Several days had now past since the funeral service for Chef Brazier. Charlie decided not to question his father any further as he had seen all the emotions that being there had brought back for him. He had overheard Chef, Madame Luc, and his father talk many times often starting with in depth conversations which turned into drinks and laughter. He could see how important that time was for him. Charlie witnessed the once close bond that the three of them had begin to rejuvenate.
Then, after a few more days had passed, Charlie’s father, Terrance, decided that it was time to return home, back to his beautiful wife. Charlie had spoken with Chef Luc about his father and decided that he would take a break from his education and join his father on his journey home. “It would also be a nice break and good to see mother again,” he resolved. He still wanted to speak to his father about his past so thought it would be the perfect opportunity to do so. Charlie suggested that they meet up at the shop before they set off for the airport, which his father reluctantly agreed to. Was this a cunning ploy, cooked up between Charlie, Chef, and Madame Luc to get his father to set foot into the environment that once upon a time had been his entire world? They hoped it would seem like just a happy coincidence.
Charlie was in the shop bright and early, helping out with the day’s preparations while they waited on his father to arrive. Chef Luc was in early, too, having to sort out some paperwork as he would then be driving Charlie and his father to the airport later that morning.
His father was back at the Luc's home with Gabrielle, passing the time with heartfelt memories of the fun times together being ever mindful not to mention anything more about that competition or anything related to that day. In his own way, his father had tried to delay, for as long as possible, having to leave the house to head to the shop. Since the day he made that painful and life changing decision, he had never set foot inside a patisserie shop, let alone walked into a professional kitchen. Gabrielle could see his apprehension as the time drew ever closer to where he could not put off the inevitable. Although much time had passed since those days, Charlie’s father still felt the pain inside caused by those words put down on paper for the world to read. Still, he had Charlie to think about now. After all, he could see that he had a natural talent, hence, the reason for sending him to meet Montaine in the first place. He didn’t want Charlie to miss out on what could be an incredible career like he could have had. Who better than to have his dearest friend mentor Charlie in the same way that they had both been mentored all those years before by the late Chef Bravier?
Charlie's father could not put off the moment any longer. He picked up his small overnight bag and prepared himself to leave. Gabrielle insisted on accompanying him on the short walk to the shop. Once they had left the house, she engaged her old friend in yet more light-hearted banter, secretly distracting his attention. With every footstep they took along the cobbled street, Charlies father's pace slowed ever so slightly, his heart raced a little more, but before long, they were standing outside the little patisserie shop.
Gabrielle took her friend's hand in hers and gripped it tightly, turned the handle, opened the shop door, then waited. He has to decide when the moment is right to enter, she thought, as no one could make that decision for him. This was an important moment for his father, a chance to heal old wounds. He had already begun to rebuild bridges with the Lucs and old friendships formed once again. He turned to look at Gabrielle, her face softly smiling back at him. He thanked her for being there, then gently squeezed her hand. He the followed his own wife’s advice to help with situations such as these. He took a slow, deep breathe in then gently exhaled and only then would he take a step forward over the shop door threshold and walk in. In a sense, it would be like stepping back in time as the smells began to get caught in his nostrils and sounds buzzed through his ears. As he stood there, his eyes tightly closed, Gabrielle still holding his hand, he allowed himself to drift for a moment as memories of what had been came flashing back. Before long, Gabrielle could feel him start to quiver as memories became more vivid, squeezing his hand, followed by a comforting soft whisper in his ear, he settled once more and opened his eyes.
Before them both, was a sight that made him feel deeply proud. It was his son, dressed in full whites and resembling a younger version of himself who now stood there, young, keen, enthusiastic, and brimming with creativity. For a brief moment, all his worries disappeared as he gazed upon his son, a smile now beginning to appear as his father said, “My son, you have made me feel so proud to be your father,” as a tear escaped his eye.
Before he could say anything more, his son said, “Its me that feels proud, proud to have such a caring father, proud to have a father that believes in me as you do.” Charlie moved forward to give his father the biggest hug that he could muster as he could see his father’s eyes well up. Not able to stop the tears, they now started to overflow into a stream against his cheek. He wiped away the tears, as Charlie’s dad took a step back and held his son by the shoulders and looked at him once more with sheer pride.
