Baron came to the bookstore early in the morning, the street still quiet, shutters still down. Cecile was already there, tidying the counter, a slim book open beside her. She looked up as he entered, smiling with a spark of curiosity.
“Are you here to say bye,” she asked, “or to stay?”
He didn’t answer right away. She gave him a playful shake of the head. “It has to be bye. My father’s finally decided to retire. He’s found his perfect place—**Rosenfeld**, a little town tucked in the snowy mountains of **Altbergen**. I’m going there to help him settle in. A few weeks, maybe. The shop will be closed until then.”
Baron tilted his head. “And after?”
“I’ll be back,” Cecile said, her voice firm, almost proud. “This store is mine now. I’ll run it.”
Baron’s lips softened. “Then I’m here to sa
