It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.

Gabriel García Márquez

Jakob laughed so loudly that Lisa had to hold the cell phone away from her ear for a moment.
»It wasn't that funny,« she mocked, but more for show.

»Yes, it was.« Along with her friend Sarah, Jakob was one of the few people Lisa had let get close to her. She loved him for his caring, his loyalty, and his belief in the good, which sometimes came within a hair's breadth of naiveté. Her photo wall was full of pictures of them. On none of them did he manage a serious expression. Thanks to him, she had even been kicked out of a modern art museum, but that was a whole other story.

»Hey, as my secret soul mate, wouldn't you have to be more behind me somehow?« Lisa walked from the kitchen into her living room and threw herself onto her beloved mustard-colored sofa. While Jacob had often made her understand that the color was a felonious assault on his sense of taste, she loved the seventies charm that emanated from the behemoth. Plus, it was comfortable.

»I really would have liked to have been behind you, too. With popcorn and a recliner.« Then he chuckled again. »And pizza.«

»Yeah, just twist the knife again. Why were we friends again?«

»Because of my sunny disposition?«

Lisa confined herself to a snort and let her legs hang over the armrest. From this perspective, she had a good view of the pastel green ceiling. A beautiful shade, spring-like and fresh.

Jacob whispered a few words to someone in the background, then became more serious again. »As entertaining as your little episodes are, why don't you just talk to the guys?«

»You mean like with the first guy who stalked me for weeks. Or the second one who wrote 'bitch' on my car thirty-four times after my really friendly rejection with toothpaste?«

»They weren't all terrible. Toni, the Austrian, was quite nice after all.«

Lisa had to agree with that, unfortunately. Some of the men she had contacted at irregular intervals had actually been okay. But the spark had never jumped over. Which, in the case of Toni, had actually been a shame. The accent had sounded quite sweet. But no one knew who was standing in the front yard and her experiences had made her suspicious on balance. »Don't you remember my last attempt, the guy with the teddy?«

»That was really funny.« Jacob started laughing again.

»He had put a six-foot stuffed animal in front of the access gate to my office, carrying a 'Will-you-go-with-me?' Note and it smelled like dog pee-pee!«

All that came from Jakob was a hysterical chuckle. Lisa looked out the kitchen window, unnerved, and saw a lone figure looming at the end of the street.

»I'm going to hang up now. There's no talking to you anymore anyway.« With that, she ended the conversation, cutting off her acoustics to his fit of laughter. She looked back outside and eyed the man who turned into her cul-de-sac standing tall as a tin soldier.

Gregor really was on time, as every second Tuesday of the month. Reliable as clockwork. The policeman walked past the front gardens, examining everything with an attentive gaze. At her height, he stopped. She waved at him and he returned the greeting.

Then he trudged toward her front door and rubbed his hands together. »Good morning, Gregor!«

After she opened the door for him, she gave him a quick hug. His eyes lit up and he awkwardly patted her on the shoulder.

Gregor and she had been steady patrol partners for five years. Lisa had realized early on that her heart was not in the daily changing duty in the city, but all the more in the quiet colleague who always had her back. The shine of the street had faded quickly. Increasingly, they had been dealing with gangs of thieves, drug dealers, and domestic violence cases. The job was important, no question, but it didn't give her a buzz. Most of the time, Lisa had felt like Don Quixote tilting at windmills. The thieves and dealers returned to their streets after a short time, and the abused partners let their tormentors back into the apartment they shared. It had been frustrating.

One day, Gregor had asked her what she planned to do for a living when he finally retired. In a quiet moment between fish sandwiches and lemonade, Lisa had told him that she dreamed of applying for a job with the police helicopter squadron. He had listened to it all and, as usual, hadn't said much. Lisa remembered that day well. It had been spring and they had used a short break to treat themselves to the first ice cream of the year. For Gregor, there was lemon and hazelnut, always and without exception. It was one of the very small weaknesses that he was very predictable. Always the same type of ice cream, always the same neat short haircut, and don't even get her started on his clothing style. Days when he couldn't dress for duty probably always presented a challenge. Once Lisa had seen him by chance in town, his dark hair tousled by the wind and not at all recognized at first because of his casual jeans and T-shirt combination. Gregor never did anything surprising as a matter of principle.

Until a few weeks later, when he had placed a current advertisement for a pilot position on her desk. Gregor had confessed to her that night duty was increasingly getting to him and that he would like to spend his last years on day duty. While she had not seen this wish coming, she could well imagine his change. In dealing with people, he was a secret weapon. Everyone seemed to want to confide in him, and he was an insanely good listener.

So Lisa applied to the squadron, actually passed the entrance test at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine in Hamburg, and then completed nearly two years of training to become a helicopter pilot. The day she held her certificate in her hands was the happiest day of her life. Closely followed by the worst week, when her ex, affectionately called Mr. Ass by Sarah, had told her that the relationship with her was a mistake. A mistake because he couldn't develop himself. Or more likely, because her success far outshone his. Lisa shook her head, pushing all memories of Mr. Ass out of her mind.

