Chapter 39 – Questions

JP has been walking around restlessly for weeks. It takes him a while to figure out where that nagging feeling is coming from. He keeps ending up at the plot of land next to the kitchen. It won’t let him go: he’s certain he’s missed something during the search for the basement. The distance between the stairs and the studio is too great.

He’s already knocked on the wall between the stairs and the studio, but the walls are so thick he can’t hear a difference.

Sometimes he wakes up at night and lies there worrying for hours. Lana sees it and waits patiently. But one morning, when they wake up and she sees his tired face, her patience is exhausted. This can’t go on any longer. She looks at him intently.

“What are you doing to yourself, Jean Paul?” she asks. She only uses his full name when she’s truly worried.

Suddenly, everything clicks. His face lights up.

“That flat area between the kitchen and the stairs to the basement!” he calls softly.

Lana frowns. “What’s with that?”

“There must be a space underneath. Another cellar.”

“And… what do you want with it?”

“The kitchen is too small for all of us. Claire and Marc barely have room to cook. And we need more space for everyone to sit at the table.”

“You’ve got a point,” she says. “Everyone would appreciate a little more space.”

That same day, JP goes exploring. He clears away a large pile of stones and comes across a hard, flat floor. Noa, Danni, and Frits join him and immediately help. They stack the loose stones: they’ll surely come in handy. They saw up the old tree stumps and stack them to dry. These are for the fireplace in the workshop.

Beneath the weeds between the collapsed walls, a clay floor appears. JP gets down on his knees to examine the ground, digging as deep as he can in several places.

Over and over again, he encounters the same hard clay floor. An idea begins to take shape in his mind. How wonderful would it be if Frits and Flora could come and live here too? A special bond has developed between him and Frits. Marc had already said they look alike. And Lana and Flora have reconnected after Mimi’s kidnapping; they, too, want to spend more time together.

Mid-afternoon, Frits—his new best friend—emerges from the kitchen with a tray of coffee.

“We’ve earned it,” he grins.

Noa grunts in agreement.

That evening, after the hard work, JP and Frits sit next to each other at the table. Lisa, sitting across from them, looks up and is startled by the resemblance.

“You look so much alike!” she exclaims.

“That’s what I thought,” says Marc.

Lisa turns to JP. “I know you had a pretty normal childhood. You have a younger brother and sister, right? They still live up north. You don’t see them often.”

JP nods.

Then she looks at Frits. “Do you have any family?”

Frits smiles. “My parents live up west. I don’t have any brothers or sisters, but I had a happy childhood. I visit them regularly. When I visit, my mother always bakes apple pie because she knows I love it.” His eyes light up.

“And you never lived in the same town? Never had overlapping schools or jobs?”

They both shake their heads.

“I saw your resemblance too,” Mimi says. “And I read online about DNA testing.”

The men look at her in surprise.

“The results are very reliable,” she continues. “It’s expensive, but we can afford it now that we’ve got all our money back. Thanks to you.” She gives Frits a warm look. JP and Frits look at each other.

“I don’t know how we’re related,” JP says. “But… do we want to know?”

“I do,” Frits answers without hesitation. “I don’t know what could have happened, but it feels like I’m looking in a mirror every time I see you. And when I’m with you, it feels… more complete. Yes, I want to know.”

Lisa leans back and sighs. “It’s possible you’re bringing things up. Do you think you—and your parents—can handle that?”

JP nods slowly. “My mother always struggled with depression, but my father takes good care of her.”

“Then I’ll order the tests,” Mimi decides. She gets up but turns around in the doorway. “They’ll arrive within a week. After that, it’ll be a few more weeks before we have the results.”

Lisa looks at the men. “Maybe it would be wise to visit your parents. Ask about the past.” JP turns to Frits. “Shall we start with my parents? I don’t know how my mother will react.”

“Fine,” says Frits.

JP picks up his phone and leaves the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Danni mentions that it’s difficult to find work. Claire and Frits promise to help them look.

A little later, JP returns. “We can visit them at the end of next week. I told them I’m bringing my girlfriend. They’re very curious about you.” He looks lovingly at Lana.

“I’m curious about your parents, too,” she smiles, throwing her arms around him. “If they’re even remotely like you, I love them already.”