“Let me go change, Dad, and we can get going,” Charlie said, a loving look in his eyes saying the rest.
Although not eager to leave the shop that he thought of as his second home, he did want to support his father. Leaving Gabrielle, Chef, and his father standing in the shop, Charlie raced upstairs to change out of his whites. He was quick to pack the last few items, along with both journals. Lovingly he felt the textured surface of his father’s journal as it now had greater sentimental value. All secured, one arm was through a strap as he swung the backpack over his shoulder. He surveyed the room one final time to check it was immaculate, that every surface glimmered to his high standard. Satisfied, he then locked the door behind him hopeful he would return one day very soon.
In the meantime, Chef Luc had taken his old friend through into the office, down the long corridor, so that his father could see the kitchen. Chef Luc, was not sure how his friend would react, so he tried to make light of the situation. Chef Luc wanted to explain just how many masterpieces Charlie had made during his time there, as well as a few disasters. The remark had left them both laughing as they recalled their own mistakes. Though at the time they would explain them away by saying they were not mistakes, just another way of not doing something. Charlie soon arrived and sat quietly in the corner so as not to disturb their ongoing conversation.
The two of them sat chatting, reminiscing about the past. A feeling of contentment came over Charlie as he observed how much more relaxed his father had become. There was a difference now in his tone, as he and Chef Luc talked more about the past, conversation only broken by sounds of chuckles here and there. The general topic was mainly about what they used to get up to when they were not at work, the trouble that they would cause, if they wanted to wind up a new member of the waiting team. They recalled that on one particular occasion, they had knocked the used espresso grounds out of the coffee machine then formed them into a perfect puck shape. It was then chilled, enrobed with chocolate, and then they would ask the new waiter to sample the new mini chocolate cake. That caused Chef Luc to sit back in his chair then place a hand over his mouth like a young boy that had just pulled off a grand prank. There was also the time that they had frozen everything that belonged to a new trainee chef. They had frozen his clothes, his keys, and everything else they could find of his. They placed the various items in a bowl of water before putting it in the freezer. Then, just as the trainee was about to go off shift, they returned everything to its place. That might have been a step too far, as they did get into serious trouble with their mentor over that prank. Though, secretly, they thought he saw the funny side, or had that slight smirk on his face been for some other reason? Only he would know, they thought! But they did enjoy themselves; life was fun back then.
Charlie could have sat there for hours and listened to their stories. Chef then caught sight of the clock and was startled by how the time had gone by.
Chef, now standing, said, “Well, you two, if you’re going to make your flight, we had better hustle.”
Chef Luc then bent down and picked up the toolbox from under his desk then passed it to Charlie, letting him know he had collected it from the kitchen. “Thank you, Chef Luc,” Charlie responded, a smiled of appreciation on his face
Chef Luc said that he would fetch the van around to the front of the shop while the two boys said there farewells to Gabrielle who had been busying herself tending to customers, having now opened the shop for business. It had also been an emotional few days for her, seeing Charlie's father once again after so many years had passed. The thought of him going again changed her disposition, hence, why she had tried to distract herself. Charlie and his father walked through to the front of the shop, stopped to say a sentimental farewell to Gabrielle. With luck, no customers would enter the shop, which would allow them both to express what they wished.
Charlie stood back once again to allow his father to be the first to say farewell. He threw his arms around Gabrielle who did the same in response. She desperately tried to keep the tears in check as they both stood there, Charlie's father being subjected to one of her legendary hugs. Charlie had plenty of firsthand experience of these. He then took a step back to allow for his son to say his farewell.
One hug down, now it was Charlie's turn to receive a hug from the person whom he had begun to see as his second mother. Having never had any children of her own, she absolutely saw Charlie as her son. Much of that was also due to who he was the son of. Arms wrapped around each other for several minutes and with Gabrielle not wanting to let go.
