“Are you sure?” I asked. I wasn’t used to other people offering to pay for things for me. In fact, I was used to the exact opposite.

  With most everyone I went out to eat with, or went shopping with, or went to a show with, it seemed to always be expected that I would pay. I was more than happy to pay, but none of my guests, most of whom had plenty of funds to spare, ever even offered. Here Tia was, struggling to pay her bills, paying for Lucie’s necklace. It showed a lot about her character, at least to me.

  “Here you go,” Tia said, handing me the small bag containing the necklace.

  “Thank you. That was so thoughtful of you. I can’t wait to show Lucie!”

  When we decided that we’d seen everything worth seeing at the market, Tia suggested lunch. “Are you in the mood for anything in particular?” she asked.

  “This is your day,” I reminded her. “But I wouldn’t mind seeing one of your favorite restaurants, if you have any.”

  Tia tapped her fingers on the steering wheel as she thought. “Well, the diner I took you to yesterday is probably where I eat most often, besides my house, of course. I could take you to Bill’s, though. That’s another favorite.”

  “What’s Bill’s?”

  Tia smiled as she said the words, “It’s a bar that also doubles as a convenience store and bicycle repair shop.”

  “You’re making that up,” I said with a snicker.

  “I wish I was.”

  “Bill’s it is.”

  The food at Bill’s was arguably better than at least a quarter of the restaurants I regularly dined at, all of which charged five or six times what this bar charged. Hesitantly, I’d told Tia to surprise me with what she ordered, but it had worked out rather well.

  Between the two of us, we split a cheeseburger, an order of onion rings, and a chicken Caesar wrap, the first one I’d ever had. I had to remind myself that I wasn’t just seeing a new side to the Tia I’d known in Switzerland. I was seeing the real Tia. Despite the differences in what she’d initially told me about herself and what turned out to be the truth, she’d proven to me today that she was still the same Tia I’d fallen for back in the mountains.

  I’d avoided looking at my watch all day, knowing I had to leave sooner than I wanted to in order to make it back for an important meeting at the bank. Unfortunately, the sun was high enough in the sky for me to tell that it was getting closer and closer to my flight time. I confirmed my suspicion with a glance at my watch.

  “I know,” Tia said, noticing me staring at the watch face, as if staring it down would magically send the hands spinning backward. “I wish you could stay longer, but at least we have another hour or two before I have to take you over to the airport.”

  Tia looked down at her phone at a text message she’d just received, her smile fading into a frown.

  “Is everything okay?” I asked.

  “One of the other drivers has a stomach bug,” she said. “My boss wants me to come in and cover her shift.”

  “When does her shift start?”

  Tia double-checked the time. “In twenty minutes.”

  I thought about the situation from every angle. If I made Tia miss work, I’d feel guilty about her missing out on that money in her paycheck. If I let her go, I’d miss out on our last few hours together. It seemed as though there was only one logical solution.

  “Well, it is my day to see what you do here in West Virginia. I suppose that includes your job.”

  “You’d really be willing to come with me in my taxi just to spend some more time with me?” she asked.

  Without hesitation, I said, “Of course.”

  Though I never in a million years expected to end the trip accompanying Tia on her taxi route, it ended up being the perfect end to our time together. It was incredible to see Tia in her element. I knew this wasn’t what she wanted to do forever, but she was great at it. She engaged with the passengers just enough so that they felt comfortable, but not so much so that it felt intrusive. In between passengers, she sang along to songs on the radio, her voice horrible but her facial expressions adorable.

  Charleston was a pleasant surprise. The city was full of gorgeous buildings and interesting people. It wasn’t Zurich or Geneva, but it had been kind enough to me.

  I was immensely glad that I had decided to stay an extra night to explore the town with Tia instead of going right back home like I’d originally planned. Today had given me a whole new perspective on Tia, and a new level of respect for her. Not only was she a kind, beautiful human being, but she was great with her passengers, had a talent for running, and was a great cook. I wouldn’t have known any of that had I not taken the leap of faith to come here.

  Saying goodbye was the hardest part, but I took solace in the fact that, unlike last time, we got to have an actual goodbye this time.

  When Tia pulled over to my terminal, I was tempted to get back in the taxi and tell her I wanted to stay a few more days. But I had a life waiting for me back in Switzerland. I had my job, and my house, and my daughter, who, though she was away at school, needed her dad to be in the same country.

  I held Tia in my arms for as long as I could, and we left each other with the promise that we’d talk regularly. I wasn’t sure where exactly that left us, but I was going home with a mended heart and hope that we’d figure things out.

  Chapter 23

  Tia

  A Month Later

  It was amazing how much relief I felt in my everyday life, just knowing that there were no secrets I was keeping from Maxim. The three days he’d spent here with us had been glorious. I’d finally gotten to let him into my world. We’d spent our days talking and nights laughing, and Maxim had made sure that Ryan consistently felt included, melting my heart in the process. I’d come home from work the second day he was in town just to find out that he’d surprised Ryan with tickets to a hockey game.

