Chapter Two

Standing and motioning towards Sam so that she placed her hand in his, David grabbed the book from the table, placed his papers in the recycle bin and the two began to walk toward the back of the cathedral. As they walked, Sam explained what she had already seen earlier in the day.

Lining the sidewalks along the river were vendors, some in small booths and others on blankets, selling their wares to anyone who would stop long enough to look. Some had books, others photos and postcards, some had little Parisian trinkets for the tourists. David and Sam glanced from one to another as they walked, not stopping at any until they came across a wonderful old woman, sitting in an ancient rocking chair, tables filled with stacks upon stacks of old sheet music. David grinned like a kid in a candy store.

“You never get tired of it, do you?” Samantha asked him as he thumbed through the stacks of dusty, weathered papers.

“Never.” he paused, looking for just the right words to properly convey his feelings. “For me, music is just as important as the blood in my veins and the food I eat to sustain me. Every time I sit at a piano I feel at peace. It calms me when I am irritated; it excites me when I’m sad.”

Samantha just gazed at him as he spoke. Memories of a younger David came flooding back to her, remembering how he played for hours and hours each day when they were together. She recalled how she used to love to sit and listen to him work through whatever piece he would be working on, whether it was an intricate classical piece or something by The Beatles or Elvis. It was obvious to her that that passion had not wavered in the years since they had seen each other and, if possible, it had grown even more.

David continued looking through the music, choosing a few pieces for his collection. He handed some coins to the old woman, thanked her and the two continued their walk along the river and over the bridge.

As they crossed the street, a small street sign caught David’s eye. It was non-descript and his French was not that great, except that the content was unmistakable.

Samantha felt his entire body tense and stopped to look at him.

“What is it?” she said, speaking quieter than normal for some reason that she couldn’t explain.

“It’s a Holocaust Memorial” he said, almost in a whisper.

The sign said something about Memorial des Martyrs de la Deportation. Walking tentatively in the directions of the sign, they could see a small staircase that led underground. Descending the shallow stone steps, Samantha and David both stopped dead in their tracks. It was indeed a Holocaust Memorial, hidden right in the middle of Paris. The room was small and dimly lit. A small flickering light was in the center of the room and there were four caverns that were roped off, but each of the four were covered in lights representing all the victims of the Holocaust.

The temperature in the underground cavern was significantly cooler than it was outside and Samantha shivered, instinctively reaching for David’s hand, holding it tight. The two stood in stunned silence for what seemed like an eternity, taking in the surroundings.

What stood out the most to Sam was the lights. The walls were covered in them in all directions, each one signifying a life lost so many years ago.

“You had family that survived this, didn’t you” she said, not meaning to pry but feeling the emotion swelling in David.

“Yes. My grandparents on both sides were in camps in WWII” he answered quietly. He was very emotionally overwhelmed and was so glad to have Sam there to share these feelings with him. “They didn’t talk about it much, but we always knew.” He went on to tell her that he suspected that the reason that this memorial was hidden underground this way is that the French were very big resistance fighters but that ultimately they, too, had fallen to the Nazi regime and were embarrassed about that to this day.

After a few more minutes in the memorial, David and Sam walked back outside. Their moods seemed to mirror each other, both quiet and contemplative at first but as time passed both came out of that and they began to talk and joke around more. They continued their exploration of the area for a few hours until both saw that the other was getting tired.

“Sammy, I was serious earlier about celebrating your new account and your first time in Paris, so if you don’t have any plans for the evening, I’d really love to take you to dinner,” he said, his smile as wide as his face and his eyes bright with hope. “And frankly, I’m just not ready to let you go again so soon”. He winked at her then, causing them both to break into wide grins.

“I couldn’t agree more” Samantha answered, happy that she wouldn’t have to say goodbye to him just yet. “And really, did you think I was going to let you go so soon? I’ve missed you David, and I don’t think I realized how much until today.” She squeezed his hand, which she hadn’t let go of all afternoon.

“Why don’t I take you back to your hotel and that way I’ll know where to get you later?” David suggested.

Sam nodded. “That sounds perfect. I’m staying at the Royal Garden Champs Elysees.”

David stopped dead in his tracks, turning to her and laughing. “I know exactly where that is. I’m staying there too”.

This must be fate, they both thought as they headed toward the hotel, both realizing how unbelievably lucky they were to have found each other again like this.

Both were now feeling like this vacation had just gotten a whole lot better