Time for Surprises

by Mette Barfelt

  "Dad, what does Jasmine mean?" Alarmed, Sofie glared at her father.

  "Precisely what she says, I'm afraid." Miranda thought it best to tell it like it was. You couldn't gloss over the truth, it was too ugly for that.

  "What have you done, Jasmine?" Elvira looked at her youngest daughter in horror. "Didn't I bring you up better than that?"

  Exasperated, Jasmine looked at her mother. "You've never brought any of us up. You had enough with your own life and your men."

  Elvira's expression was sad as she nodded her head. "But I did my best."

  "Oh, Kitty," Patricia suddenly called out, pointing at Vidar. "That's the naked man we saw. He played with the lady in the laundry room. Remember?"

  Gasps spread along the table once more, and all eyes were on the five-year-old, except for Vidar's. He, in turn, had changed from a bright red to snowy white, and he didn't look well at all.

  Kitty cleared her throat, having run out of words, but Patricia and several of the others waited. "It could be someone who looks like him."

  "No, Kitty, it isn't!"

  "What's she talking about?" Sofie looked at her father, confused.

  Miranda had had more than enough for one evening, but they may just as well speak openly. They hadn't told the children about the incident, and she regretted it now. They shouldn't have to learn about their father's affairs this way.

  "You'll have to answer for yourself, Vidar." Miranda nudged him with the elbow.

  "Er, I slipped up," he stuttered and got up to leave. "Should never have happened. She doesn't work at the hotel any longer."

  Both Sofie and Noah were old enough to understand what this meant, and they stared at their father disappointedly, without a word.

  Patricia was playing with a box of pearls she kept in her purse and had forgotten all about the occurrence. Celine felt it safest to leave the party before her daughter started talking about Vidar again. She said her goodbyes and accompanied Isabella to the car.

  21

  "Are we having a baby brother? Or sister?" Noah asked when they were in the car on the way home.

  Miranda felt as if her heart would break, it hurt so much. How to reply to this? She glanced at Vidar, who was driving. He could answer for himself once more. It was his fault the entire family was in a commotion.

  "I'm sure you can answer that, Vidar." Her voice was soft as silk, and she couldn't help but feel smug. It wasn't kind of her, but it felt delightful. Why was she always the one to fix every problem in this family? She was sick and tired of it.

  "Me?"

  "Yes."

  It turned silent while everyone waited for an answer. Vidar took his time, which was to be expected due to the circumstances.

  "Er, no one knows."

  "No one knows what? That Jasmine's pregnant? But she said so. Didn't you listen, Dad?" Sofie sounded bewildered.

  Miranda tried to keep her laughter at bay. It was tragicomic; there was no other word for it. How did he plan on getting out of this one?

  "Yes, I guess she's pregnant."

  "I didn't think Jasmine was married. Who's her husband? Have we met him?" Sofie was determined to get to the bottom of this.

  "She's not married. You can get pregnant without being married. She's seeing a man." Vidar looked sweaty while steering the car as best he could. Miranda felt sorry for him but had no intention of helping him out.

  "What's this got to do with you, Dad?" Noah stared at him from the back seat.

  "Hmm, it's not easily explained."

  "Do try," Sofie insisted. "I'm fifteen years old. I know the story of the birds and the bees."

  Miranda feared she was right. Children usually understood a whole lot more than their parents gave them credit for.

  "I may have made a mistake," he started hesitantly, as he turned into the driveway. "I might be the father of Jasmine's child."

  Sofie and Noah eyed each other in dismay. "Huh? But we don't want a sibling who's not Mom's kid," Sofie exclaimed.

  They weren't the only ones. Miranda appreciated the unexpected support. It had been a long time since she'd felt this close to her daughter. Strange what an unwanted pregnancy could do.

  "Let's not be hasty," Vidar cautioned. "We don't know that it's my child. In fact, the chances are very slim."

  Yeah, right, some comfort that was. The uncertainty would make life unbearable the following months.

