Work Text:
Welcome To Susannah’s Place!
Where everyone is family.
Family was something Jeremiah had learned from his mother, Susannah, was anyone you care about that also cares about you. Could be the random person walking down the street that complimented your outfit, could be your best friend from grade school, could be the guy at the corner coffee shop you get your morning latte from everyday. Jeremiah’s understanding of family was the basis of which his morals and values were built on. Something that he never took lightly. His wife had once told him that maybe he shines so golden and immediately catches the eye of every person he meets because of how strong his understanding of family stands. He made sure everyone he’s ever interacted with felt seen and heard. He wanted everyone he’s ever spoken to to know that even if they never speak or see each other after this that they had a friend in him. This had gotten him many friends throughout college, some that are still his closest friends to this day and others he catches up with on occasion, wishes a happy birthday to, or will send a christmas card to every year just to keep in touch to remind those who have come and gone that he’s still there. Some people wonder if he ever gets tired of being the way he is, but making people feel seen is something that brings Jeremiah joy and peace. There’s a certain calmness to knowing that you can make another's day just a bit better by asking ‘how are you really?’ and genuinely listen to their answers. He never minds if it ends in a long winded story or if it’s something completely ridiculous, whatever you want to say or need to get off your chest Jeremiah has always been a safe harbor for those that walked through his life. So really it shouldn’t be a shock that at the age of 28 he has a successful family style restaurant in the heart of Paris.
Jeremiah never in his wildest dreams would have thought about opening a restaurant. He knew he had always enjoyed cooking and baking, and was quite good at it, but it was never a thing he imagined to make a career out of. Even if you had asked him three years ago what his plans were, opening a restaurant in honor of his late mother probably would have been the craziest thought he’s ever had. During his undergrad at Finch he had studied mass media and communications, he wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do with that degree, but he knew that he was good at it and genuinely enjoyed learning the subject. During that time he had been dating and engaged to Belly Conklin, his childhood best friend. They were supposed to get married that summer before his last semester. The wedding had been all planned out. It wasn’t perfect or quite like how they wanted it but neither had made too much of a fuss when it came to Adam Fisher's requests. They had both just been happy that at least one of their parents was on board for the marriage.
Adam had told Jeremiah that he would pay for their wedding, Belly wasn’t too sure about the idea, but it was the best outcome they could take. It meant that the money the two had saved up could be used for their first apartment instead. As the wedding had become closer and closer the more unsure Belly felt about it all. From the venue being the country club, to the crowd of Adam’s employees that would be attending, to the unfortunate menu they had no choice in, the wedding no longer felt like theirs. Belly had hated the way it all came to an end. She told Jeremiah as much right before she walked away from him on the altar. That was the day Jeremiah thought he would never love again.
After the shock from the guests, Adam’s employees, had worn off he had the unfortunate task of packing up and bringing home the catered food and worst of all their wedding cake. One of the partners, which Jere had found out later on, had stuck around to help him out. No one else had stayed behind, not his dad, not Laurel, not Steven; they had all gone to check on Belly which Jeremiah hadn’t really minded anyways. It wasn't like he wanted to talk about what had just happened to begin with. There was just Junior, yes that was really his name, a nice older man who was bald, but had a silver beard. He must’ve been in his 50's, Jere thinks. He had helped pack things into boxes and was telling Jeremiah not to beat himself up too much. That he had been left at the altar once too and that now the woman who once left him was now his wife of 20 years. That had got Jeremiah’s interest. Junior went on to explain that his lovely wife, Diane, had got cold feet as she was walking down and before she could step up to the altar she had turned and ran. They had both been 19. Junior says that years later when they were 29 they had found each other again in California. They had both been running from their pasts and eventually it caught up to them, making them run right back to each other. Jeremiah had appreciated the optimism that Junior was trying to give, but what Junior didn’t know is that there was a large Conrad shaped obstacle that would probably come back running to sweep Belly off her feet. Jeremiah knew better than to hope.
