Because of Lauren: A Love Story

by Vivi Underwood

  Lauren couldn’t have been more pleased with the way things were turning out, and soon their home would be bursting with love as their extended family gathered for baby Camilla’s blessing.

  A small caravan of cars entered the Church parking lot at Fantoft the Sunday morning of Camilla’s blessing. Lauren and Jonas were overwhelmed with gratitude for the many family members who had come from so far away to be with them on this very special day: The Andrews family from New Jersey, minus Henry who was being cared for by Allison’s sister, Cecilie and Jan-Erik from Oslo, Cameron, Matthew, and Joshua from Denver, and Lauren’s parents, along with Nicholas and Melanie from Salt Lake City. Little Ashley and Kate did not make the trip with their parents. They were spending the next two weeks with their maternal grandparents.

  From closer to home both, Annie and William and the extended Jansen family had accepted the invitation to attend Camilla’s blessing, the first time attending an LDS church service for most of them.

  Lilly had been tasked with transporting the blessing dress from Salt Lake City to Bergen. The beautiful little gown, custom made for Lauren thirty years earlier, made Camilla’s parents’ hearts melt as they carefully unwrapped it.

  Camilla looked like a miniature angel, thought her father as he held her gently in his arms on the morning of her blessing day, and knew he was seeing what Lauren must have looked like the day she was blessed. My two girls, he thought with overwhelming gratitude.

  For those in the congregation that morning familiar with Jonas’ own story, listening to him as he gave his baby a name and a blessing filled their hearts with tender joy.

  Cecilie’s eyes were moist as she was reminded of a similar occasion many years before. Full circle, she thought and hoped Joachim was watching, that he was pleased with his son.

  Lilly too felt emotional. Neither she nor Jonathan could have foreseen that just over a year after their daughter’s wedding, her husband would be blessing their infant daughter and that within days of that occasion the little family would be entering the temple for the first time. To Lilly, Jonas was proof that miracles happen every minute of every day.

  More than any other time, today validated Lauren and Jonas’ decision to buy the Viik estate when it was offered. Now referred to as Juul’s Haven within the family, the whole house pulsed with life as friends and family gathered to celebrate the blessing of little Camilla. Mrs. Gustavsen, along with her companion, Elin Torgersen, a young lady who had come to live with her some months ago, had also been invited to the celebration. As Lauren pointed out, no one had played a larger part than Mrs. Gustavsen in Jonas’ discovery of his LDS roots.

  A buffet had been set up in the large central hall, ideal for such an event. For those who preferred it, the dining room stood ready, but the majority of the guests filled a plate and found a seat in the living room or on the terrace, or remained standing for casual socializing.

  Lilly, holding baby Camilla, sought out Jonas. She wanted to compliment him on the hall. She found him in conversation with his mother, step-father, Jake, and Jonathan. When she approached them, she noticed the longing in Cecilie’s eyes and offered her the baby. Cecilie’s arms reached out for the infant and held her close, ignoring any mussing to her lovely suit. Lilly liked that about Jonas’ mother.

  Turning to her son-in-law, she said, “I can’t tell you what it means to me to be able to return to this house, Jonas. When I left here as a resentful sixteen-year-old, I never dreamed it would someday find its way back into the family.” She indicated the changes he and Lauren had made to the hall’s furnishings. “I shouldn’t admit this, but as a young child, I was always intimidated by the heavy furniture in here. The pieces were so old and massive, not at all friendly to a small child.”

  “We felt that way, too,” agreed Jonas. “Lauren thought they were better suited to an ancient castle than the warm and cozy home we envisioned.” An amused smile spread across his face. “She thinks this hall would be a perfect place for our children to play on rainy days, ideal for riding-toys, trikes or roller skates.”

  The guffaw bursting forth from Jan-Erik, as he pictured little boys racing their toys down the length of the hall, had them all laughing merrily.

  “I knew there was a reason I loved that girl the minute we met,” said Cecilie and looked around the hall. The beautiful patina of the marble floor may have looked good with the antique furniture, but she thought it made just as stunning a backdrop for the more modern pieces Jonas and Lauren had chosen.

