𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴 , charles leclerc

⇢ 12. tárte aux fraises

TWO GHOSTS.
12. ❛ tárte aux fraises. ❜

SOFIA LET OUT A LAUGH and quickly caught her footing as they entered the bakery. The charming aroma of freshly baked pastries greeted Sofia and Jules as they entered the quaint bakery with its vintage charm. The bell above the door chimed softly, announcing their arrival. Sofia's eyes lit up with nostalgia as she surveyed the familiar surroundings.

Sofia held a fond smile on her face. The cozy interior, adorned with rustic wooden shelves and the soft hum of a classic espresso machine, transported her back in time.

Approaching the counter, Sofia exchanged warm greetings with the baker, who had seen her grow up. "Bonjour Noémie! Comment vas-tu? Cela fait bien trop longtemps. (Hello, Noémie! How are you? It's been way too long.)"

"Oh, Sofia!" The older woman grinned when she looked up and brought Sofia in for a hug over the counter, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she pulled back with a smile. "J'ai été bon; comment allez-vous mon cher? (I've been good; how are you, my dear?)"

"Good." Sofia chuckled and then pushed her daughter forward with a smile, gesturing her to say hi. "This is my daughter."

Jules just gave a smile and a wave, but upon seeing that, Sofia flicked her arm, her face stern. Jules sighed and widened her smile, looking up at the elderly woman, "Hi, I'm Jules."

A flicker of emotion flashed through Noémie's eyes as she spared a quick look at Sofia, "Jules?" She looked back at the blonde little girl and extended her wrinkly hand for a handshake, "Nice to meet you, Jules. I've known your mother for a very long time. She's even in a few pictures over there in the corner." Noémie pointed to a wall of photos before gesturing to her pastries, "Now, what would you like, sweetheart?"

Jules' eyes floated across the array of tempting and delicious-smelling pastries and finally settled on a tárte aux fraises, her mouth watering at the sight of the pastry. "I'll have the strawberry tart, please."

Sofia raised her eyebrows at Jules' choice, knowing she'd never had a tart before. With a shrug, she pointed to a random table in the corner of the baker, "Go sit over there, Jules. I'll be right there."

"Okay, Mamma!" Jules nodded and skipped away, going to place her things on the table and take a glance around the building.

"Je ne savais pas que tu avais un enfant. (I didn't know you had a child.)" Noémie lowered her voice and let her eyes roam over Jules, "She looks so familiar. I mean, she's obviously got some of your features, but she looks just like..." Trailing off, the dots seemed to connect in Noémie's eyes as she looked back up at the blonde, "Oh my... is she—"

"Yes." Sofia nodded and sucked in a deep breath, pulling out the money to pay Noémie. She always paid way more than the pastries cost, and Noémie would always argue, but after a while, she had given up trying to win a pointless fight. "She's Charles'."

Noémie's eyes softened dramatically, "Is that why you left after the wedding? Did you ever tell him?"

"I tried and tried so hard to tell him about Jules, but he kept ignoring me, so I packed up and left. I couldn't bear the shame and pain he left me with. But we're doing good, better than good."