Chef Luc now started to get a little impatient as he waited outside in the van. He would sound the horn several times to make his presence known. He kept an eye on the time, and sounding the horn was the only way he felt he could get them all moving before they missed their flight. Charlie's father was first to exit the shop, glancing a smile in Gabrielle's direction as he passed her, followed by a tap on the shoulder of his son, letting him know that it was time to leave.
Charlie wriggled free from Gabrielle’s hug then, as he picked up his belongings then raced outside to a waiting Chef Luc. His father had already climbed into the passenger side, securing his luggage in the space behind the seat. Charlie promptly did the same before climbing in the passenger side, as his dad slid over. He waved one last time to Gabrielle who by now stood in the doorway, rivers of tears flowing down her cheeks. As soon as the van door slammed shut, Chef Luc put his foot down and accelerated away, leaving Charlie straining to wave as the shop disappeared behind them.
As they raced through the busy midday traffic, the van remained remarkably quiet, no one really spoke. Chef Luc busy concentrating on the road ahead, Charlie watching the world pass him by out of the window, and his father drifting off in memories of the past. They arrived hastily at the airport and pulled into the drop off zone. Once at a stop, Charlie jumped out, slowly followed by his father.
They retrieved there respective bags and Charlie's toolbox from the van as Charlie spoke first and said to his mentor, “Thank you for everything that you have given me this past year.”
He went on to say that he had learned so much, not only about patisserie, but about passion, honour, respect, and that he would never forget. He reached across his father, who was still seated in the van, and offered his hand which was received by an emotional looking Chef Luc, who took Charlie's hand in his own, then said, “You are just like your father Charlie. You have a natural talent; you make the craft look effortless, so keep up the good work that you have started,” as there hands were clasped in a firm handshake.
Handshake over, Charlie took a step back as he wanted to give his father and Chef time to say what he knew would be a sentimental goodbye for them both. There would be plenty of time ahead to ask his father about his life back then, so for now he would give the two old friends as much privacy as possible at an airport drop off point. Then, sure enough, after only a short time their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a very grumpy airport official demanding that Chef Luc move the van straight away or be towed. After a rushed embrace, Charlie's father stepped out of the van and caught up with Charlie as they walked away waving. Passenger door closed, Chef Luc drove away, beeping the horn as he went. Both had promised to keep in touch as Charlie's father had been quick to extend an invitation to both the Lucs to come and visit one day soon, and of course, Chef Luc accepted graciously.
Charlie's Father now felt a sense of peace, knowing that a large part of the past had been healed and only good wishes remained between the good friends. Charlie and his father made their way into the terminal to check in for their flight. Standing in silence, side by side, they waited in line until it was finally their turn. Due to the flight being only two-thirds booked, securing a second ticket for Charlie was easily obtained. All checked in, they went through security and passport control having to undergo the usual checks. They walked quietly side by side until they found a seat by the boarding gate for there flight.
The conversation between them both was of everyday mundane things. The events of the past few days had started to catch up with them both. Talk about everything but those revelations was just what they both needed. Before long, they were both brought out of there haze by the echoing sound of their flight being called. Feeling worn out they both followed the trail of people, until they were greeted by the usual air stewardess pleasantries and directed to their seats. Luggage stowed in the overhead locker, they both then made themselves as comfortable as they could and relaxed for what would only be a short flight. Charlie’s hand was warmly squeezed by his father, grateful to have his support.
The in-flight meal was served and then a quick doze, both being woken by an announcement from the flight deck that they were about to start there descent. The neatly presented stewardess informed the passengers of the local time and temperature before wishing a good onward journey. Thirty minutes later and the plane had landed on time and taxied to the appropriate stand. The seatbelt sign being turned off was followed by a usual dash of hurrying passengers looking to get off the plane as quickly as possible. Charlie and his father waited for the rush to ease then ambled slowly off the plane themselves.
Safely through customs, they were met by Charlie’s mother who was so pleased to see her son, evident by the rather large grin followed, by a big hug, and way too many kisses on Charlie’s check for him to count. Her attention then turned to her dear husband as she looked deep into his eye’s, and a love passed between them in a moment that seemed to make time stand still. She knew this would have been a very emotional journey for him as there were no secrets between them, although it had never been mentioned between them, after he had shared the truth with her. She embraced her husband in a loving hug and whispered softly spoken words that only he would hear. Emotional reunion over, the three of them hand-in-hand made their way back to the car for the drive home.
