The drive to the park where Renato's cafe was took over an hour due to bad traffic. As they left the graveyard, the snowfall had turned lighter, but the roads were still slippery.
Like any other place, the park was covered in white. Ruediger and Lariette walked slowly on the cobbledstone pathways, now layered with snow.
"Oh, Renato went all out with Christmas decor."
"I still remember last year. He bragged about the star topper his niece made."
From a distance, they saw the cafe's tall windows glowed warmly against the pale gray sky. Snowflakes drifted lazily down, some of them clinging to the holiday decoration outside the cafe.
Ruediger reached out a hand, pushing the door open before holding it so Lariette could step in first. The bell above the door jingled merrily as the waft of spiced apples, roasted chestnuts and freshly brewed coffee greeted them.