The last thing they had to pack up was the cake. It wasn’t anything like he had wanted it to be. He had made that compromise with Belly when she had told him she really wanted the cake to be something they picked out together and paid for on their own. So they had made their way to a bakery in Boston while Belly had been staying there and had picked out a simple yet decadent round, two-tiered strawberry shortcake. They weren’t sure if it would feed all the guests, but Paige from the country club had told Belly there would be other desserts as well that came with their catering package. Belly hadn’t seemed too worried stating that ‘not every one eats cake’ as she had swiped Jere’s card at the till. Junior had noticed Jeremiah staring at the cake with an almost haunted look and told him that no one really likes wedding cake anyways. Jeremiah had then gone off on his tangent that he had once told Belly about his dream wedding cake. Dark chocolate, raspberry coulis, with a ganache mirror glaze. He had taken Junior by surprise saying that he had sounded an awful lot like his wife. Junior asked him if he had ever taken an interest in baking professionally, Jeremiah had looked at him like he had two heads. Junior told him that his wife, during her running, had found herself in London at one of the top culinary schools in the world and found her love of baking that led her to opening her own bakery. Jeremiah had respectfully said it wasn’t for him and that was the end of the conversation. Junior had smiled politely and finished helping wrap up. After they got everything in Jere's car they bid each other farewell and Jeremiah thanked him for his help.
Two weeks later Jeremiah had an acceptance letter in his inbox to Le Cordon Bleu London. The email had stated that someone put in a good word to their chefs and was able to find him a spot for the upcoming year. Classes started in two weeks and housing was covered, he just had to get on a plane and go. He thought it over, couldn’t sleep as he kept searching for the answer, then remembered what his mother had said to him before he passed.
Adventure is worthwhile in itself.
That’s how a week later he found himself boarding a plane to London using the money he had saved up from the internship. He didn’t tell anyone he was leaving, he blocked their numbers, deleted his socials and just ran as far as he could. London was an unexpected but welcomed surprise. He never would have thought to find himself here, but for 12 months he lived, he learned, he cooked, he baked. He fell in love again, with himself and with the world. He made friends, he gained mentors, he had hook ups, and he drank beer on weekends at pubs. For the first time, he thinks since his mom died, he felt alive. He felt like he was making good on his promise to her to explore the world and see the things she never got to. On weekends or long breaks from school he became familiar with the trains. He went all over Europe, from Italy to Amsterdam to Paris to Belgium. He made his own memories, he explored new cuisines, he made friends with the locals. For once in his life Jeremiah Fisher was actually living and not just surviving.
After he finished his year at culinary school he decided to stay in Europe. He had made his way back to Paris, he had fallen in love with the city of love, with their food, their pastries, the people and even the tourists. He had got a small apartment for himself in the outskirts of the city and if you stood on the balcony and squinted you could see the point of the Eiffel Tower. The area was quiet at night but bustling during the day, just the way he had liked it. He had started working as an assistant baker at a local bakery making croissants, cakes, crepes, and anything his heart desired. The head baker, Madame Fontaine, who was a sweet older woman who had the bakery passed down through generations, had grown fond of Jeremiah. She had let him use her kitchen and supplies whenever he wanted, the only catch being that he had to let her try some of whatever he made every time. Jeremiah was happy to comply stating that he needed a taste tester anyways. He had grown his baking skills even farther than he once ever thought but after two years he was looking to get back to cooking. Madame Fontaine had a close relationship, closer than she would ever lead on, with Monsieur DuPont who owned the local restaurant just down the street from the bakery. So she had put in a good word for Jere and a few weeks later he found himself as a line cook in the busy restaurant. The hours were grueling and there was less freedom with what he got to cook but he wouldn’t have changed it for the world. He mastered the art of precision, timeliness, and cleanliness. On his nights off he would stay in and cook foods that reminded him of home, of his mom, and would practice his precision and the art of proper plate setting. He would have all the windows open, the Parisian air blowing through his apartment and the bright night sky to set the tone. He would eat alone with French music playing softly through his stereo. He would hum in between bites, he had learned to love to be alone and had begun to feel a quiet contentment in it too. So then for the next two years he had worked at the restaurant. Made some friends with the regulars that always needed to give compliments to the cook and became a sort of mentor to the young servers that worked after school. Monsieur DuPont was not in the slightest shock when Jeremiah had approached him one day to tell him he was thinking about starting his own restaurant. He had said he wanted to create a place his mother would have loved to go to. Similar to Madame Fontaine, Monsieur DuPont had also grown a fondness for Jeremiah. His own restaurant had been alive for years, he was a wealthy man, he didn’t hesitate for a second to offer Jeremiah an investment for his future. DuPont had taken Jeremiah to tour a vacant spot that had been empty for years; it was on the opposite side of the city, but in a very touristy area which would be good for business. The second Jeremiah stepped into the space he knew this was it, he saw exactly how it was gonna look, could imagine the families that would walk in and fill the place with life. He had signed the papers before he could second guess, the older man had wanted to cover the payment. Jeremiah offered to pay back every dime the second his business was up and running, but the older man had refused, the words he had said stuck with Jeremiah to this day.