  "But what if the baby is yours?" Sofie persisted. "Are you moving out?"

  "We'll have to discuss this," Miranda said as coolly as she could. She'd prefer to steal his house keys straight away, but it wouldn't be wise on her part. The children loved their father and had mixed feelings for him now. She had to help them get through this to the best of her abilities.

  "We can't solve this kind of problem overnight."

  ***

  Sunday turned out to be a challenge. It was difficult to get a conversation started with Vidar, and in the end, he escaped out the door wearing his bike outfit. Miranda was relieved to accompany Sofie to her handball match. She was looking forward to watching the game with her daughter's new team. Sofie and Noah were quieter than usual, and Miranda worried they might be pondering what would happen in the future. The situation wasn't good for any of them, but she needed time. In a way, she felt obliged to carry on as before, knowing the children would be devastated if they split up. But how would married life with Vidar be, after this? She couldn't stand the thought of getting close to him, so their intimacy was gone for good. It was sad thinking about it, and she'd miss it. It would be gloomy to live like strangers. She'd never been one to bicker, so life in the house would be without loud yelling and quarreling. But was silence any better? Parents who were creeping about, trying to avoid each other? Perhaps they should stay married another five years until Noah turned eighteen and was grown-up. Or they could do as her parents, who were free to act as they pleased. But what kind of life would that be, and what kind of an example would they set for the children?

  She let out a long, audible breath. There were so many considerations to make, and so much to contemplate. But now she'd try to focus solely on her daughter's handball match. Girls warming up filled the hall, and their parents started to find their seats in the stand. Sofie ran toward Gabriel and the others on her team. Miranda scanned the rows and saw someone waving at her. Wasn't it one of Sara's friends? Exotic looks, dark hair. Oh yes, it was Bettina, the owner of the guesthouse. Miranda was glad to see a familiar face and rushed over to her.

  "You looked lost." Bettina hugged her. "Come and sit with me."

  "Lovely to see you again. You're right. I don't know a single person here. No one besides the coach, that is. He works at the hotel."

  "Gabriel? I didn't know that."

  "Our finance manager."

  "How strange. Gabriel's one of the main reasons we moved to Solvik last fall and took over the guesthouse."

  Miranda looked at her, confounded. "You're seeing him? He never said."

  Bettina started laughing. "No, not in that way. He was the reason I persuaded my daughter to move here. She's very much into handball. He settled in Solvik at the same time as we did, and we were guaranteed a great coach."

  Miranda felt light-hearted hearing this, even if she didn't have anything to do with him. "Is she playing on the same team as Sofie?"

  Bettina nodded. "Anneli is down there on the court." She pointed at a girl with dark-brown hair, pulled into a ponytail.

  "Sofie still goes to school in Oslo, with it being her last year and all. We didn't want to move her, this close to the exams."

  "Sounds reasonable. But then, it's not easy getting new friends here."

  Miranda smiled lopsidedly. "Not really, no. It's troublesome to communicate with her these days. She's no longer motivated for school and fed up with homework. I've heard it's typical teens, but I never expected it to happen to us."

  "It may change quickly," Bettina said encouragingly. "Why don't you visit us one evening? Then she
can get to know Anneli, and you can see the guesthouse."

  Miranda appreciated the thoughtfulness and the invitation. "Thank you. We'd like that."

  Sofie was in a good mood when they drove home after the match, since her team had beaten the girls from the neighboring town. Miranda told her about Bettina's invitation. "Do you know Anneli?"

  "No, but I know who she is."

  "They live in a mansion. Do you want to come along and say hi to her?"

  "Perhaps."

  That was almost a yes. Miranda was satisfied with the answer. She'd manage to persuade her to go. Everything would be more fun for Sofie if she had a few friends here. With all the struggles they had these days, she'd do whatever it took to make it easier on the children.

