwasher. Jack has put a bottle of wine in the fridge and takes it out just as the doorbell rings. With big steps he approaches his apartment door. Jack greets his, he loves to say that, girlfriend with a gentle kiss. "Come in. I'm about to open a bottle of wine. ”Without waiting for an answer, he turns towards the kitchen to let the cork fly. His skilled hands pour two glasses. Suddenly he feels arms wrap around his stomach. Summer stands behind him and buries her face in his shirt. “I missed you!” She mumbled and breathed in his scent. A grin creeps onto his face. "Me too." In moments like this he feels whole. In such moments he has everything he needs to live. Everything else is forgotten. He slowly turns around in her arms and just holds her in his arms for a while. Summer disengages first. "So? What is there to celebrate? "

Jack hands her a glass and toasts with her. “I can finally accept and work on my own cases. Cases with fees. Of course the company pays me, but it is a good feeling to know that you are contributing something to your salary. ”These cases bring a few euros more into the account every month. "This is fantastic. I'm happy for you. ”The wine is sipped in silence. But Summer resolutely puts the lifeline to one side and takes Jack's face in her hands. His lips receive a tender, feather-light kiss. This breaks out soon after in a fire. At least in a small one that makes a lot of smoke about nothing. The passion has been fizzling for ... eons. Actually, she was never really there. He thought that would happen when they get to know each other better. Somehow that has not happened yet and slowly he has to deal with the question of whether something is coming or whether it was that. He was so sure that they would both harmonize perfectly (with the desired ups and downs).

Jack really likes Summer and finds it fascinating to always discover new sides of her. Not everyone agrees, but it doesn't have to be. What would a relationship be without the issues just mentioned? Life is one big compromise. So why not practice here and there?

They fall tightly embraced on the sofa. He feels a spring boring into his back. "That thing soon worn out the way it is.?" Jack thinks to himself. If it weren't for the charm and style that make this statement. A home should look like it is needed, used. Summer doesn't like the 'ugly something' at all. The constant kiss is only a minor matter. He perceives it, knows that it is happening and his head tells him that he has to enjoy it. However, everything distracts him. Every little thing is analyzed. Just like the sofa. What's wrong with him?

Dissatisfied, he ends this, for him, meaningless kiss. "Are you okay? You called so early. You usually work a little longer. What happened? ”He's really worried. Summer waves it away. “There wasn't much to do. I worked hard and caught up with everything. My boss called me and said it would be okay if I break up a little earlier the next few days. ", Summer is an ambassador's secretary. So far she has always found something to fill the remaining time. "Did you long for me?", Laughing, he watches as Summer crawls onto his lap. "Yes!", Her eyes sparkle with pleasure. But somehow the spark that crackles between them doesn't really want to ignite. What's the matter with them?

They later decide that it would be better if Summer stayed with him for the night. She has already stowed a few spare clothes in his dresser. While she is in the bathroom, he empties the mailbox. Fortunately he lives on the first floor, otherwise he would probably be too lazy to walk downstairs. Brochures for supermarkets, a bill, a notice that attracts millions with a profit and finally a letter. The sender is Max Stauber, the cameraman. Confused, he tears it open and reads it in the hallway light.

"Hello Jack,

Miriam and I would be very happy if you could come to us on Wednesday for an exuberant dinner. We invite friends to celebrate and strengthen our friendship. We made friends over the four weeks at the villa and we wanted to keep in touch. Do you remember?

Please let me know if you can come.

Miriam and Max "

Jack had the impression that Max was angry with him. He just glared at him after his announcement. He also didn't let anyone hear from him, although he could have picked up the phone as well. Maybe he forgave him? Otherwise he wouldn't have received an invitation, would he? He returns to his apartment completely lost in thought. Summer has already lay down. After he's in the bathroom, he lies down with her. Don't get too close, however. She cannot sleep when held in her arms. The additional warmth of a second body leads to a bad stimulation of the sweat cells in her, at least she claims. On the other hand, Jack was so excited for the part. Falling asleep and waking up together is a luxury that few enjoy. Since he is a gentleman, he lets her have her way. If he had this feeling he wouldn't want to be compelled to do so. Before that, he slept in bed without her. He still does.