  I couldn’t remember ever being happier in my own home. Spending time with Maxim in my own comfort zone had made me realize that things might actually be able to work out for us. Though he’d come from a completely different world, he’d watched TV, cleaned up after dinner, and run errands with me like he’d been doing those things all his life.

  Dropping him off at the airport had been painful, but, this time, I knew I’d see him again. I wasn’t sure when, and I wasn’t sure how, but I was sure that I would.

  In the month since Maxim had gone back to Switzerland, I’d felt his kiss on my lips each day. When I’d gotten out of the taxi to say goodbye, he’d kissed me a hundred times, alternating them between my lips, my cheeks, and my hands, telling me that he wanted me to have a kiss from him every day, even if he wasn’t physically there with me. It was perfectly cheesy and romantic and wonderful, and I’d thought about that moment each time I’d gotten into my taxi since.

  It had been difficult spending these weeks apart, but it was a world of difference compared to the chunk of time we’d spent apart after our first weekend together. After Ryan and I had left Switzerland, I’d felt lonely and empty and heartbroken, and Maxim had indicated that he’d felt the same. This time, though we were apart, we had each other. We sent regular text messages and talked on the phone and even had the occasional video chat.

  We were both busy with our own lives, which made it all the more special that we made time in our schedules to spend with one another.

  My phone buzzed as I placed a plate of orange slices and cheese crackers on the table for Ryan, a variation of his favorite after-school snack.

  “Let me guess. Maxim?” Ryan teased.

  “Very funny,” I said, and I playfully patted him on the head. “Do your homework.”

  “Video chat in a half hour? I need to see your gorgeous face.”

  I was glad Ryan’s focus was already split between his snack and his homework, or he would’ve seen just how hard I was blushing. Maxim sent sweet messages like this every day, but, somehow, it still caught me off guard.

  “Of course. Can’t wait.”

  I typed the words to Maxim and ran to my bathroom to freshen up. Sure, a video chat date wasn’t the same as an in-person one, but I still wanted it to feel special. It was the closest we could come to a real date for now, so I did my best to treat it like any other ordinary date.

  Each day, I woke up and wondered how I’d ended up in this fairy-tale life. Sure, long-distance wasn’t exactly glamorous or exciting, but the rest of our relationship was. Maxim had made sure to take time to talk with me each day, regardless of how busy his work schedule was, and it served as a constant reminder of how much he cared about me.

  With five minutes until showtime, I brushed on some blush, glossed my lips, and checked on Ryan one more time. Our one-story house was small enough that Ryan could probably hear me talking with Maxim, but, thankfully, we had nothing to hide. Our conversations were completely innocent, mostly about work and the kids and how we couldn’t wait until the next time we could see one another. Maybe we had the occasional mushy compliments, which probably made Ryan glad he had earplugs, but that was the extent of it.

  I still got butterflies in anticipation of our video dates. I supposed it was because, even though I felt like I’d known Maxim for years, our relationship was still fairly new. We were still in that getting-to-know-you and trying-to-impress-you stage.

  Seconds after I sat down at my computer, Maxim’s handsome face popped up onto the screen. “Hi, darling!”

  “Hi, yourself. I miss you so much,” I said through the webcam.

  Maxim’s pearly white teeth filled the screen. “I miss you, too. How’s your day going?”

  “My day just started,” I said with a laugh. I’d explained my unconventional schedule to Maxim a good three or four times at this point, but he hadn’t caught on yet. In his defense, time differences made things far more confusing. “How about yours?”

  “We closed a deal to acquire a small banking chain in the south,” he said. “So, that’s a good thing.”

  “That’s great!” He made it sound so simple, so casual. I appreciated that he talked to me like I was his equal, not like I was some poor little American who couldn’t possibly know anything about the business world. Maxim told me about his work days like I’d spent years in his industry, talking in proper terms but stopping to explain them when I kinked my eyebrow or asked him what certain things meant.

  “It’s not an extraordinarily big deal, but every piece of new business counts.”

  I nodded in acknowledgment.

  “Lucie’s home from school this weekend,” he went on, “so I was thinking I might take her to see a show.”

  “That sounds like fun. What show?”

  “I can’t remember the name, but it’s an original production they’re putting on at the local theater.”

  Maxim went on to tell me what little he knew about the plot, which was basically that the show involved a king and a farm, and I teased him mercilessly for his weak explanation. He redeemed himself, however, when he showed me a photo of a painting he’d seen in a conference room that he thought I would love. He was right. The painting was magnificent, realism with a touch of whimsy.

  “It was so sweet of you to think of me,” I said.

  “I’m always thinking about you.”

  “I know the feeling.”

  “Listen, I’ve been doing some thinking.”

  “Is that so?” Maxim’s thinking generally seemed to end up with some grand gesture or over-the-top declaration, so I was curious to see where he was going with this.

  “I know that you don’t want to take money,” he said. “And I completely respect and understand that. But how would you feel about a gift?”

  My ears perked up. “I like gifts,” I said. Were there actually people in the world who didn’t like receiving presents? I was completely intrigued.

  “I’m glad to hear that.”