Gregor had been given an open position as a contact officer right after she moved to the squadron. Ever since Lisa had moved into her grandmother's duplex over the summer, they'd met for coffee at her place every two weeks and chatted. Now that she officially lived in Gregor's jurisdiction, it was the most natural thing in the world for him to drop in on her. Lisa was grateful for that. The older colleague was the closest thing she had to a father figure.

Over a cup of black coffee, Lisa always managed to elicit a few private comments from Gregor. That's how she learned that he had further developed his passion for cooking and had acquired a library card. He sounded pleased. Almost happy. And lonely. Some people, like herself, did fine on their own. Others needed someone to care for.

»Whatever happened to you getting a dog again?«

Gregor shrugged and looked out the kitchen window. »My apartment is too small.«

»But you mentioned that dog, the one from the shelter. What was her name again?«

»Trixie. A bright mixed-breed girl. I think there are Spitz and Labrador in there.« His smile seemed genuine if a little sad. »I walk her a lot on the weekends. But bringing her to me just wouldn't be fair. After all, she'd always be alone when I'm at work.«

Even though it was a shame, he was right about that. And Gregor was just too responsible to think only of himself. She changed the subject. After she told about her grandmother's latest visitor, he squeezed her hand sympathetically and they said goodbye. Gregor still promised to bring her a culinary sample the next time he visited, then he wandered back up the street. As he passed her front yard, he shook his head reproachfully. Even without him losing words over it, she knew what he meant. Her grandfather had been an avid gardener, spending every spare minute fertilizing, harvesting, or doing other pending green work. For the last six years after his death, Grandma Trude had kept to the bare essentials, leaving Lisa with a fairly low-maintenance garden. Four months later, the green space in front of her entrance looked almost neglected. She simply didn't have a green thumb.

As she was about to close the door, she saw Darrer, obviously just returning from a run, as if her thoughts had conjured him up. The tight sportswear emphasized his athletic figure. He seemed to be able to read her thoughts and grinned mockingly at her. Drops of sweat ran along with his temples. She let it distract her briefly but waited too long. His soft laughter haunted her as she finally managed to close the door and leave him standing next to his bushes. Even her neighbor seemed to get along better with his plants than she did. The only leafy creature that seemed to be deeply in love with Lisa was named Konrad, a robust Benjamini. She had taken Konrad seven years ago from the predecessors of the shared apartment she had moved into during her last year of study at the police academy. Konrad had been left with only three sheets of paper and had been supplied only with beer until the last day. His sad figure had softened her heart. Between studying and preparing, she had watered him and loved him. He was also the first green plant to actually let her nurture him. Her grandpa had explained to her that Konrad had probably sold his soul in plant hell. For Lisa, that explanation worked as well as any. She loved Konrad and he loved her. By now he had reached the ceiling and she patted his green leaves contentedly as she wandered past him toward the kitchen.

***
Immediately after Gregor had said goodbye to Lisa, he began to plan his route for the current day. Critically, he looked at the gloomy sky. No question, winter was approaching again. Maybe he should coordinate with the local school and do school route safety.

On the other hand, someone should also take a look at the current homeless numbers now that it was getting so cold.

While he was weighing the pros and cons of his ideas, he was jolted out of his musings by a soft female voice. She sounded like warm honey, had a hidden smoky note and a lot of depth. He paid attention to such details; a voice was a much more direct indication of a personality.

»Hello, excuse me!« Gregor turned and stared in surprise at the small woman in front of him. She looked a bit younger than him, perhaps in her mid-fifties. Blonde medium-length hair, petite, all in all somewhat unimpressive. Except for the eyes and that wonderful voice. He literally sank into the midnight blue irises that eyed him curiously.

»I just wanted to say 'thank you.' Or rather, 'thank you,'« the woman added, smiling. No, unassuming she was not. Her smile brightened the gloomy day.

Awkwardly, Gregor ran a hand through his mottled gray hair. "I don't quite understand?«

»Sorry, I'm so clumsy. Always with the door in the house, my son used to say.« That pearly laugh again. »I wanted to say thank you. Now that you patrol the area regularly, I feel much safer.«

Gregor cleared his throat, but no clever retort waited in his throat. His talent was clearly listening.

Thoughtfully, the woman eyed him. »You're not a man of many words, are you?«

Gregor thought about it, then nodded.

»That doesn't matter. I talk enough for two, they say.« Then she looked back at her little cottage. »I should get back inside then. It was nice meeting you.« Attentively, she looked at his name tag. »Mr. Greifenberg.«

As she turned to leave, Gregor pulled himself together. »Likewise, Mrs. ...?« his own voice sounded rough as if he hadn't used it in a long time.

So much for Lisa's opinion that he was so good with people. People, perhaps, but pretty women were another matter entirely. She turned back to him. »Kramer. Marianne Kramer.« A bright smile, then she walked back.

He watched her pass the lovingly landscaped front yard, grabbing both cheeks as she walked. A lone wind chime dangled from her porch roof, punctuating her walk back with soft tones. At her front door, she turned again, and Gregor grabbed his cap with two fingers in greeting. She waved back cheerfully and disappeared into the house.