Dr Ramon even went to fetch my Arthur umbrella. I was worried because nobody would want it because of its sentimental value — you have to love it.

The Life Before Us, Romain Gary

And these were the last words of a fourteen-year-old boy who had just lost his guardian. Romain Gary had this talent for writing the truth so purely that it became poignant. I took a long breath, closed my eyes, and reread the last sentence of this masterpiece before closing it.

Comfortably sat in my armchair, I put the novel on my lap and looked around my living room. I smiled when I saw how tidy it was. I had my manic side to thank for such satisfaction. I'd been lucky enough to find a flat that I really liked, quite spacious but cosy, right in the centre of Lille, and at a reasonable rent. I was paying half the usual price for an accommodation of this type. The owners were an old couple with no financial worries, quite the opposite in fact. They rented their flat to me because it was collecting dust as their office residence. They weren't interested in money and were looking for someone who wouldn't damage their property. I fell in love with it because of its enormous living room and well-appointed bedroom. My job as a writer for a women's magazine meant that I could work from home at my leisure. I spend most of my time here, so I took great care with the decor.

Suddenly realising that it was almost midday, I quickly changed my clothes to go for my Friday jog, in a rather cool breeze for September. As I gradually made my way along the route, I nodded to all the regulars I passed by. Regimented as I was, I'd see the same people buying their lunch from the stall at the bottom of my block of flats and the same people crossing the park near my house to have lunch in the same bistro on their lunch break. Some people think it's bad to constantly want to be in control of your life with such a routine, but in my opinion it's much more productive and prevents distractions. It's a simple question of time management.

After a good hour of feeling a deliciously soft wind caress my hair, I went home to shower and make myself something to eat. As I put Frank Ocean's Moon River on my speaker, I sat down, a salad in hand, at my kitchen counter and started working on a new article for the women's section: Yoni eggs.

As I was going through my information sheet, I received a call from Charlie, my eldest brother by four years.

— Hi Liz, he said loud enough to be heard over the din of the people around him.

I was delighted.

— Hey Charlie! How are you?
— I'm fine, how are you?
— Yeah I'm good thanks. Where are you now?
— I'm at the station! he shouted as I heard the squeal of a train approaching.

He seemed to take a deep breath before continuing:

— I'm calling to tell you that Mum is sick.
— What do you mean "sick"?

Frightened, I gently put down my fork and started pacing in my living room while I waited for Charlie's reply.

— Don't worry, Lizzy, she's just got a cold, but she's been in bed for three days.
— Three days! I exclaimed, raising my left hand in shock that I hadn't been informed sooner. So it's more serious than that if she's stayed in bed even though she hates it.
— Well, I think she's got the blues too, and as you know, she enters depressive episodes sometimes. But don't worry, she's fine.

Even if it meant that she wasn't at her best emotionally, I was relieved not to have to worry about her physical health. She was regularly on emotional rollercoasters.

— Should I go and see her?
— No, Lizzy, stay in Lille. And don't worry, Harry's going tomorrow and he'll look after her. You know him when it comes to Mum.

I heard the smile in his voice as I felt my racing heart calm at the prospect of Harry visiting.

— Yes, that's right. Does he have any other reason for going to Paris?
— Something to do with work, a seminar, I think.
— Ah, right. Well, I'll call Mum and try and cheer her up.
— Yes, therapy with you sounds like a good idea. I'll leave you to it, lil' sister.
— See you Charlie!

After helping myself to a few pieces of chicken, I called via video my mother. Her image appeared on the screen. Her chestnut hair gathered in a bun at the top of her head, she was drinking soup judging by the moustache above her upper lip. I noticed her huge dark circles and her pale complexion when she greeted me.

— Hey princess!
— Hi Mum! How are you?
— I'm fine, she replied in a falsely cheerful tone, overly raising her eyebrows.
— Mum, it's me. What's going on?

She slapped herself on the forehead and shook her head.

— I see Harry's still a blabbermouth. What man did I give birth to?
— It wasn't Harry who warned me, it was Charlie.

A melodious laugh escaped her.

— That's even worse. I'm fine, Liz, it's just a cold.

I gave her a disapproving look.

— If it was just a cold, you wouldn't have stayed in bed for three days.

With a sigh, she looked up.

— What a family of blabbermouths! Go and take part in Gossip Girl!

I couldn't help but laugh.

