Retrospective: Paris - After the mess was over

5.8 Mae West – Maybe Pt. 2
Spring 1994, The Môle

"I'm so glad it's finally weekend!" Mae exclaimed.
Her head felt like it would explode from all the studying. She regretted that she hadn't paid more attention during the semester so she wouldn't have to study so much right before the exams.
Okay, she had had a few more distractions than usual.
Correct that, a lot more.

But at last, life had turned back to normal. Charlotte smiled again. Francesco slept so much better that Mae would almost describe him as relaxed. He'd probably never fully lose his wary side, though.
And Mae's own unrest had faded away without her noticing it.
They were still coping, but the worst was behind them.

"I'm so glad I won't have to study anymore," Charlotte smirked.
Mae's best friend would take a break from education at the chef academy after this semester. The Roux' were outraged when Charlotte finally told them about her pregnancy, but it was too late for a legal termination. So they tried to talk her into staying at her aunt's house in Italy until she gave birth and then give up the baby for adoption. They were desperate to keep their faces.
Charlotte hadn't expected otherwise of them.
She had agreed to move to Italy, but she didn't tell her parents that she had no intentions to give up her baby. At first, she had been a little insecure. She didn't have Etienne's support anymore. But the baby was the last she had of him, and that reinforced her initial decision to keep it.

This weekend would be Charlotte's last one in France for a while, and she wanted to spend it together with her best friends and celebrate one last time.

But the night didn't go as they planned.


First of all, Francesco wasn't at the bar anymore, though his gig should still be ongoing for another hour.
"It was like in a movie!" Georgina exclaimed when Mae asked where he was. In confusing and short unfinished sentences, the waitress told them what happened. She made it sound as if it was the most exciting incident in her otherwise boring work life.
"The man just went to the stage, and they talked... then François left with him and some more people. Of course Monsieur Fillipe was very angry – François has already been late so often..." she sighed. "And he was so very rude to Monsieur Fillipe... I think he won't take him back to work here anymore..."
"Wait –" Mae had to interrupt the waitress in her rambling, because the unrest was suddenly back again.
The man that had saved them had promised they'd be left in peace if they stayed quiet, and of course that massacre that happened to that gang had been all over the news. Even Dante was murdered, and he was only superficially associated with them...
But what if some of those people were still alive and wanted to get back at Francesco?
"Who were those people?" Mae asked.
"They were a rock band!" Georgina said, "I even saw them last weekend at the festival! I just forgot their name... they weren't very good though," she wrinkled up her nose.


"A rock band?" Charlotte asked.
"Yes yes, they wanted François to join them –"

Mae was relieved.
That definitely didn't sound like Francesco were in danger. On the contrary, someone asked him to join their band.
That was a great chance, maybe even a one-in-a-lifetime one, right?
Like in a movie, Georgina was right.
It was a good thing that happened, right?

"– won't come back here anymore" the waitress continued.

Of course he wouldn't if he could tour with a band. Francesco wasn't stuck here anymore between crappy part-time jobs.
Mae was so happy for him.

"Ah, but that was already two hours ago, or three..." Georgina said.

Finally Mae snapped out of paralysis. She had to hurry home fast, he probably waited for her. She had to wish him good luck, say good bye.

She ran as fast as she could but it still didn't feel fast enough.


When she finally arrived home, the apartment was dark and empty.
Francesco's shoes were gone.
He must still be out.

No worries, he'd come back and pack his stuff, right?


But the drawers where he kept his clothes were empty.
And his bag was gone.

He had already packed.
Maybe he had to go to another place.
And he would be back at any minute.
He knew when she'd be back tonight.

Just this morning, he had asked her what she wanted to do after she graduated. That meant he wanted to see her again after she finished her education, right?
Maybe he'd come back and decide with her on a date and place to meet again.
Make a promise to see each other again.
Like in that movie, what was it called again? And who knew, maybe when they'd meet again, they'd –

"...Mae?"
Charlotte's voice sounded as if she was a million light years away.

Mae hadn't even noticed that she had left the door open.
Right, this wasn't the movies.
"He's gone," she said.
This was reality, and in reality there were no second chances.
Not for love, and not for your dreams.

"François? Wait – he's gone, as in... gone?" Charlotte tried to understand the situation.

"Yes. Gone. He packed."
Mae didn't know how to feel.
Honestly, she was so baffled, she couldn't feel much at all.
Like an empty shell.

"He... he didn't really – " Charlotte paused. She took a hard breath. "I can't believe he felt so little for you after –"

"You can't blame him..." Mae heard her voice as if it came from someone else. "He always wanted to get out of Paris... He was always honest." 

And Mae could understand him so well, she knew enough of what had happened to him here.

"But... I always thought he couldn't do it..." Charlotte muttered. "I thought you meant more to him... that he loves you..."

Did he?

Did he love her?
Mae had always felt loved, but now she wasn't sure anymore if it meant anything.
Surprisingly, it didn't bother her as much as she would have expected.
She didn't care.

There was so little she cared about, when she really thought about it.

And she shouldn't, look, caring too much could have almost broke her heart.
Live, love, dance, move on.
Have another drink.
Enjoy life as long as you can.

When the phone rang, Mae got up automatically to answer it.

It was her sister, but Mae had a hard time to understand her.
"Linda, what happened?"
Linda talked without taking a breath – no, she cried, right out bawled and could barely form a clear sentence. This was so unlike her, who always was calm and composed.
Mae snapped back into the present and out of the cloudy numbness.

"Sshhh, take a breath... yes, like this." She tried to soothe her older sister, "Now, stay calm and tell me what happened, why are you sorry?"
At last, Linda managed to express herself better.
"I – i – i – it's my fault, I didn't take care well enough", she sobbed. "When I woke up this morning and looked for mom, she didn't breathe, and – and the box of sleeping pills, it was almost empty –" another deep breath, "so she's in the hospital now, they had to pump out her stomach... oh god Mae, they said they don't know if she'll make it..."
The rest of Linda's words drowned in uncontrolled sobs.

Mae's heart almost stood still.
It was her turn to take a deep breath now.
Focus.
First, she had to make sure her sister got ahold of herself, and then she needed more information.

"Linda – Linda, listen, okay?", she said, "It's not your fault, okay? You have to pull yourself together now! They will take care of mum in the hospital, but you have to be there too when she wakes up and take care of her."
Linda still sobbed, but made a noise of understanding.
"Good. I'll go now to the airport and get the next flight back to Newcrest and take a cab to the hospital... she's in Newcrest General, right?" It was the one closest to their home.
Linda confirmed.
"Okay. Now calm down. When mum wakes up, we will be both there, okay? And she'll recover very fast, you will see! Okay, I'll see you soon!"

She dropped the phone back on it's place and ran to the closet to throw a few clothes into her suitcase.

"Mae, what happened?" Charlotte was still there. Mae had already forgotten about her.

She took a deep breath.
Just don't start crying now too, it was enough that one West sister had lost her composure.
"I have to fly back home immediately. My mum is in hospital, she overdosed on her sleeping pills" she managed to explain.

"Oh no..." Charlotte's face was full of compassion. She reached for Mae's arm. "I'll call a cab and come to the airport with you."

Mae nodded and went to throw her toiletries in a bag. She was so grateful that her friend was here to support her. She only noticed how much her hands shook when she needed three tries to put the cosmetic bag into her suitcase.
She had to pull herself together.


Within minutes, she was done with packing, and they went down to wait for the cab.
For a second, Mae thought she heard the phone ring again, but she had no time to waste.