Few words were spoken out loud as the feeling of them being together once more seemed to make all their problems vanish for at least that moment. Charlie was content to once again be back in the familiar surroundings of Poxwold and his childhood home. It was late evening by the time they arrived home. Both Charlie and his father freshened up before they all sat down to enjoy a bowl of Jacque's homemade corned beef hash, a hearty warm meal they all loved to share together.
Charlie knew that everyone felt rather tired from the days travelling, so offered to make a special mug of hot chocolate for everyone. His offer was warmly received, so he melted down some rich bittersweet chocolate before adding just the right amount of cinnamon, followed by warmed milk. Drinks now ready, he called for a loving group family hug with Charlie squashed in the middle. Maybe just a little too much love, he chuckled to himself then decided it was time to head off to get some sleep.
Back in his room, it felt like only days had past since he was last there, everything just as he had left it. Getting his journal out of the backpack, he wanted to make sure that it was up to date before collapsing on the bed to sleep and some much needed rest.
Several days had now past since Charlie and his father had returned home, and life was slowly returning to some form of normality. Charlie had been up early and had decided to take a walk around his childhood town while his parents were still sleeping. While out and about, he exchanged cheerful greetings with people that he met then decided to call into the local bakery to pick up a selection of freshly baked croissants to add to their breakfast. Next, he needed a jar of local homemade jam and some freshly churned butte,r and he was all set. The coffee he already had at home so his parents would wake to the aroma of fresh ground coffee, courtesy of Captain Macrina's coffee supplier.
Next stop was the local newsagents to get the local paper, then back home to warm those fresh croissants. By the time Charlie arrived home, his parents were up and in the kitchen; his mother was about to start making her favourite Sunday morning breakfast, eggs Benedict, which had been a tradition for as long as Charlie could remember.
“Morning sleepy heads. What a beautiful morning it is,” Charlie said as he bounced through the kitchen door. “Picked up freshly baked croissants,” he continued to say as he opened one of the kitchen cupboard doors, pulled out a small baking tray to place these delicious pastries on, before putting them into the aga cooker to warm.
Charlie poured the jam into a bowl and sliced butter on to a small plate before placing on the table. His father had found the coffee and was warming his hands around a mug of hot coffee steaming. Charlie grinned as he knew his father’s nose would lead him straight to that delightful aroma. His mum was gently humming away to herself in the kitchen as she finished cooking the breakfast. Charlie sat next to his dad and casually flicked through the local paper, his father finishing the final few pages of his latest book. Nearly jumping out of his seat, Charlie noticed the advert for the Food Festival that happened each year in the area. This event attracted artisan food producers from all over the district and visitors from even further afield. With all the events of the past year, he had completely forgotten about the Food Festival, but sitting there with all the breakfast smells filling the air, an idea had started to form in his mind. "Hmmmm, I wonder," Charlie thought, a grin sneaking out, looking at his father.
“Are you okay, Charlie?” asked his dad having now finished reading the final page of his book.
He looked up at his son’s blank and far away expression as Charlie then grinned and quickly closed the paper he said, “Yes, Dad, all good here!”
His mother by now had finished cooking and delivered three plates of beautifully presented eggs Benedict to the table. Tucking into there breakfasts, the room fell silent, apart from the occasional groan of delight as they all took their time slowly devouring there food. Once finished, Charlie cleared the dishes and put them neatly into the sink ready to be washed. He then returned with three clean smaller plates followed by the warmed croissants and then sat back down. None of them wasted any time before they started on the croissants, each breaking them apart. A crisp sound was heard as there lightly toasted edges crumbled slightly. They were then smothered with home churned butter followed by a dollop of jam. The groans from earlier were nothing compared to the sounds that were heard this time as the tray of pastries were rapidly devoured. The table then cleared, Charlie's father left the room, leaving just Charlie and his mother seated back at the table. This was the perfect opportunity to quickly ask for his mother’s advice regarding an idea that had started to form in his head. Charlie, having learnt that his mother knew of his father’s past, thought she would be best suited to ask.
