Chapter 16 — Cupcake (Loss, Lessons & Leftover Frosting)
Ted Mosby believed heartbreak was proof he'd loved deeply.
Barney Stinson believed heartbreak was proof you'd aimed wrong.
And Ivar Scherbatsky? He believed heartbreak was just proof of timing — and timing was the one fight even he couldn't win.
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At MacLaren's
The booth felt quieter than usual.
Marshall fiddled with his beer. Lily kept sneaking glances at Ivar. Ted cleared his throat, nervous.
"So…" Ted began. "Victoria's really gone?"
"Germany," Ivar said simply.
Robin frowned. "You didn't even try to stop her?"
"No," Ivar said, swirling his glass. "She needed to go. You don't cage someone just because you like the way they make you feel."
Lily leaned in, eyes soft. "But don't you miss her?"
"Of course I miss her," Ivar said. "That doesn't mean she should have stayed."
Barney slammed his hands on the table. "WRONG. Rule #82: never let a ten go abroad without you! You fly there, you woo her, you buy a castle, you make strudel together!"
"Strudel?" Robin asked dryly.
"Don't derail me!" Barney snapped.
Ivar smirked faintly. "You make it sound easy."
"It is easy!" Barney declared. "You've got billions, Scherbatsky. Love should be your layup line."
"Love isn't a layup," Ivar said. "It's overtime. And sometimes you lose on the buzzer."
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The Cupcake Metaphor
Lily tried again, softer this time. "She was really good for you. Like… you smiled more."
"Yeah," Marshall added. "Even your terrifying survivalist stare seemed friendlier."
Ivar chuckled low. "Victoria was… a cupcake."
"A cupcake?" Ted echoed.
"Sweet, warm, impossible not to want more of. But cupcakes don't last. You savor them before they're gone."
Robin muttered, "Leave it to you to make heartbreak sound like dessert."
"Leave it to me to be honest," Ivar countered.
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Alone on the Balcony
Later that night, Ivar stood on the balcony of his penthouse, the skyline glittering like scattered coins.
He held one of Victoria's business cards in his hand, running his thumb over the ink. She'd pressed it into his palm on their last night, kissed him, and told him to call when he wanted dessert that wasn't on a plate.
He slipped the card into a drawer, shut it softly, and poured himself a whiskey.
"You'll come back," he said under his breath, almost like a prayer. "Or you won't. Either way, you'll still be worth remembering."
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Closing Beat
Back at MacLaren's, the gang toasted to "new beginnings."
Ted pined for his own chance at love.
Barney schemed for his next conquest.
Robin deflected questions about her feelings.
Marshall and Lily bickered about frosting.
And Ivar? He raised his glass without a word, letting the whiskey burn.
Because heartbreak didn't make him weaker.
It made him sharper.
And somewhere, across an ocean, Victoria was chasing her dream.
And one day — he knew — she'd be back.