  Miranda stopped the car to let Sofie off and continued to the hotel. She only needed a short visit to the office. Tomorrow was May 17 and Independence Day in Norway, so they expected a rush of guests for lunch and dinner. She'd already met with Remy, who had made a special menu for the day. They'd agreed it wasn't necessary to lower the prices. On Independence Day there were always lots of people looking for a restaurant to rest their legs. On this particular date, finding an available chair was no simple task.

  Miranda walked through the lobby, decorated with Norwegian flags and flowers in red, white, and blue. Isabella had made gorgeous flower arrangements and placed them in the front desk area and the bar. Small vases with flowers stood on every table in the Flying Fish. Her sister had chosen to go traditional here. Some had white roses, others red, and the rest had cute blue flowers that she recognized but couldn't remember the name of. How clever. Isabella knew her stuff, and Miranda was proud of her creative sister. She must have been here all day to finish on time.

  Miranda suddenly remembered something. The flags had to be raised tomorrow at eight in the morning and lowered at nine that night. She felt her mood drop. Raising the flags was the janitor's assignment. How did Vidar plan on arranging this?

  The hotel had two flagstaffs, one on each side of the main entrance. Those were the ones to be used tomorrow. Miranda went to the storage room where she knew the flags were kept. They'd used them for the opening event. She found them nicely wrapped and smiled contentedly. Everything was ready. All that remained was to head home and remind Vidar of his upcoming job. It was a public holiday tomorrow, but it didn't matter when you ran a hotel. Someone had to keep the wheels spinning.

  Vidar had showered after his workout and was sitting on the sofa, watching a movie.

  "Where have you been?" He glanced at her.

  "At the hotel, making sure everything's ready for tomorrow." She sat on the edge of a chair.

  "Ah."

  "You haven't forgotten that you need to get up early?"

  "We always get up at dawn on May 17. The children's parade starts way too early."

  "Quite right. But our children are no longer part of the parade, so that issue is solved. Furthermore, they're spending the day in Oslo with friends, and have other things to do than watch the parade."

  "So, what's the problem?"

  "You have to raise the flags."

  "The flags? But surely that's not my job. I'm off tomorrow."

  "It's the janitor's responsibility."

  "For crying out loud, give me a break. You don't seriously mean I'm to get up at the crack of dawn to put up some flags? I was planning on sleeping in since the children are leaving." He looked dumbfoundedly at her.

  "It'll have to wait. The flags must be up at eight." She felt a little sorry for him. Vidar wasn't an early bird.

  "Huh? But that's no different from an ordinary workday."

  "That's the way it is. Set your alarm so you won't be late. The flags are important, they're the very symbol of Independence Day."

  She headed for the bedroom. "I'll be at the hotel all day. I'll just wait for the children to get on the bus first."

  "Hmm."

  Miranda woke up to a cornflower blue sky and sunshine. The weather was often like this on Independence Day – beautiful, but ice cold. She jumped into the shower, woke the teens, put on her makeup and went downstairs to make breakfast. They would have a simple meal this morning. It was busy with everyone hurrying out of the door at the same time, so she quickly made some sandwiches and ate while making them. Tea would have to wait until she got to the hotel.

  The children entered the kitchen at long last, dressed in newly purchased clothes, having gone shopping by themselves the week before. They ate and ran out the door to catch the nine o'clock bus.

  Miranda let out a breath. She didn't have a national costume, like most others in Solvik had. Instead, she picked a navy-blue dress and a white blouse, and wound a scarf around her neck. When she put on her coat and was about to lock the door, she heard a bang from above. Startled, she hurried up the stairs. She was all alone in the house, so what was this? Vidar had left long ago.

  A cold chill went through her when she discovered Vidar heading for the bathroom. "What are you doing here? Are you back from the hotel already?"

  He steadied his head then rubbed the sleep from his tired eyes. "In my pjs? Hardly."

  Miranda didn't understand a thing and stood frozen, staring at him.

  "That darn guest bed is so small. I keep falling on the floor every time I turn around." He glared at her. "It's your fault I'm sleeping in there."

  What a nerve! "Is it?"

  He blushed slightly and opened the door to the bathroom.