Charlie looked around to double-check that his father was not within ear shot before he leaned into to his mother and quietly said, “I could do with some advice, Mom. It’s about Dad.”
Curious to know more, she replied, “Is everything okay, Charlie? Are you worried about your dad?” Charlie replied with a nod. “He’s okay, really. We have talked in depth since he returned, and he feels much better having his friends back in his life. It was good for him to go,” she said.
“No, it’s not that I’m worried about him. I just think it’s really sad that Dad never continued his career as a patissier,” he said.
He then explained about an idea he had, that he wanted to convince his father to take a stall at the Food Festival with him. He reached out for his mother’s hand expressing how he wanted to get his father to believe in himself again and to show the world just how talented he really was. The time that he had spent with Chef Luc had opened his eyes to so much and if his father was as talented as Chef Luc, then he just had to bring that out of him again. “What do you think, Mom?” he asked.
There was a long silence as she mulled over Charlie's idea, her facial expression gave nothing away.
Finally, she answered “Well, Charlie, I’m not sure how your father would react, but I’m so proud of you for thinking how to help your father.” She paused for a moment to reach out and put her hand on her son's cheek and smiled warmly before she continued. “Walking away from that life was extremely hard for him, and to walk away from his friends, even harder. I think it’s a great idea, though, and between the two of us and a little extra persuasion from me, we will give it a go,” as the warm smile was now accompanied by a glint in her eye. Before she left the table, she turned back and added one last thing. “Just let me speak to your father first, Charlie” With a slight skip to her step, she quickly disappeared outside to tend to her garden, her mind now filled with ideas of how to broach this delicately with her husband.
Several days had past and nothing further had been mentioned by his mother, leaving Charlie wondering what was happening. But wanting to be ever the optimist, he was still hopeful, knowing just how persuasive his mother could be when she wanted. He wanted very much for his father to at least continue his work in cheesecakes, if nothing else, and he thought, if he could just get him to the Food Festival, it might just be enough to restore confidence in himself as a patissier. Not only was Charlie driven by his love for his father, but he wouldn’t be where he was now if it hadn’t been for his father’s early work. For him to go no further would be like starting a book and never getting to the end; the reader would never know what happened to the main characters and how the story had ended. His father obviously had a passion for cheesecakes and this was now picked up by Charlie himself.
So while waiting for news from his mother, Charlie decided to contact the organisers of the Food Festival to see whether they even had room for a late comer, as without that, all this would be a waste of time. Charlie didn’t want to get his father's hopes up again to be hurt once more. Later that day, Charlie managed to make contact with the organiser, a very polite gentleman who informed Charlie that there was, in fact, a space, due to a last minute cancellation, if he wanted to reserve it. Charlie didn’t hesitate for a moment and decided that, if his father wouldn’t help, he would just do it on his own. He also thought that just maybe seeing the preparations may just entice his father to join him after all.
With time now an issue, he thought of how to arrange for all the right ingredients. To find a supplier of cream cheese locally, that was the right quality for his needs, was not going to be easy. He decided to give Chef Luc a call to see whether he could arrange to have some of that artisan cream cheese they had found shipped over to Poxwold on his behalf. After all, it helped to create my winning entry, Charlie he thought, so what better.
While Charlie was speaking with Chef Luc, he explained his little plan to try to encourage his father back into the world of patisserie. Thrilled by Charlie's plan and without a moment’s hesitation, he said, “Leave it to me, dear Charlie. I’ll make sure you get your cream cheese on time, and let me know if you need anything else!” Hearing Chef’s enthusiasm with the idea, Charlie went on to ask, “The only other thing I would need would be a selection of different shape molds, not just the Lego shaped one I had used for my entry. Could you speak with your supplier, Chef, and see what they might have or could produce?”
“Consider it taken care of, my boy. I’ll make sure they arrive in plenty of time for you,” Chef Luc added.
