“Don’t stay away too long, honey... we’ll drive at six tomorrow, right?”

“OK Jessie...” I called back, before closing the front door behind me. “I’ll be right back!”

I had quickly bought my razor blades in the supermarket. I wanted to go outside again, when I suddenly stood there, petrified.

At the other checkout, a woman was paying for a roll of peppermints. She put her wallet away, brushed a lock of her curly blond hair out of her face, turned around and looked at me with her bright blue eyes.

Silence... like in a stopped movie.

“Erik...?”

He knows: today it’s holiday-day. Lotte and the sweethearts have democratically decided to go to Greece this year. Small detail: this still needs to be communicated to dad. After all, he has to join, too.

And, at least as important, sign the check.