“Family doesn’t pay back family. You just say thank you.”
Jeremiah had thanked him profusely and promised him that he and Madame Fontaine could have one of their “not-dates” in his restaurant. Monsieur DuPont had let out a laugh at that but told Jeremiah he would hold him to that.
A year later Susannah's Place had officially opened.
His late mother was the one who taught him how to cook. The one who made him fall in love with the art of it all. He never thought he would share it with the world in this way, but if it wasn’t for Junior all those years back at his failed wedding inserting himself into Jere’s future he never would have found himself completely, never would have learned to love again, never would have found his place in this world. A few weeks before the opening he sent Junior and his wife a card inviting them to come to the opening night; he had included plane tickets as well. Wanting to do something nice for the people who stepped out and did something nice for him when they never had to. They had written back a few days later saying they would be there, that they couldn’t wait to see what had become of him.
Susannah's Place was a dimly lit, homey, French-American restaurant. He served everything he knew how to possibly make. All his cooks thought he was crazy for having such an extensive menu, Jeremiah had just said that was the American part in French-American. The cooks, the servers and the hostess were all good people, ones he trusted, ones that he grew to care about, grew to call his family. The grand opening had been running smoothly, the tables were filled, Junior and Diane had caught up with Jere on all his adventures, Madame Fontaine and Monsieur DuPont were quietly giggling like there was no one else in the room, and other families, tourists and locals had filled in. Smiles on their faces as they chatted and ate. Jeremiah had taken notice of every table as they took their first bites of food. They had all looked presently surprised and the smiles on their faces grew even bigger. He felt a sort of quiet peace fill his heart in the space that had been empty since his mother passed. At that moment Jeremiah can’t help but think: This is what mom would have wanted.
He glances back over to the hostess stand to see the girl about to seat a three person family. He smiles at them and says, “Welcome to Susannah’s Place” as they walk by. The little girl had smiled widely at him and the family gave a quiet thanks with a polite nod as they followed the hostess. Jeremiah had noticed there was now one table open. A two-top, would be easy enough to fill out soon. The bell at door ringing takes him out of his thoughts as he looks over to see who has walked in and if the hostess had made her way back. When he notices the girl hadn’t made it back he turns his head back to the family of three but not before getting a glimpse of brunette hair. The hostess had been helping the family with getting a high chair for the little girl, so Jeremiah made his way over to the front to help the new customer that walked in. As he made his way over the girl had looked up from her phone as she felt the presence of someone walking towards her. Just as Jere reached the stand the two had finally made eye contact. For the first time in five years Jeremiah Fisher stood face to face with Isabel Conklin. The woman that he once loved fully and deeply. The woman that broke his heart all those years ago. She was alone and she was standing in his restaurant at its grand opening. They had greeted each other quietly, Jere sat her at the empty two-top that was now made for one. As she sat he had asked her how she was and how long she had been in Paris. She had said that she never left after she did study abroad. She didn’t want to. She had also fallen in love with the city of love. They had just looked at each other for a while taking in the new versions of one another. Belly had looked down nervously and read the tag line on the menu out loud. She had said Susannah would’ve loved it. Jeremiah smiled, said he knew and told her a waiter would be assisting her shortly. As Jeremiah had turned to walk away he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.
“Fisher!” A scratchy French accent yells across Jere’s restaurant, causing him to come back to reality after reminiscing on his past and everything that brought him to this moment.
