The Chocolatier's Secret (Magnolia Creek, Book 2)

by Helen J Rolfe

  Andrew filled the third tempering machine with couverture white chocolate chips. They didn’t use this machine every day – the demand for white chocolate was much less than milk or dark – but it was still a reasonable seller. He switched the machine on when Gemma came through to the back of the shop.

  He led her into the store room at the back where they kept the ten-kilo bags of the finest dark, milk and white chocolate, and stacked the now half-empty bag of white chocolate chips next to the others.

  ‘How’d it go?’ He kissed her on the cheek.

  ‘The results aren’t good.’ She took his hands in hers. ‘The doctors want Louis on dialysis four times a week from now on.’

  ‘Oh, God.’ Andrew leant against the wall and breathed deeply.

  Gemma was by his side. ‘We suspected this. The swelling in his hands and feet has got worse, he’s so tired all the time and he gets out of breath if he walks too far.’

  Andrew nodded. The news shouldn’t have come as a surprise, yet it still shocked him.

  ‘Andrew. I don’t know how we are going to do this and run a business. Then there’s my job …’

  ‘Do we know how much he’s moved up the list for a transplant?’

  She shook her head. ‘He’s only been on it a few months … it could take years. And he doesn’t have years.’

  Andrew put a hand around the back of her neck and pulled her close, kissed the top of her head. She was close to Louis, as close as he was in many ways.

  ‘I’ll talk to him,’ said Andrew. ‘I’m a match, I’m fit and healthy. There’s no other option. This can’t be it. I’m not ready to lose him.’

  A tear rolled down her cheek and he kissed it away.

  ‘I know there’s no other way,’ she agreed. ‘But both of you enduring operations won’t be easy either. I’m worried about the business too. We’re just getting started—’

  ‘I’ve got good staff. We’ll manage, I promise. There’s no other choice, nothing else we can do. Where is he now?’

  ‘He’s sleeping at home. I said I wouldn’t be long.’ She sniffed, took out a tissue to blow her nose. ‘Will you be able to cope with the junior chocolate-making this afternoon?’

  He’d forgotten about it entirely. His mind wasn’t on the job enough to do it, and they were short staffed with Emilio manning the chocolate fountain at the wedding, but he’d have to manage. ‘It’s fine, you go and be with Dad and I’ll be home at the usual time.’

  ‘The class starts at four o’clock. I usually send the parents up to the café or tell them to take a wander, check out the shops. Or—’

  ‘Relax … I’ll be fine. And Stephanie’s a dab hand at these workshops, she loves it.You go and take good care of Dad, send him my love.’

  What he really wanted to do was lock up and go home to his family, shut up shop until all this was sorted out. But he couldn’t. When it was your business, no matter whether you were at death’s door, you showed up and ran the place. Word had already started to spread regarding the workshops, and it was exactly what the business needed. Already they had today’s kids’ workshop plus another two booked tomorrow, a hen party at the weekend and an adult corporate group next week. If he thought too much about the recuperation time following an operation as well as the business needing him, not to mention Gemma, it’d send him into a blind panic. But they were a strong family. They could get through this.

  Andrew roped Stephanie in to help with the workshop. She was more than willing; it was a nice break from wrapping and labelling the chocolates. She’d finished packaging up various different chocolates, given them all lot numbers and used the label maker in the office to produce the legally required information for the back of each pack. Now she made labels for all the children in the workshop, allocated aprons for each of them and made sure Andrew had all the props – the poster he liked to show kids that illustrated a brief journey of the cocoa bean until it became the confectionery they knew and loved; the replica of a cocoa bean; the pot of chocolate chips from the packets they bought in bulk.

  Andrew fastened his apron. Each child today would be mesmerised by chocolate, keen to learn, ready to get messy and make their own creations to take home. He loved seeing all those little faces light up and their eyes grow as big as the moon. A lightbulb from the circuit board of his mind went on again. Julia had deprived him of the chance to be a dad. He’d never watched his daughter’s first steps or heard her first words. He hadn’t seen his daughter’s face light up when she tasted her first chocolate, he’d missed out on Christmas morning excitement, he’d never hugged her close when she fell and grazed her knee. Julia had taken it all away from him.