  “The previous owners favored a more formal look,” Jonas explained. “The décor of the home was very elegant, but not suited to the rambunctious little family Lauren and I hope to have. And yet the kitchen appeared to be in a time warp. Little had been done to it since Lauren’s grandmother last redecorated, almost sixty years ago.”

  “I love what you have done there,” said Lilly, “and I love the addition of the guest wing.

  Lauren walked over and joined them. “And we love having you here,” she assured them. “We also hope that in years to come, my brothers and their families will spend some summers with us. We want our children to know their American cousins.”

  Cecilie looked at Lauren’s glowing face. She was in her element surrounded by family and friends. There was so much she admired about her daughter-in-law, but at the top of her list was Lauren’s unabashed love for Jonas. Lauren adored her husband. He knew it and felt completely secure in that love. With Lauren by his side, the old Jonas had re-emerged, relaxed, open and outgoing, and enjoying the kind of life she had always wanted for him.”

  Matt and Josh came charging in through the French doors, Nora Andrews in tow. The three of them, all young teens now, were looking for Annie. While exploring the grounds they had come upon a rugged and untamed area and wanted her to see it.

  The boys loved Annie. They hadn’t seen her since last year but had kept in touch by occasional emails. They told Nora they hoped she would marry their dad and move to Denver and live with them.

  “Annie and your dad were headed toward the water the last I heard,” said Allison. “Your dad wanted to check out the bathhouse and the new dock.”

  “Thanks, Mrs. Andrews,” said Matt respectfully. “Do you mind if Nora comes down there with us?”

  “Not at all. Just look out for each other, and don’t fall in the water.”

  Laughing at what they thought was a silly remark, the three of them headed down to the shore and the bathhouse.

  When the baby started fussing, Cecilie turned to her daughter-in-law. “I believe she is ready for some attention from you, Lauren. We’ll keep an eye on things here while you take care of Camilla’s needs.”

  Jonas stepped up to relieve his mother of her little bundle. “I’ll carry her upstairs,” he said as he expertly tucked her in the crook of his arm and held out the other hand for Lauren. Together they climbed the stairs.

  While Jonas and Lauren remained upstairs for a little quiet time, several family members, including Lilly and Elin Torgersen, headed toward the bathhouse. Jonas had told them about the renovation, and they were eager to see the finished result.

  Walking onto the brand new deck, Lilly beamed. Just like in the old days, seven wide steps—with no railing—led into the water to accommodate the tide, and the little bathhouse sparkled with fresh white paint. Curious, she opened the door to what in her day had been the girl’s side and peaked inside. The floor was tiled, and the walls had been painted a soft sea foam color. The benches and hooks were new, as was the little dressing table. There were towels on newly built shelves and a couple of canvas chairs had been placed in one corner of the room. It was simple and pristine, and Lilly was enormously pleased with the renovation.

  Returning to the deck, both women were leaning against the railing when they heard footsteps.

  Around the corner of the bathhouse came Josh, followed by Matt and the oldest Andrews girl. />
  “Hey, Grandma,” called Josh. “Do you think my dad would mind if we tested the water?”

  At the sight of them, Lilly smiled. They were such darling boys. “If you do, make sure you roll up your pants. No need to ruin them with salt water.”

  “I’ll be careful.” He turned to his brother. “How about it Matt? Wanna test the water?”

  Matt shook his head. “Nah. I’ll wait till we can actually go swimming. Maybe tomorrow.”

  Josh proceeded to remove his shoes and socks, then rolled his slacks up to his knees. Carefully, he stepped onto the first step, then the second. The tide was low, so he moved down a few more steps, gingerly dipped his toes in, then his whole foot. “It’s freezing!” he called with a shudder. “I’m never going swimming in this!”

  Elin smiled. “When the days are hot, and you don’t have the option of a heated pool, you’ll gladly dive in,” she assured him.

  Josh tilted his head sideways and up in order to look at her. “You’re dreaming. I’d get frostbite!”