  "It's half past nine, and I'd better get going. No trouble raising the flags?"

  "How would I know? The alarm didn't go off."

  "What? You mean the flags aren't up?" Alarmed, she gawked at him and realized he hadn't been to the hotel at all. How foolish of her to think he'd returned already and gone back to sleep.

  Deeply frustrated, she ran to the car and drove at top speed to the hotel. She was right. No flags were up. Who else would do it but the janitor? Gabriel had the day off, as did most of the employees. Only the front desk, the restaurant, and the bar were open.

  She found the bags containing the flags and rushed to the lobby. Her arms ached just thinking about raising the huge flags. The bags slipped from her hands by the front desk. "Can you keep an eye on the bar for a moment, Rebecca? I need Oscar's help in putting these up."

  "No problem."

  She hastened to the Sea Star. "Oscar, would you mind helping me with the flags? It's easier when one holds, and the other runs them up. They mustn't touch the ground."

  "Sure."

  They raised the flags, two hours late. Miranda cursed Vidar as she sank into an armchair at the bar afterward. She quietly thought that William had yet again made a brilliant choice. Sitting in these comfortable chairs was fabulous. This was a delightful place to relax.

  Oscar knew what she liked and handed her a cup of tea.

  "Thanks a million. Just what I need. You haven't opened yet, have you?" She studied the young man, who was always cheerful.

  "We open at ten o'clock today. It's just me being a tad early."

  "Lucky me." She smiled and felt better. What a morning it had been. Now she could breathe calmer again. Her thoughts went to Vidar, and how disappointed she was in him. She didn't believe his story about the alarm. Most likely he hadn't set it at all. He had his cell phone on the night-stand and could easily have used that as well. How likely was it that two alarms didn't go off?

  Most of all, Miranda was dissatisfied with his indifference. It was connected to him being careless. She didn't like any of those traits. How could two people be so unlike each other?

  22

  Every school had their own arrangement where they celebrated after the children's parade. Solvik was no exception. Families with children gathered in the schoolyard to partake in games and fun for the youngest ones. Miranda had agreed to meet Isabella, Celine, and Patricia at the school once the parade was over, and ahead of lunch service at the hotel. She barely had time to park before the girl came dashing over.
>
  "Hi, Patricia. Are you eating ice cream already?" Miranda had become fond of Celine's cute daughter.

  Patricia grinned with her mouth full of chocolate ice cream. "I can have as many as I want today."

  Miranda laughed. "Yes, same with me when I was your age. Ice cream and hot dogs."

  "And popcorn."

  "That too. You're looking beautiful today. Pink princess dress and all."

  "Can you tell my shoes and hair bow match? And the jacket."

  "Sure it does."

  "Are you okay?" Celine looked at Miranda, concerned.

  The question contained an awful lot, and Miranda didn't know how to reply. "As well as can be expected, considering the circumstances, I guess. These last few days have been hectic, I haven't had time to do much thinking. It'll calm down tomorrow." She scanned the area. "Where's Isabella?"

  "Waiting in line for cake."

  "I'm not surprised. My sister has a sweet tooth."

  "What does that mean?" Patricia glanced up from her ice cream.

  "Someone who loves sweets."

  "Like me?"

  Celine stroked her daughter's unruly hair. "Just like you."

  "Who wants chocolate cake?" Isabella came toward them with two paper plates filled with cakes.

  "Did you buy one of each?" Miranda grinned when she saw the colorful decorations. Volunteering moms had baked the cakes, for the benefit of the school band or sports club.

  "Of course. We have to support the musicians. You choose first, Patricia."

  The girl looked at the cakes in delight and ended up choosing one with pink hearts.

  "Come, I can see a vacant table," Celine said, hurrying over to secure the seats. It was a rare treat on a day like this, with so many people swarming about.

  "We have a super view of the schoolyard." Miranda helped herself to a slice of cake. "Are you joining any of the games, Patricia?"

  She nodded eagerly, with her mouth full. "The sack race starts now." The girl ran off.