  Andrew worked hard to battle thoughts of Julia, block out worries of Louis, and thankfully the kids were a great bunch. Sometimes there was one scallywag intent on showing off to his peers, but today they were all calm and eager to learn. When they’d started these classes, Gemma had had to give Andrew a few tips. She was a natural with the kids. Gemma’s smile lit up a room and kids instantly warmed to her. She seemed able to effortlessly suss out the little ones and get on their wavelength, making them laugh and have fun as they learnt. She’d make a good mum. A really good mum.

  When the kids were decorating enormous chocolate discs with gold lustre paint, hundreds and thousands and crumbled dried fruits, Andrew went to help out upstairs. Some of the parents liked to wait up there, read a book, generally relax until it was time to take their little monkeys home.

  He wiped his hands on his apron and rang an order through on the till as Bella, owner of Finnegan’s café, came to chat with him.

  ‘You’re busy,’ she said, taking a seat on the stool at the counter, ordering a signature hot chocolate.

  He shut the till and handed his customer their change before starting to make Bella’s hot chocolate. ‘Are you missing the café?’ he asked. Finnegan’s had perished in the bushfires and was slowly being rebuilt.

  ‘Like you wouldn’t believe.’ She looked around her.

  He crossed his arms and smiled. ‘You’re checking out the competition.’

  Her red-lipsticked mouth opened to protest, but instead she grinned.

  Upstairs in Magnolia Creek Chocolaterie it wasn’t just the modest café that drew people in, but also the floor to ceiling windows allowing a view far into the distance, into the bush, the magnificent Dandenong Ranges. When they’d decided to put in a café up here, Andrew had been well aware of the former Finnegan’s café. He was anxious to be a real part of the community, and the last thing he’d wanted to do was be a direct competitor. He’d even chatted with Bella and Rodney Finnegan before they opened up Magnolia Creek Chocolaterie and had adjusted what his own café supplied in accordance with what would again be available in Magnolia Creek when Finnegan’s café reopened. In doing so, he had commanded Bella’s respect in particular, and she was a key member of the community. She even volunteered with Magnolia Creek Fire Brigade, keeping them all organised, and he’d found in her an ally. They’d devised their menu for the upstairs with Bella and Rodney in the forefront of their minds, and they now sold simple snacks of cookies and various flavours of ice cream.

  ‘It is a magnificent view of the bush.’ Bella thanked Andrew for the hot chocolate. ‘Last time I was in here, with Jane, we tried the tasters.’

  ‘Ah, they’re new. What did you think?’

  Her eyes rolled heavenward as Andrew took an order from another customer. ‘They’re to die for.’

  Their most recent offering, the Trio of Tasters, was a set of three espresso glasses, each one filled with a different type of hot chocolate: white, milk and dark. They hadn’t sold many so far, but come autumn and winter Andrew knew they’d entice people in out of the cold, and already Stephanie had produced some posters advertising the new addition to their collection.

  ‘So how’s Louis?’ asked Bella. ‘I saw Gemma earlier, but she looked crazed.’

  Andrew sighed. ‘He’s not good.’ He mixed another serving of
the melted chocolate with milk frothed in the machine and took it over to one of the mums reading a book and looking out at the spectacular view.

  Andrew kept his voice down low when he returned to Bella. ‘He’s going on to dialysis four times a week.’

  ‘I’m so sorry, Andrew. Is he anywhere near the top of the transplant list?’

  Andrew shook his head. ‘He’s a long way off.’ He hesitated. ‘I said I’d donate to him.’

  ‘Good on you.’

  Andrew shrugged. ‘I bet you’d do the same.’

  ‘You’re not wrong there. I’d do it for family or for a friend. It’s saving a life. It’s saving a life that’s part of your own.’ When Andrew nodded, she said, ‘But you’re worried about this place?’

  ‘Wouldn’t you be?’

  ‘You know, a couple of years ago I would’ve been petrified that a setback, weeks or months out of action, would’ve finished us for good, but since the bushfires and losing the café, I realise … I mean, really realise … there’s nothing more important than your own life and the lives of those around you. Sure, money helps, money helps a lot, but it isn’t the be all and end all.’