  Though I knew that was just a sort of figure of speech, Maxim did look, well, glad, maybe even a bit relieved, that I’d said that.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “It’s a surprise! Don’t you know how surprises work?”

  “How about a hint?” It was worth a try.

  Maxim shook his head. “It’ll be there in a few days. You’ll just have to keep an eye on your mail.”

  “Well, now that I know there’s a gift coming,” I said with a laugh.

  “It’s a large envelope.” Maxim looked right into the camera lens. “I just hope you like what’s inside.”

  Chapter 24

  Tia

  Used to receiving nothing but bills and junk mail, I was eager to see what Maxim’s gift was, a welcome change in my mail routine. I knew it could take a while for the enveloped to arrive from Switzerland, but that didn’t keep me from checking the mailbox each day.

  Finally, a week after Maxim had first mentioned the present, a large yellow envelope arrived with my name written in gorgeous script on the front. It took all of my self-control to make it back inside with the envelope intact, to keep from ripping it open right there at the mailbox.

  I pondered the possibilities. There weren’t a whole lot of gifts that could fit inside an envelope. Maybe a printed photograph from our time in Switzerland? A copy of Lucie’s school picture? A handwritten love note. Any of those would have sufficed. There was only one way to find out the truth.

  Holding my breath, I tore open the top of the envelope.

  Was this real? I held in my hand two plane tickets. As I examined them more closely, I realized that not only were they first-class, reserved under my and Ryan’s names, but the words “open-ended” were printed in bold at the bottom of them. What exactly was Maxim insinuating?

  I looked inside the envelope and found that, in my rush to find out its contents, I’d completely missed a note from Maxim.

  The note was handwritten, the sentiment outweighing the struggles of reading his sloppy handwriting. I focused my eyes, a challenge made more difficult by my excitement about the plane tickets, and hung on each word.

  My darling Tia,

  I hope this package finds you well. I haven’t been able to get my mind off of the wonderful times we’ve had, both in my country and yours. That is why I’d like to invite you and Ryan to spend the summer with Lucie and me at our house on Lake Zurich. We would be thrilled to have you, and I know the children would enjoy seeing one another. Selfishly, I’d like to see you, too.

  I know it’s a big commitment, but it feels like the right one. It’s a leap I want to take with you, and I hope you’ll consider it. I’m sure I’ve given you a lot to think about. Whatever your decision, just know that I miss you dearly and can’t wait until I see you next.

  Yours,

  Maxim

  I reread the letter over and over until my vision became blurred by the years I had been trying to hold back. I truly could not tell if these were happy tears or sad tears, made more confusing by the countless thoughts that ran through my head.

  I was beyond touched by the gesture. The plane tickets, the handwritten note, the beautiful words—it was like something from a movie. But it wasn’t. This was my life, as crazy as that was.

  Tears fell faster as I thought of Maxim sitting down to pen the letter to me. He could’ve typed it up, or had his assistant write it, or any myriad of possibilities. Instead, he’d taken the time out of his hectic schedule to make me feel special.

  I wanted to be selfish, to call Maxim and tell him we’d love to come and we’d see him soon. But that simply wasn’t an option, hence the sad tears. There were too many obstacles in the way, too many things keeping me from taking that leap, as Maxim had put it.

  Most importantly, I had to think about Ryan. While he adored Lucie, would it really be fair to dictate how he spent the entirety of his summer break, especially thousands of miles away from what he was accustomed to? I had a sneaking suspicion that, if I asked Ryan, he would be right on board with the plan, but I didn’t want to put him in that position. It would be like asking a child to choose between their parent’s happiness and their parent’s misery.

  Even if Ryan was willing to travel to Switzerland for the summer, I had plenty of other logistical nightmares that would likely make it impossible. I’d have to speak with the bank and make sure all of my finances were in order—which would, of course, be made more difficult by the fact that I wouldn’t be working for several months. I could find someone to sublet the house, I supposed. That would ensure that I had some sort of stream of income, but that also meant welcoming a stranger into my home and serving as a landlord of sorts from across the Atlantic Ocean.

  Still, despite the obstacles I’d have to conquer before getting there, I found myself wondering what it would be like spending the whole summer with Maxim and Lucie. It was a huge commitment, and the fact that our kids were involved only served to magnify how big of a commitment it was.

  Though I was fairly confident in my relationship with Maxim based on how things had been going, there was always a chance that things wouldn’t work out. That meant tearing our children apart, not just from one another but from the comfort and living arrangements and the other parental figure they had grown attached to. There was that small voice in my head that kept telling me to let loose and stop expecting the worst. While it was easier said than done, maybe it was worth a shot.

  Questions ran through my mind like I was an encyclopedia searching for the answers. How did one go about finding someone to sublet their home? Was it safe? Would I make enough to cover my bills? How exactly did open-ended tickets work? Beside logistical questions, the more personal questions plagued my mind. Those were the ones that would keep me awake at night.

  Was I being selfish if I chose to go? Would there be enough to do in Switzerland to entertain Ryan for several months? What if spending an extended period of time together made me and Maxim realize that we were actually incompatible? I had my own predictions, but I didn’t know the answers to these all too important questions.