Charlie thanked his friend and mentor as a sense of exhilaration rushed over him as he ended his call. “This could actually work,” he thought to himself.
Now to continue his planning, the other ingredients he needed he would be able to find locally without too much difficulty. So having found a pad and pencil, he began to scribble himself a to-do list. He would tick off various things as they were organised. Next, he would need to organise his own gazebo and display equipment for the day. This would take a little more planning, he decided. His main concern, though, was how best to display his cheesecakes so that they would not only remain cool but also so that they were displayed well.
He now had only two weeks to prepare for the festival. Still nothing from his mother but a silent knowing nod as they exchanged looks. “But what did that mean?” Charlie thought. But still undeterred, he moved forward with his plans. He heard back from Chef Luc, who enthusiastically informed Charlie that he had firstly secured his cream cheese order and it would be delivered to him by the middle of the following week. He had also obtained his young friend an assortment of shaped molds that he thought would be perfect for Charlie to use having seen how creative he could be. He explained that it took several calls later before he managed to find just the right molds. He had arranged for those to be shipped straight away, so they should arrive within a few days. Charlie was excited about this news and thanked Chef Luc for all his help.
Charlie was curious if his father had begun to wondered why he was continually disappearing into his room or to take an occasional phone call. He knew that his mother was aware of his enthusiasm by her smiling gaze whenever they were in the same room. There was more planning as Charlie had to work out just where to do the baking for the festival. There would be enough room in the family kitchen to do what Charlie needed as not only did they have an aga but his father had insisted on having the finest oven that he could find installed just recently. It would be perfect for Charlie’s needs. He quietly smiled to himself knowing his father was going to find out one way or another once he started his practice runs in the kitchen. Getting very anxious for an answer by now, he had secretly hoped that his father would question what he was up to.
The sun had begun to set. As another day came to an end, Charlie headed back up the stairs to his room to refine his plans further. Whilst Charlie rested on his bed, he picked up his to-do list to check what was next to organize. Most things were now in place but he still had to decide how he was going to display his cheesecakes. He would have to investigate that still further, maybe even a call to Fleurette for some advice, perhaps. They had both kept in touch after his days of working with her. Fleurette had been a great support for Charlie, not wanting his passion or dreams to ever be dulled. She had great belief in Charlie after spending time with him and then there was the small write up that Quentin had eventually published in one of his columns, "Wow," she had thought. Charlie now realized that he could do no more until the molds arrived and see just what they Chef Luc had organised for him. Then he would have a better idea, so he decided it was time for sleep.
The following morning, Charlie was awoken by his mother's voice. He had woken, list and journal still in his hand from the night before. He jumped out of bed then made his way downstairs, as his mum said, “Another phone call dear.” smiling as she handed the phone over.
It had been a call from a local friend who had offered to loan Charlie his gazebo for the event and he could collect it the day before. Relieved and happy that he now had a gazebo and knowing the colour, this then gave him an idea for theming his stall on the day of the festival. He could now cross yet another thing off his list but now he then had to add a new section entitled, "Branding." He chuckled to himself as he thought the list should be getting shorter, but instead it was actually growing again. Now he had to consider branding as he began to ponder ideas. He thought back to his winning cheesecake entry as another picture appeared of just how he wanted his pitch to look. He was quick to jot down the things he would need to create what he had envisioned it would look like. Under the new heading, he began his list… "Blue Tablecloth, Menu Board, and A Logo." Charlie then paused before adding, "Packaging, Disposable Spoons, Napkins, Labels, and Carrier Bags." Now to organize this, he thought, thrilled with his ideas.
Later that morning, his father asked him to come sit so they could have a chat. Charlie sat down at the kitchen table, feeling somewhat nervous as he turned to face his father. Seeing that his father looked a little emotional, he was not sure if that was a good thing or not. He wondered as he patiently waited for his father to speak. He began to say, “Charlie your mother spoke to me a couple of nights ago about your idea, and I was deeply touched by your thought, but it’s not for me. I’m sorry, my boy.”
Charlie’s heart had now sunk with slight disappointment but he calmly replied by saying that he un