Taking on writing this memoir was so much more than she had anticipated, and she wanted desperately to get it right. Better than right.
Never had she been the witness of such intimate, important memories and she thought now about the narrative arc. She knew it needed to transform the narrator from the person they were at the beginning of the story to the person they had become by the end. All the information had to support and reveal the transformation.
She remembered her English professor stressing that a memoir must have constraints and not be about a whole life, but rather a time in life. Never would Nora have imagined she would one day write about this particular time and this particular young girl.
She felt honored … and challenged.
She realized that with all the commotion at the skating party, she still hadn’t told Chloe and Olivier she was remaining in Paris for another month. Or why. The news about Giselle would be difficult for them to hear.
Stopping in at her favorite Boulangerie Alexine, located just down the road from their apartment building, she picked up baguettes and two quiches; one for herself and one for the ‘youngsters’. She also bought four tartes aux citron meringue, mainly because they were her favorite. She berated herself for being paranoid Pierre might not like her choice.I’ve got to get that out of my head.
She texted Chloe to make sure it was a good time to drop by, and when she got a positive reply, she went to their apartment.
Chloe squealed with delight when she saw Atticus wearing his fancy coat they had given him. She gave him hugs and told him how handsome he looked. They all laughed as his ears perked right up.
Pierre was up and reading on the sofa. He began to slowly rise when Nora came in the room, but she gestured for him to stay seated.
“I can see from your eyes that moving isn’t fun. I’m so sorry.”
He smiled ruefully. “C’est vrai. Too true! It’s going to hurt for a while.”
Chloe and Olivier greeted Nora with the usual bises, and they sat down to chat.
“Thank you so much for the quiches,” Chloe said, and added with a big grin, “Now I don’t have to cook. Oli can make a salad, and we’ll be all set for dinner.”
Both men agreed that after the delicious feast at the Palais, a small meal was exactly what they wanted.
“Thank you again for helping me out with my dinner last night, Nora. I was not going to miss eating the exquisite filet mignon, no matter how much my shoulder hurt.”
“I offer my services as your découpeur de viande any time,” Nora said, and they all laughed. “Is that even a thing?”
In the midst of the merriment, she awkwardly decided she could not delay telling them the unhappy news about Giselle’s health. “I did not want to tell you this before our New Year’s fête, but I need to share it with you now.”
Nora took a deep breath and looked at the suddenly concerned faces waiting for her to speak.
“Luc shared this with me first and then Giselle called me yesterday. The reason she’s in Mexico is because she has been suffering from ovarian cancer and goes to a clinic there for treatment. This is her second visit, and they have been quite successful at keeping her condition from progressing.”
Pierre said he hadn’t seen her in quite a while and was sad to hear she was ill. “Every time I have encountered her through the years, she has radiated warmth and vitality. She instantly brightens a day.”
Chloe and Olivier were shocked. They expressed loving feelings about Giselle, since she was like family to them. Chloe murmured, “She always seems to be the picture of health and so full of energy. I have never heard her complain … about anything…”
Nora agreed. “In the few days I spent with her, she made such an impression on me and, honestly, she gave me such a gift of joy – pure unabashed passion for everything in life. Seriously!”
“When will she come home?” asked Chloe.
“She isn’t coming home for another month.”
Chloe looked at Nora in anticipation. “And?”
“And she asked if I would stay on with Atticus.”
“And?”
“Well, you know I don’t make impulsive decisions.”
“Maman! Tell us! Did you say you would stay longer?”
“Yes … I said I would.”