  Elin laughed. “Soft American!” she teased. “It’s refreshing on a hot day, not like the bath water you get in a pool.”

  Josh gave her a good-natured scowl. He was very proud to be American. “Huh! How would you know? I’ll bet you’ve never been in a pool.”

  “You’d lose on that bet,” said Elin and stepped around the railing to give him a hand up.

  Three things happened at once. Josh, his body half-turned, jerked his hand away. Waves from a couple of passing speed-boats hit the steps, and Josh slipped on some algae. Unable to regain his balance, he hit the water with a splash and a yell. Nora’s face was priceless, her mouth a big open ‘O.’ Her mother had just cautioned them to be careful near the water. Matt looked resigned, but their grandmother’s face was bathed in amusement. It was so typically Josh, she thought with affection.

  Naturally, the yell and the sound of splashing water caused others to come running. Seeing Josh thrashing about in the water, fully clothed, Elin had expected a cuss word or two. Instead, his head popped up, and he shouted with glee, “You can’t really count this as swimming on Sunday, right Grandma? After all, it was an accident!” Doing a doggie-paddle to stay afloat, he grinned straight at Elin and shouted, “Ah, this is s-o-o-o refreshing!”

  Finally, careful of the algae, he pulled himself onto the steps and loosened the tie he had been wearing since church that morning. Sopping wet and grinning from ear to ear, he cracked, “I think I’m a little overdressed.” His body shivered. “Dang, I’m cold!”

  His voice carried quite clearly to his father, who had arrived at a run, along with Annie. His father didn’t say a word, just deliberately cleared his throat.

  Josh’s grin faded. Looking straight at him, he said apologetically, “Sorry, Dad. It was an accident.”

  His dad simply nodded.

  Shaking off the water, Josh added, “I’m freezing, I gotta get out of these wet clothes.”

  “Come on, Josh. I’ll help you,” said Matt, as he gingerly opened one of the bathhouse changing room doors. Before stepping inside with his brother, he turned to Nora. “Wait for me?” he said hopefully, before closing the door behind them.

  Cameron reached for his phone and called his brother at the house. “Nick, we’ve had an unexpected dunking down here. Can you grab a pair of jeans and a shirt for Josh? Yeah, I’ll meet you halfway. Thanks.”

  Cam put his phone away, knocked on the changing room door, and opened it a crack. “Okay Josh, you’re in luck. Uncle Nick is getting you some dry clothes.”

  Wrapped in one of the large towels he’d found on a shelf inside, Josh stepped to the door. “Thanks, Dad.”

  Matt handed their father a pile of clothes. “They are making a wet mess on the floor. Can we just leave ‘em on the deck for now?”

  “Good idea. I’m heading up to meet Uncle Nick. Just sit tight.”

  When the door closed again, Cameron turned to his mother. “So, what happened exactly?” he asked mildly.

  At Lilly’s explanation, he shook his head and smiled. “Darn kid. Things always seem to happen to him, don’t they? Well, I’d better go and meet Nick.”

  Annie stayed behind while Cameron headed up the hill. Gradually, the others made a move to return to the house, while Annie and Nora made themselves comfortable in a couple of deck chairs. Matt stayed in the changing room with Josh.

  A couple of sleek sailboats came into view, headed for the open fjord, while a large, vintage cabin cruiser was making its way back to the nearby yacht harbor. Nora turned to Annie. “It’s pretty here, isn’t it? Our house in New Jersey is by a lake, but it’s nothing like this. We’re not allowed to have motorized craft on it because of the noise, but I like the sound of the boats.”

  She walked over to the deck railing to get a better look, and as a speedboat came whipping by, she smiled widely and waved enthusiastically in response to the waves from the people on board.

  Before long, Cameron was back, carrying jeans and a T-shirt and a plastic bag for the wet clothes. Nick had thought of everything.

  Annie smiled a greeting and stood up, “That didn’t take long.”

  “No, Nick had everything under control.” He knocked on the changing room door before opening it a crack.

