Saturday, December 21, 2021
My Black Casio (digital) watch told me I had about an hour before Pete would come to Atlas. That left me with plenty of time to get to work on the second part of my plan. 

Sofie, that is. 

Mom was surprised to see me back at their house so soon after I left. 

“Are you still hungry?” she asked me. “Let me make you a sandwich.”

“Is Sofie up yet?” I asked her and without waiting for a reply, skipped up the stairs. The first thing I saw when I got to Tina’s old room was a was her old “Do NOT disturb” sign on the closed door. I knocked carefully. 

“Sofie, are you up?” I said. “I have an idea. Knock on my door when you’re redy for breakfast.”

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Saturday, December 21, 2021
It had been years since I had had an epiphany like that. I had laser like focus, I could see my mission clearly. Pete and Sofie were Jennifer and me back in the 1980s, and if nothing pushed them off the course they (we) were on, they’d end up being friends, then losing touch due to distance between and then they’d spend the rest of their lives wondering what might’ve been. 

I’d have to go back in time. Again. And I’d play the part of Cyrano. 

But this time, I’d have to be very, very careful so that I wouldn’t interfere with the original 1980s and mess up the space-time continuum. 

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Saturday, December 21, 2021
Mom was in the kitchen when I walked down. She was surprised to see me. 

“I didn’t hear you get in,” she said, “let me make you a sandwich.”

I didn’t want to tell her that she hadn’t heard me get in because I had snuck in in the middle of the night. I had the keys, and it was my room and my stuff … but it was still their home. 

“Where’s Dad?” I asked. 

“He’s in his office. Liking stuff, I think,” Mom said. “Sofie’s still sleeping, in case you’re wondering. (I wasn’t). 

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Saturday, December 21, 2021
Now, Pete wasn’t my kid and neither was Sofie, but I knew what Doc meant. Something I had said at Burgerland had been bothering me.  

“Pete’s Mom used to live in Paris,” I had said to Sofie, while defending Kumpunotko. And while it wasn’t exactly true because while Jennifer had moved to France to go to an art school, it hadn’t been Paris. In fact, Granville had been the Kumpunotko of France, she had told me. 

But the simple fact is that Kumpunotko, the one in Finland, did get between us. 

Now, don’t get me wrong. When I say that I cherished the friendship with Jennifer, I mean it, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. Not anymore. What I have with Sara is absolutely wonderful, and she’s the woman I needed, even though I didn’t know it when I was a teenager. I didn’t even know it when I went back in time to look for Jennifer. 

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Friday, December 20, 2021
Pete came walking down the corridor, his face almost completely hidden behind all the flowers he had got. I hadn’t thought of buying any, which now seemed like a good decision. I waited for Jennifer to give her son a big hug before extending my hand, and offering Pete a firm handshake.

“Well done, Pete, very well done,” I told him.

“Thank you. It was fun,” he said, and glanced at his mother. Then he glanced to his left and noticed Sofie, and did a double-take. I don’t know if Sofie noticed it, but if she did, she didn’t say anything.

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