Sonja rolled her eyes and beckoned her in. Inside the kitchen was steamy and busy, with all six of them already pottering about grating cheese and nutmeg, and wiping garlic cloves around the insides of two giant cast-iron pans.
‘Alice, you are in charge of alcohol, because these can’t be trusted,’ Sonja said, plonking a bottle of kirsch brandy in front of her, and grabbing the white wine bottle from Patrick’s hand. ‘We need . . . let’s say two big glasses of wine in the pans, one in each, and then can you start them simmering, please. Bigger glasses than that. A little more. To the very top of the glass and tip straight in, good girl. When that’s up to heat, we stir in the Emmental – oh no!’
They all turned to the Emmental, or more specifically the lack of it.
‘Bear!’ He turned to look at Alice, his paws on the counter, his nose right in the cheese, and grinned. For him, it was like Christmas all over again! ‘I am so so sorry, I’ll run down to the shop now and get some more. Bear, why are you so naughty when we’re around other people?’
Sonja waved it off. ‘We have more Emmental. Who can resist it, yes Bear?’
‘Sorry sorry sorry,’ said Noah, running into the kitchen. ‘I had to use the bathroom, too much wine, I left my station of guarding the cheese.’
‘Your mum is very kind,’ Alice said to Marco in a low voice, as he passed her to get to the fridge.
‘Just to the people she likes,’ he said, and lightly touched her arm, his eyes flicking to her lips again.
Once all three cheeses were in and had been stirred by Marco until they were super-smooth, Alice was asked to add the kirsch and the nutmeg. Lola and David were chopping chunks of bread and boiled potato, Noah was setting the table and Patrick was topping up everybody’s wine.
‘It’s snowing again,’ Alice remarked, seeing fat flakes pass by the window as she carried one of the pans to the table. She gazed out at the dark sky, and Bear came and joined her. ‘I know I’ve been here for two months but there’s still something magical about seeing the snow fall, at least to me. It makes everything clean and ready to start again.’
It had been a squeeze fitting five plus Bear around the dining table, but seven plus Bear was very cosy indeed. Alice sat at one corner, so she could try and keep Bear next to her lest he leap up onto the table and devour an entire pan of cheese. Beside her was Marco, then David, and opposite David sat Sonja, then Patrick, then Noah and Lola, opposite Alice. The two pans were positioned evenly, but everyone huddled even closer together to get nearer to a pan with their dipping implements.
‘This smells so delicious, Sonja,’ Lola gushed, taking a huge sniff of the pan, and everyone ‘Mmm’ed in agreement.
Sonja waved them away. ‘Bon appétit!’
Alice spiked a chunk of bread onto her long fondue fork and dunked it into the bubbling cheese. It smelt rich, the garlic and nutmeg aromas popping through the tangs of cheese and alcohol. She blew, and then put the warm forkful in her mouth, and had to stop herself from falling of her chair.
‘Thish ish shoooo good,’ she enthused, her mouth sticky and happy. ‘Marco, your mum is amazing. Have you tried this?’
‘Many times, but it never gets old.’ He scoffed his own chunk. The whole table started devouring the meal, the wine a perfect accompaniment, and even Bear settled down, realising his tummy had probably had enough cheese for now, and that maybe he should snooze it off.
‘So Alice, you are staying in Vanessa’s chalet, yes?’ Sonja asked.
‘Yes, for the whole winter, but she’s coming back and forth because she’s working for a tour company near Zurich for the season. She’ll actually be back in a couple of days because she has New Year’s off.’
Sonja nodded and turned to the man opposite her. ‘And David, that’s perfect for you, will you finally take the opportunity to give her a kiss?’
Lola whooped with laughter, dropping a lump of hot bread and cheese on her lap.
‘Mum!’ Marco cried. ‘You are the worst person sometimes.’
‘What? I think he needs a little encouragement. It took your father five years to ask me to date. In the meantime I met, married, and divorced someone else just to keep me occupied.’
‘She’s joking,’ Noah clarified to the table. ‘Aren’t you?’
‘Yes, yes, it’s a joke, but the point is . . . ’ She waved her fondue fork around a few times, trying to think of the right words. ‘What do they say in England, Alice? . . . Grow a pair.’
‘Oh my God,’ Marco said.
Lola was still laughing her head off and Patrick was helping himself to more wine, having given up long ago trying to curb his wife’s meddling.
‘Don’t “oh my God” me or I start on you next.’ Sonja winked at Marco.
Noah stepped in. ‘Mother. Nobody is asking for your help. Drink more wine and, you know, shut up.’ He was laughing as he said it, though.
‘I’m just saying, New Year’s Eve, I can see three girls and three boys and you’re all young and attractive so you all might as well . . . ’
Alice stepped in. ‘Grow a pair?’