  She sipped her hot chocolate. ‘What does Gemma think?’

  ‘I think Gemma’s sick of life dealing us crap.’ And life wasn’t done yet either. She still had no idea about Julia or the daughter he had, the biological child Gemma would give her right arm to have with him. They’d talked about IVF a few months ago but since then had done nothing about it. Maybe it was time he put his wife and her dreams first.

  ‘She’s a fighter, Andrew.’ Bella’s red lipstick had left its mark on her cup. ‘And both of you have become friends. Without Finnegan’s up and running for another couple of months, I’m here if you need me. I can work a till, make deliveries and I promise not to eat all your chocolate.’

  Tears rarely sprung to Andrew’s eyes, but the welcoming from this community heightened his emotions. ‘Bella, thank you. You’re a true friend.’ Whether he accepted Bella’s offer or not, he warmed at how they were settling into life here surrounded by people who genuinely cared.

  ‘And if I know Stephanie well enough,’ Bella continued, ‘she’ll leap at the chance to work some extra shifts and earn a bit more pocket money. When I was her age, I was saving for my first car.’

  Andrew grinned. ‘Me too.’

  Bella finished her hot chocolate and went on her way, and by the time Andrew returned downstairs to supervise the cleaning up of the party room, Gemma was back.

  ‘How’s Dad?’

  ‘He’s asleep again. I tried to get him to eat some crackers or some dry toast, but he’s off his food.’

  They stood aside as hyper kids left with their creations, party bags and huge smiles.

  ‘Do the parents realise how manic these kids’ll be this afternoon?’ He smiled.

  Gemma stood next to her husband and watched a little girl leave. ‘This is what I want.’

  Andrew looked at her. ‘Six rowdy kids buzzing on sugar and chocolate?’

  ‘I’m serious, Andrew. I keep telling myself it’ll be okay, if it never happens for us, it doesn’t matter.’ Tears filled her eyes. ‘But it does.’

  He could see the pain she was in and it killed him to know he’d soon be adding to it. But for now he wanted to give her what she wanted, to give her the world. ‘Why don’t we go and see the doctor, talk about IVF?’

  Gemma looked at him. ‘I wasn’t sure you’d want to go down that route.’

  ‘I think we should try.’ He smiled and pulled her hand into his, but the moment was broken when someone dropped their giant chocolate button and it smashed all over the floor. Gemma was straight to the little boy’s side. She hugged him and took out a packet of chocolate dinosaurs to give to him. He gasped with glee, the tears dried and he left the shop all smiles.

  If only Gemma’s heart could be mended as easily.

  *

  When Andrew arrived home after work, Louis was already in the kitchen.

  ‘How are you feeling?’ He rested his hand on his dad’s shoulder.

  ‘I slept for too long, son. But I’m hungry now.’

  ‘It’s a good sign.’ Andrew nodded over to Gemma, who was spooning out beef and barley stew from the pan on the stove.

  She put a bowl of stew in front of Louis. ‘While you’re up I’ll wash your sheets and whip the vacuum around,’ she told him.

  ‘She’s too good for you,’ Louis teased Andrew, tucking heartily into his stew. It was the most Andrew had seen him eat in ages. It was like watching a child, making sure they got their five a day, calcium to make them strong, enough water.

  Gemma left them to it.

  ‘Dad, this can’t go on,’ said Andrew as the back door shut behind his wife and she followed the path down to the annexe.

  Louis ignored him.

  ‘Dad.’

  ‘No, Andrew. I won’t let you do it. I won’t let them cut you open when you’re perfectly healthy. It’s asking for trouble. You’re young, you’re fit, you have a wife and a business. It’s too much.’

  Andrew went over to the stove and spooned out a bowl of stew for himself. He’d only had a small sandwich for lunch, and for this emotional battle he needed a lot more fuel.

  Sitting back at the table, he said simply, ‘You’ll die.’

  Louis slurped another spoonful. ‘We’ll all die, son.’

  ‘And you’ll leave me behind knowing I could’ve had another ten good years with you. More if we’re lucky.’

