“They would,” he insists. “In the right setting.”
“Oh yeah?” I cross my arms. “And where exactly do you plan on selling them?”
Theo shrugs. “I’ll put them up in the café.”
I blink. “What?”
“In November,” he clarifies. “Not now, obviously. No one’s thinking about Christmas in June.”
I scoff. “So what, you’re just going to display them next to the strudel and hope someone impulse-buys a gnome with their Melange?”I am getting better at that Austrian coffee stuff.
He grins. “Stranger things have happened.”
Before I can argue, Lucy finally gasps dramatically and holds up her chosen gnome. A red-hatted one with a particularly fluffy-looking beard.
“This one!” she announces proudly.
I nod. “Good choice.”
She beams and cradles it carefully, like she’s just won a grand prize.
Theo just shakes his head, smirking. “Well, congrats, Ivy. You’re officially in the gnome business.”
I snort, shaking my head. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll send you an invoice for my first million.”
Theo just smirks, but before he can reply, he pulls the soup container from the bag and holds it out to me. “Here,” he says, his voice softer now. “Eat something proper.”
I take it from him, fingers brushing his for the briefest second.
“Thanks,” I say, and for some reason, this thanks feels so much more meaningful than the thousands of thanks we throw around each day.
For a moment, neither of us moves. It’s quiet, apart from Lucy singing to herself as she inspects her gnome. Theo watches me, something unreadable in his expression, and for the first time in weeks, I realise how nice it is to have a man… someone looking out for me. Not because they expect anything back, not because they’re waiting for me to do something in return—just because we’re friends. Because they care.
And apparently, I don’t know what to do with that.
“Can I help you make them?” Lucy pipes up suddenly, shattering the moment.
“What?”
“The gnomes!” She holds up her chosen one proudly. “I wanna help!”
I chuckle, shaking off the weird feeling still lingering in my chest. “Tell you what—I’ll keep some clay aside. When I’m better, you can come over and make some with me.”
Lucy gasps, delighted. “Really?”
“Really,” I promise.
She clutches her gnome to her chest like she’s just been given the greatest honour in the world. “Okay! But I want to make lots!”
“We’ll see how you do with one first, yeah?” I tease.
Lucy nods, satisfied, and Theo lifts her in his arms. “Alright, gnome queen, I think we should let you get some rest,” he says, looking at me again. “You are going to rest, right?”
I roll my eyes. “Yes, Sir.”
He smirks, but there’s something softer behind it. He doesn’t push, doesn’t make a big deal out of it, just checks. And weirdly, I don’t hate it.
I walk them to the door, Lucy leaning against Theo’s shoulder, already chatting to her gnome like it’s a new best friend.