  “Uncle Nick tucked underwear in one of the pockets,” he said as he handed the clothes to Matt.

  “Thanks, Dad.” He, in turn, handed the dry clothes to his brother and, closing the door behind him, stepped onto the deck. Seeing the plastic bag in his father’s hand, he took it, and placed the wet clothes inside, then left the bag by the door. Joining Nora by the railing, he turned toward Annie. “You’re coming to London with us, right?”

  Annie said she was planning on it.

  “Oh, good.” He gave her a wide grin. “Josh and I are going to need someone like a mother to look after us while everyone is in the temple. To keep us out of mischief.”

  No one else noticed, but Cameron held his breath waiting for Annie’s reply.

  “Leah and I can’t go in the temple either,” added Nora innocently. “Could you keep an eye on us, too?”

  Annie ruffled Matt’s hair affectionately, but she looked at Cameron, then at Nora. “You don’t think having me along would cramp your style a little?” She didn’t notice the changing-room door open.

  Josh stayed in the doorway, listening. They had been waiting for an opportunity like this. He kept his fingers crossed, hoping Matt wouldn’t screw up.

  “Uh-uh. Dad is great, but sometimes a kid needs a mother.” He glanced toward his dad. A slow smile appeared. “We could use a mother at home, too. Huh, Dad?” he suggested boldly.

  Before a dumbstruck Cam and Annie could catch their breath, Josh stepped onto the deck. Running a hand through his still wet, unkempt hair, he said. “Matt’s right. We could.” Ruffling his hair a bit more, he said, “Does anyone have a comb?”

  His dad shook his head, while Annie fished a small comb out of her skirt pocket. Stepping in front of her, the boy who rarely remembered to comb his hair in the morning said solemnly, “I think you’d better comb my hair. It’s messy, and mothers know about that kind of stuff.”

  Cameron, still stunned by what he was hearing, shook his head. He had devoted himself to Matt and Josh these last few years and would have said they were happy and well-adjusted. They were active in church, they did well in school, participated in sports and had good friends. They willingly helped with chores around the house and had a solid relationship with their father. But apparently, something was missing—a mother’s touch. He watched Annie as she neatly combed Josh’s still damp hair. She did it so naturally, so easily. Her face took on a softness as she worked, a fondness that was unmistakable. His son was beaming.

  Cameron hadn’t looked at another woman since his wife walked out on the family. He’d been too devastated by her betrayal
and too busy trying to keep life on an even keel for his children.

  Until Annie.

  Thanks to modern technology, keeping in touch had not been difficult. They had spent the past year getting to know each other. And though the boys had not seen her since last summer, they were making it clear they wanted Annie to be part of the family.

  He looked at her and said lightly, “I think you have a couple of big fans. I don’t blame them. I’m a pretty big fan myself.”

  The boys scowled at him. “We don’t want you to be a fan, Dad,” said Josh. “We want you to love her so she’ll want to marry you and come and live with us.”

  Cameron touched each boy and said quietly. “We’ll have to think about that one. It would mean a pretty major change for Annie.”

  “Aunt Lauren made a major change when she married Uncle Jonas,” Matt pointed out.

  “Yes, she did.” Cameron gave his sons a rueful smile. “Maybe we could discuss this some other time? And don’t you think we ought to find out how Annie feels?”

  The boys looked at Annie, willing her to say something, but all she said was, “Your dad is right. We’ll find a better time to talk about it.” She automatically picked up the plastic bag with the wet clothes and handed it to Josh to carry, then the five of them headed up the hill together.

  Lauren was alone in the kitchen when Lasse stepped through the open doorway.

  “Hey, Lauren, got a minute?”

  She turned with a smile. “Lasse! Of course! Come on in. Escaping the masses?”

  “Most of them headed down the hill to check out the bathhouse. It’s pretty quiet right now.”

  Lauren slid onto a bar-stool and patting another, invited him to join her. It had been a busy day, and she’d had little time to visit with him.

  “What’s up?”

  “You’re a hell of a woman, Lauren.”

  “Easy on the profanity, please. I have very tender ears.”