  Louis sighed. ‘It’s not an easy operation. You won’t be back at work for some time.’

  ‘Emilio and Stephanie are both capable, and Bella has said she’d help out. Secretly I think she’d love to, with the café still not up and running. And Gemma will put in the time when she can.’

  ‘Of course she will, but she shouldn’t have to.’ His eating slowed as he filled up quicker than Andrew. ‘Gemma needs you and you need her, and your marriage should be your focus, not me.’

  Andrew put down his spoon. ‘And we both need you. One day, we want to start a family and when we do, I want our lives to involve you, Grandpa Louis.’

  It was the first time he’d seen Louis’ eyes fill with tears since he’d been diagnosed with kidney disease. Up until now he’d taken everything in his stride.

  ‘Let me do this, Dad. Let me give you one of my kidneys.’ Andrew grinned. ‘Having two is just plain greedy.’

  Louis’ face relaxed. ‘I suppose it kind of is when you think about it.’

  ‘Then it’s settled. We’ll call the hospital and get things moving.’

  And in that moment, Andrew and Louis both thought they knew exactly what the future held.

  Chapter Eight

  Molly

  The flat was silent, no more comings and goings and footsteps on the stairs as her neighbour came home from a night out, no more classical music from the man in the flat below as he played his violin. It was almost two a.m. and the moon cast its beam through Molly’s bedroom window as she lay on the bed surfing the net. Since she’d decided to search for her birth father two weeks ago and had contacted the adoption agency to set the wheels in motion, she’d been doing as much searching herself as she could. She’d taken the first step into the unknown, and now she wanted to know more, but there was so much information out there. There were men with the same name from all corners of the globe, many with physical characteristics like hers, at an approximate age to make paternity realistic.

  Overwhelmed by the enormity of it all, Molly stared out at the moon hanging in the sky suspended between pencil grey clouds and wondered whether her birth father had ever thought about her, ever tried to find her. He might have done, who knew? He could even be living at the end of the street or in the next town. Anything was possible.

  And with those thoughts, she finally drifted off to sleep in her clothes, dreaming of answers she needed to find.

  *

  ‘Sore neck?’ Molly’s colleague
Freya asked the next day as Molly was coming to the tail end of her shift.

  Molly hadn’t realised she was rubbing it again. She picked up the notes for the mother-to-be in room six. ‘I must’ve slept funny,’ she offered. ‘Don’t look at me like that.’

  ‘Like what?’ Freya laughed. ‘Have you got a secret boyfriend we don’t know about? Did he keep you up all night?’ Freya sighed. ‘I wish I was young enough to remember what it was like to be up, doing it all night.’

  Molly turned to go to room six. ‘You live in la-la land. The only company I had last night was my computer.’

  ‘There’s a lot of online dating these days,’ Freya called after her.

  As Molly pushed open the door and greeted the woman in the early stages of labour, she couldn’t help but associate Ben with Freya’s reference to meeting people online. She warmed at the thought of chatting with him later.

  Ben had been her confidant since she’d got the ball rolling with the search for her birth father and as hesitant as she’d been about doing the search in the first place, her conversations with Ben had helped her to feel in control. The worst had happened anyway – her birth mother wanted nothing to do with her – so if her biological father reacted in the same way, then she’d hurt for a while but she’d pick herself up, dust herself off and get on with it. Either that or she’d find a shot glass, a bottle of tequila and deal with it the same way she had last time.

  ‘Two days to go, ladies!’ This from Katy as Molly approached the nurses station at the end of her shift. ‘I still can’t believe you’re not coming to Malta.’

  ‘I’m working on it,’ said Molly, truly regretful to be missing out. ‘One year I will.’

  ‘I’ll hold you to that.’

  ‘See you lot tomorrow.’ Molly bid her colleagues farewell, and wrapping her lilac knitted scarf around her neck twice, she made her way out of the department, down to the main entrance and out into the cool early evening air. It was the last week of winter, with spring merely days away, but for now the weather seemed to have conveniently forgotten it was allowed to let the sun shine and the frost disappear. Molly stuffed her hands in her pockets to keep them warm, until her phone rang and forced her to extract them again.