— Please, what's going on?
— I've been dreaming about your father and I know it's been a long time, but when I'm tired it takes over.
— You can't blame yourself, it's normal that it's always hard. But look where you are today. Even after he passed away, you stayed on your feet, you were brave and you took care of us. As for Charlie and Harry, they have successful careers! And I followed in Dad's footsteps.

Her eyes began to fill with tears but she smiled.

— I'm so proud of you...

Her sad expression disappeared and was replaced by a multitude of emotions. The love I felt for her was beyond words. She had sacrificed so much for us.

A tear rolled down her cheek and she quickly went to wipe it with the back of her hand.

— What did I do to deserve a daughter like you?
— You deserve everything in the world Mum, I said tenderly.

We laughed for the next two hours and then hung up. I sent a quick message to my brother Harry recapping my call with Mum before getting back to work.

It was half past six when a deafening noise reached me from outside. As I moved towards the window, I was startled to hear a second noise. Worried, I opened it and saw three cars had crashed into each other. Caught by the impulse to run downstairs, I stopped as I saw that the three drivers were getting out of their vehicles, presumably physically unharmed after the accident. They were all in a state of shock, judging by the way they were staggering towards each other to check that everyone was fine. People arrived to help them, especially those queuing for the brewery a few metres away. I was reassured to see some contacting the emergency services and that the drivers were talking calmly. I thus closed the window before changing to go to the library.

As I left my building, I glanced at the injured men: two dark-haired men of identical build and a much taller blond. The latter was wearing sports clothes, and given the huge coffee stain on his T-shirt, he must have been drinking it at the time of impact. His eyebrows furrowed, he seemed to be reassuring the person he was talking to on the phone. As for the other two, they seemed to be in a hurry to leave the scene, probably to go to appointments, given their suits and neat haircuts - they were bound to have gel in them. Up close, the bodies of the three cars were in a sad state. From the snatches of conversation I heard, some people were in contact with the police and the towing service. This accident could have caused deaths. After such a shock, I didn't know how they managed to talk so calmly. I wouldn't have been able to.

With a final glance towards the gathering, I headed towards the library.

— Hi Elizabeth! greeted Claire, the receptionist.

Dark-haired and short, she always wore creoles and a turtleneck jumper, in winter as well as in summer. I nodded quickly and put the book I'd finished earlier in the day down in front of her.

— Hello, Claire.
— So you liked it? she asked, scanning it.
— Yes, very much so.

I smiled at him before rushing off into what I call readers' paradise.

As the ground floor only contained children's books and school textbooks, I went up the eight steps at the back to go upstairs. My footsteps led me back to the far end, where there were nine tables where I could sit and read. Few people sat there, as the library had one room for students and another for reading, both of which were completely silent.

The romances and thrillers were located right next to these tables. As a result, I spent all my time there. After much hesitation, I went to the Romance section. Having read most of them, I looked for books that had arrived recently. I'd been trying for about ten minutes but alas, I couldn't find anything. Just as I was about to give up and choose a thriller, my eyes fell on a book whose title caught my eye: New York, Actually.

At first, I thought it was a new book, but then I noticed on the back cover that the library had added it to its collection several weeks ago, but I was certain I'd never seen it before. In fact, a book with a purple spine and that title would have caught my eye the many times I'd come to pick up a novel in the past weeks. As with all books, I took a deep breath of the scent locked in the pages and smelt a sweet, worn woody fragrance that I could never resist. A huge smile crept across my face as I glanced quickly at the summary.

One man. One woman. Two dogs.
Meet Molly — New York's most famous advice columnist, she considers herself an expert at relationships...as long as they're other people's. Still bruised from her last breakup, Molly is in no rush to find happily-ever-after — the only love of her life is her dalmatian, Valentine.
Meet Daniel — A cynical divorce lawyer, he's hardwired to think relationships are a bad idea. If you don't get involved, no one can get hurt. Until he finds himself borrowing a dog to meet the gorgeous woman he sees running in Central Park every morning.
Molly and Daniel both think they know everything about relationships. But as they try—and fail—to resist their undeniable chemistry, they'll soon discover they just might have a lot left to learn...

Oh yes, I'll take it!

After Claire checked out the book, I went straight back to the flat, with only one thing on my mind: devour the novel.

However, I didn't expect this book to be the jewel in our crown, let alone change my life.