Nils stopped and turned to her. “What did they do?”
“They cut her with a knife. She has a gash across her chest. Thankfully it’s not too deep.”
Nils went white. “They attacked her with a knife? We have to go to the police!”
Tuula nodded. “You’re right.” But all she wanted just then was to be with her daughter.
Nils drew her close and hugged her for a long time. Something inside her let go, and for a second she allowed herself to feel weak and vulnerable. She hadn’t wanted to break down in front of Ritva, but now the tears came. “I can’t stay here,” she said eventually. “My children ...” She didn’t finish the sentence, and Nils let her cry, held her and consoled her without saying anything.
Tuula realized that she had reached the end of the road. People talking about her and disliking her was one thing, but the people she loved most were suffering the most. The children above all, but also Nils. His business and his career were being affected, and the situation was no longer tenable for anyone.
“I have to leave.” She wiped her eyes and looked up at him.
“Let me come with you.”
“But what about the business?”
Nils sighed. “I didn’t want to worry you when everything was so chaotic, but my father has given me an ultimatum. He told me to choose between you and the business; otherwise my brother will take over.”
“And what’s your decision?” Tuula could hardly breathe.
“Naturally I choose you.” His eyes filled with tears. “I choose you and the children.”
She swallowed hard. She couldn’t help thinking about what he’d said at the cottage, that he and his father had never had anything to fall out about. Not until she came into the picture. He’d had a goodrelationship with his whole family before that. “We can leave tonight,” he went on. “We can go as soon as you like, start over somewhere else, as a family.”
Tuula’s chest was flooded with warmth, but there was pain in it too. She wanted nothing more than to be with Nils and the children. He loved them, she knew that, and they had grown close to him. But if he went away with her, he would be leaving his own family, losing everything he had here. What if he regretted it in the future? What would happen if he fell out of love with her when real life took over? Could she really do that to him?
“Tuula, I mean it. I want to build a life with you. I don’t care about the business.”
“But you love the business.”
“I can start something new, once we’re on our feet.”
“You can’t replace your parents.”
She saw something in his eyes. Pain. “No, but I’ll have a new family.” He smiled as the tears ran down his cheeks. He rested his forehead on hers and they stood there, weeping together and holding each other.
Tuula couldn’t persuade Ritva to go to school the following morning, and even though she was a woman of principle—everyone has to go to school—she couldn’t bring herself to force her daughter to go. Ritva was allowed to stay home as long as she read her schoolbooks.
Matias went with Tuula to the bakery early in the morning, and during her coffee break, she quickly took him over to daycare.
She got back just as everyone was due to start work again. Oddly, they weren’t sitting outside drinking coffee—where were they?
The packing room was empty, so she continued through to the bakery. The whole staff was gathered there, standing or sitting in complete silence. Karl Eklund, Nils’s father, stood in the middle of the room. He glanced at Tuula when she came in, but didn’t acknowledge her. Tuulawent and stood by the wall. Nils was over by the baking tables. She could see that he was trying to look calm, but he folded his arms, then let them fall to his sides, then changed position again.
“I’m afraid I have some bad news,” Karl Eklund said at last. “We’re going to have to dismiss two people, effective immediately.” A low hum of conversation broke out. “Some spirit vinegar has gone missing from the storeroom.”
“That’s not true, Father,” Nils protested. “I did the inventory—no spirit vinegar is missing.”
“It is,” Karl snapped. “I carried out the inventory myself. Either you were careless, or you were trying to protect someone.” He looked around the room. “I know who the guilty parties are.” He paused, either to let his words sink in, or to make them nervous. “It pains me to do this, but I have no choice. The first person is Tuula Anttila.”
Tuula wanted to laugh at the ridiculous accusation, but she also felt a mixture of anger and relief. She wanted to leave the village, and now she had no choice.
“And the second is Aino Lahti.”
Tuula inhaled sharply and looked at her friend. That wasn’t fair.
“Where’s the proof?” Lydia spoke up.
