Falling Walls (III)

Chapter 42

I just stepped out of the shower when the door bell to Tom's apartment rang.  No one knew we were back, apart from Jan who had a key, and Eva, who wasn't due to visit us for another hour. The cake delivery must be early, I thought. With a towel wrapped around me, the water still falling in heavy drops from my hair, I peeked around the corner, watching Tom stride towards the intercom. He looked so handsome after a haircut and shave, which we stopped for on the way to Hamburg.  He didn't say it, but I could tell how nervous he was about meeting his mother and that he was keen on impressing her, having spent a ridiculous amount of time choosing an outfit to wear and ordering the cake for afternoon tea.  As if there was a chance Eva could possibly not be impressed by her son.
Hanging up the intercom, Tom turned towards me, stress written all over his body. "She's here, she's an hour early. She's here. The cake isn't even delivered. Why is she already here?"
I lift my shoulders, not knowing the answer, leaving Tom wait for her at the door, while checking his hair in the mirror. I rushed into the bedroom and got changed as quickly as possibly. A long sleeved olive green dress was the first outfit I got my hands on.  I quickly grabbed my earrings from the night stand and fumbled them in on the way to the door.  As I walked around the corner, the front door opened.

All I could see was Tom's back. Not wanting to intertupt this moment between Tom and Eva, I stayed in my spot. Then I heard a teary Eva explain, "Sorry for being early. I just couldn't wait any longer." Her arms appeared around Tom's back and her words turned into muffled sobs. Tom didn't move at first, then his head lowered, exposing small strands of Eva's hair fall over his arm. One of her arms moved up to his head, stroking it over and over before moving on to his cheek.
"I've been waiting for this day for forever." Now, Tom's body started shaking.

It felt wrong watching them in this intimate moment. Therefore, I went into the kitchen, making coffee and tea. I could no longer see them, and with the sound of the water cattle and coffee machine filling the air, I also couldn't hear them any longer. When the cans of coffee and tea were finally finished, Eva's voice sounded from the lounge room.
"I had been sitting in my car outside for the last two hours and couldn't wait any longer."

Since Tom and Eva seemed to have moved to the lounge room, I figured it was a good time to join them. I put the cans on a tray, added three cups, saucers and milk.

"Your father is on his way here.  I hope that is fine with you." In all the turmoil I hadn't even considered Tom's dad or sisters. Eva had told me that for the past years Johan had given up all hope finding Tom, and felt he could no longer be involved in searching. She had told me how her focus on finding Tom had taken a big toll on the entire family, but I could understand her. Never would I be able to give up searching for one of my children.

Tom's eyes were red and watery, Eva's mascara smudged around her eyes. She was holding Tom's hand in her lap, stroking his cheek with the other hand, while smiling the brightest smile possible. "I don't even know what to call you? Max? Tom? I guess you're Tom now."
I haven't heard Tom say a single word as yet. He shrug his shoulders, smiling shyly. "I don't know. - I don't know what to call you either."
In that moment Tom and Eva both noticed me. They looked up at me with a smile, but Tom's hands stayed in Eva's on her lap.

I poured us each a hot drink and and then I became the conversation maker. Noone seemed to know where to begin and so I recounted the trip to Switzerland, then how Tom and I met.  I felt in the way and when the doorbell finally rang again and the cake got delivered, I took that as an excuse to make myself scarce in the kitchen. Slowly, I got plates and forks out. Then I cut the entire cake in slices and filled up the coffee and tea cans. It wouldn't have been more then ten or fifteen minutes, but I finally heard Tom and Eva talk. They didn't need tea, coffee, cake or me in there.  What they needed was time to themselves. For a while I just sat down on the kitchen table, poured myself another cup of tea and listened to Tom and Eva.