Ruth was intrigued. Chris had called earlier and asked her to go with him for a ride, and told her it might be a while before they would head back to Hamburg. She was standing in the kitchen talking to Ingrid when he texted he was downstairs. “So, where is it you’re going?” Ingrid wanted to know. “He didn’t say” Ruth explained. “Last time we went to Lübeck, and it was a nice day.” “Alright. Shame you can’t help me decide on the Christmas decorations for the living room” Ingrid said. “Christmas is still more than a month away, why are you hurrying?” That was one of the things Ruth would never understand. Back home, Christmas did not start until December, but everywhere else it seemed to start right in the middle of the summer holidays. Ingrid smiled at her, lighting the

