“That’s what I like so much about working at Paper Love. There’s no mobbing, no backstabbing, and the day-to-day work doesn’t revolve around who’s bringing in more customers or making more money. Yeah, being able to afford expensive vacations and a bigger apartment would be nice, and when I’m caught in a downpour, having a car doesn’t sound so bad, but at the end of the day, it’s not really important to me. I like my life the way it is, and everything else would just be…glitter. Nice to look at, but not really necessary.” Anja looked up from where she’d studied her hands and gazed into Susanne’s eyes. “Can you understand that?”

Their eye contact made Susanne swallow. “Yes.” She had always thought people who were content with what they had were just passive fools, but the more she got to know Anja, the harder it became to judge her. Maybe there was something to be said for not always being on the lookout for something different, something more, something better. She cleared her throat. “I think I need to apologize too. I didn’t mean to attack your, um, lifestyle.”

Anja grinned. “Lifestyle?”

“Yeah, you know.”

“Let’s just forget it and put it down to—”

A loud growl coming from Susanne’s stomach interrupted her.

“Hunger pangs,” Anja finished her sentence with a laugh. “Come on. Let’s take a break.” She opened her backpack, pulled out muffins, apples, sandwiches, and small containers of juice, and arranged a little picnic on the padded bench between them. There was two of everything, so clearly, Anja had packed food for her too.

“Oh wow. No wonder the backpack was so heavy.”

“Are you complaining?”

Susanne lifted her hands. “Wouldn’t dream of it.” They could have eaten in one of the restaurants or cafés downstairs, but being away from the hordes of people for a while was nice.

“Good.” Anja handed her one of the cheese sandwiches but held hers without eating and looked at Susanne with a serious expression. “Do you think any of this,” she waved her hand at the floors below them, “will save Paper Love?”

Susanne put down her sandwich and sighed. “No.”

“No.”

Susanne’s one-word answer seemed to echo through the hall and bounce back from the high ceiling.

Anja had feared this would be the answer. Perhaps that was why she had avoided asking the question so clearly until now. Still, hearing it aloud was like a kick to the gut.

“At least not by themselves,” Susanne added. “Carrying a few more items, no matter how nice they are, won’t save us.”

Anja smiled sadly. “Just glitter, hmm?”

“Exactly. We need to change everything from the ground up.”