Jeremiah laughed making his way over to the voice, "Monsieur DuPont, what did I tell you about yelling in my restaurant.” Jeremiah had said it sarcastically, this was a conversation they had once a week without fail.
“Oh give me a break kid,” He laughs, slapping his hand onto Jeremiah’s forearm, “Your lady here tells me she’s pregnant?” He says it like he can’t believe it.
Jeremiah looks over at his beautiful wife next to him, puts his arm around her shoulder pulling her in and lightly placing his other hand on her barely there bump. “I thought we were waiting to tell people?”
“We were, but she had asked me how many weeks I was when I sat them and she saw how shocked I was by her question and I knew I wouldn’t be able to lie to them,” she had said softly with a little laughter in her words as she looked at Madame Fontaine with the kindness in her eyes that one would reserve for their mother. When the two had got together Belly had begged him to let her help out with the restaurant. He of course wanted her to, but didn’t want them to fall into any old habits of being too codependent. So they compromised, he let her work at the restaurant on nights and weekends. If she didn’t want to keep her day job, publicist for a local museum, she didn’t have to. The restaurant had been an even bigger success than he could have ever thought which meant he could comfortably take care of the both of them on his own, but Jeremiah strongly encouraged her to keep it cause he knew she would be bored during the days plus she was really good at her job.
“My my Isabel, now you know you could never lie to me,” Madame Fontaine says, putting a hand to her heart feigning dramatics.
“I know,” Belly replies with a soft smile gracing her face while she placed a hand on her shoulder to which Madame Fontaine had put hers on top squeezing it lightly.
“She’s only a couple weeks, we didn’t want to tell anyone yet just wanted to keep it for us for a few months,” Jeremiah smiles proudly, “Not even my staff knows so that means you two gossips have to keep your lips sealed.” Jeremiah stared at the older couple the way a parent would stare at their kid when they did something they shouldn’t have done.
“Oh I can keep a secret honey, it's this one over here that can’t keep his mouth shut.” Madame Fontaine says as she pointed to her husband.
“I’m old, I forget what I can and can’t say, sue me.” Monsieur DuPont says in defense of himself.
“I’ll make sure he keeps it quiet,” the older woman said, winking at the younger couple.
The pair had given her a grateful smile as they began to walk back up front. Jeremiah had his hand on her back lightly guiding her as they made their way back to the hostess stand. Two years ago when Belly showed up to the restaurant's grand opening Belly had crawled her way back into Jeremiah's heart overnight. That night Jeremiah had covered her bill, Belly had given him her new phone number, and the two fell right back into what seemed inevitable to them. A year into dating the pair did what they should have done all those years ago and eloped. It had been Belly’s idea. She had woken up at his apartment one morning, got herself dressed in a white midi dress and said to Jeremiah, “Let’s get married.” So they did, that afternoon. They signed the papers at the courthouse and Jeremiah held onto her hand as they ran through the streets of Paris to the Eiffel Tower where they had their first kiss as husband and wife. It was perfect. It was exactly them.
Now, a year later, they’re standing in the place they reconnected and Belly is pregnant, they were starting a family. He couldn’t be happier with the way his whole life turned out. He found himself, he found his passion, made a career for himself, he got the girl of his dreams, and now he’s going to be a dad. He would have to remember to send a special Christmas card to Junior this year letting him know the good news.
Jeremiah felt like the luckiest guy in the world. If you had told him when he was in high school while he was sitting next to his sick mother that in 10 years time he was gonna have a world of love surrounding him that he built on his own he would’ve called you a liar. Jeremiah never would have thought he would be standing where he is right now: helplessly in love, successful in his career, and about to be a dad. But sometimes life takes turns in ways we don’t expect them to. Sometimes the universe carves out the path you need to take, not the one you want to. And the only thing you can do is walk down it and make the most of what you’re given. Home had been a foreign concept to Jeremiah throughout his years, but now standing in the restaurant he owns with the woman he loves and the people that believed in him all along he can safely say that home is exactly where he is. He built a home throughout all the grief and loneliness. He built it and filled it with smiles and laughter, good food, and most importantly, with love.
“Hi, welcome to Susannah’s Place. Where everyone is family,” Belly had said, greeting the new customers that just walked in, “How many are we gonna be today?”