12

I went to file the complaint this morning. Fortunately, the lawyer and one of the directors of the accounting firm were there to stifle the macho remarks of the policeman who was taking my statement. To hear it, I would have voluntarily opened my professional account to my ex. As if I had the will to have my entire company agent stolen, I would have preferred him to empty my current account and my passbooks. At least now, the steps with the state services and my bank will be able to be put in place. My business has to hold out until the paperwork is done.

Returning to the company, I ended up confessing to my employees what had happened and the catastrophic situation in which the company finds itself. Fortunately, they understood and supported me. They told me that they have confidence in my ability to solve this ordeal. I'm afraid of shattering the hopes they placed in me. They told me that they better understood my attitude this month. The mood was gloomy the rest of the day.

When I got home I wanted to pour myself a coffee but found that all my coffee capsules had been used. I realized that I also had to save money to last the next few months without a salary. I started looking at my expense items to find out where I can grab a few pennies, what I no longer need and what I can hope to sell. Even though I'm not a spendthrift person, I sometimes buy things that I forget in a cupboard. When I come back from my Parisian getaway, I'm going to start sorting things out. I start by lowering the heating, Theo is coming to pick me up in a few minutes. I don't need to heat up so much in my absence.

After going around the rooms to lower the thermostatic heads of the radiators, I take my suitcase and go wait for my friend's brother. I don't wait long because I hear him knocking on my front door shortly after returning to my kitchen. I open the door and tell him to hurry up and leave before my neighbor comes snooping. He seems to remember the trash bag from the last time and takes my suitcase from me before going up the stairwell. I quickly close my apartment and leave quickly without glancing towards Madame Lepic's landing. Theo is waiting for me a few steps down and we smile at each other when we hear my neighbor's door open. He nods at me and we quickly descend the stairs.

On the ground floor, I slow down because of a side fist. Theo holds the door for me as I walk around trying to catch my breath. I get into his car while he loads my suitcase and then joins me. With a big smile, he said to me:

- I would have liked to see the face of your neighbor, if she knew that we try to avoid it.

For the first time in several days, I laugh out loud as I imagine the scene.

"She's not mean, but if she weren't so intrusive, I'd appreciate her more." Her granddaughter came yesterday, you wouldn't have had to take her trash can out to her, but I'm sure she would have found another reason to delay us.

- It's not his trash can that bothers me, it's more the room that is in a bad state.

- We challenge the condominium for weeks but nothing helps. By the way, where is Lola?

- At work. She's finishing the job later today. Jules has to leave in two weeks to visit factories that belong to our subcontractors or to future subcontractors. It's been a month since she prepared the whole trip and two of them to be canceled yesterday quite late in the day, she had to start everything again to set up appointments, plane flights and hotel nights . If we add the fact that Jules comes every hour to see how she is doing, that doesn't help her at all. I had to rekindle more than one crisis in between today.

— The atmosphere must be electric.

— Worthy of a category five hurricane. Do you mind coming to our parents' house? he asks, turning to me. It hasn't changed much since their death, it can be disconcerting for people who knew them during their lifetime. You may not want to see your parents' old house again.

- Don't worry, he has no worries about that. I have only good memories in each of the two houses, even if the death of your parents and your departure had affected me at the time.

He smiles at me and starts his car. On the way, he tells me about the headaches between his sister and his best friend, it makes me laugh. Obviously, the animosity between the two amuses Theo a lot. I ask him, a little embarrassed:

"Do you know where their conflict comes from?"

He looks at me quickly, smiling before concentrating more on the road.

'Don't worry, I'm aware of the relationship between Lola and Jules. I opened the door to Jules' office one day and found them kissing. I was aware of the engagement in which he was engaged, I also knew that his relationship was at a standstill. I had a rather complicated conversation with him, I didn't know what to do. I was angry that he dangled a sincere relationship to Lola, but I also knew that he had a lot of questions about his relationship. We talked and I told him to let Lola know quickly before I told him.

'Lola told me she learned of it at a party from the bride herself.

- He was cowardly on this one, he invited us to a party without telling him. I thought he had told her everything and I understood what he was going through during the evening. I was furious that my sister found out like this, and even asked her to sell me her shares of the company. He refused and he left, he disappeared from circulation for two months. When he came back he was scary and I found out he had broken off his engagement. He went back to work and we never talked about what happened again.

"His fiancée must have taken it badly, right?"

“Strangely, no. She married an American eight months later and moved there. We're coming, he said, changing the subject.

I look carefully and recognize the surroundings. My parents' old house appears and old memories come to the surface. I still note the changes made by the new owners.

Theo parks in the driveway of his parents' house and we get out of the vehicle. I look around my friends' garden. I see the swing from where I fell when I was little. Attracted by the object, I walk towards it and reach out to touch the metal chains that hold the seat. I hear Theo's footsteps treading the grass. He stops right behind me.

— We didn't dare to dismantle it. The steel ended up rusting due to the weather. It still happens to me while watching her to see again the chains breaking and your gliding flight. I was very scared that day, Lola too, but the worst was my mother. I can see her running out of the house to see if you were okay. She pestered my father to fix the swing more solidly.

- I remember your visit when I returned from the hospital. The teddy bear you gave me must still be in a box in my parents' basement. My mother had forbidden me to do the swing again after the accident when I was dying to. I must be the person who was least afraid of my fall. I thought I could do it again the following year but fate decided otherwise.

I turn my head towards Theo and notice that his eyes are shining. I reach out my hand to comfort him and he grabs it before squeezing it in his own. A moment passes when we do not speak but that is enough for us; When he finally releases my hand, I sit on the swing and ask him:

"Are you pushing me?" Not as strong as when we were little, I'm not a masochist either, one glide in life is more than enough for me.

He smiles and the remnant of sadness in his eyes disappears. I grab the chains to hold on to and he does the same. He pulls me towards him before letting go, I go forward then I go back. I feel his hands pushing against my back. The air whips my face, I rediscover the sensations I loved as a child, I smile. I glance back and see that Theo has stepped back, I bend my knees to pick up speed. After a few round trips, I try to stop to reach the mainland. Theo understands my intention and blocks the chains, I am manhandled by this sudden stop then when everything becomes still again, I get up. My gaze meets Theo's and we stare at each other in silence, my heart beating faster and faster and his lips attract me.

- Lili ?

We turn and see Lola coming down the aisle.

- You dare to swing? It's a garbage can, it's rusty all over, I've already told Theo a thousand times that we have to take him to the dump.

- Do not worry Lola, it is still solid. We were just talking about my fall with your brother and I wanted to do it again like when I was little.

My friend looks at me skeptically then she sighs and I notice that she is tired. In spite of herself, she starts to yawn then she says to her brother.

- There are frozen pizzas, you can warm some up while I finish packing my suitcase. With the adventures of Jules' trip, I didn't have time to finish it. Lili, do you want to come and help me make it?

— We're only leaving for two days and you already have a full dressing room there, Theo points out to him. You don't need much.

— Forget it, Theo, you know very well that I do what I want. Now go put the pizzas in the oven!

He shakes his head and I follow Lola to her room to help her get her things ready. We need half an hour to tidy up his room and his suitcase before going down to eat. We swallow the pizza then we go to their Parisian apartment. The journey was made in silence, Lola and I fell asleep after a few kilometers on the highway.