Time for Surprises

by Mette Barfelt

  "Are you sure?"

  "Yes."

  "Okay. Then I'll read through the survey report and contact the bank and real estate agent to see if we can buy the house. Would you like to visit Kitty in the meantime?"

  They nodded and started walking toward the hotel.

  "I'll see you later this afternoon." Miranda walked back to the house to inspect it properly. It seemed to be in good condition, and apart from giving it a fresh coat of paint, they could keep it as it was.

  She went out on the terrace and sat on the railing to read the report thoroughly. There were no weak spots that she could see. She liked it and hoped it would be theirs. The house in Oslo was debt-free, and thanks to the good income she'd had as a self-employed consultant, she had money in the bank. Funding was not an issue. She calculated that she could get nearly twice as much for the house in the capital than what she had to pay for this one. But first, she'd call her lawyer and make sure she could buy it now, and that she didn't need to wait until after Vidar's will was read.

  33

  Three hours later, Miranda was the owner of a new house for herself and the children. She'd had to pay a little more to get the house right away, but it was worth it. Waiting for two weeks till the official viewing wasn't tempting, and they might end up having to outbid other buyers, making it even more expensive.

  She was home alone. The children were still at Kitty's, she'd pick them up later. They loved being with their great-grandma. Kitty could console them like no other. And they had King to play with, so it was possibly the best place for them to be right now. Miranda knew how sad they were, and she felt powerless. There was nothing she could do to help them through this difficult time, except be there for them. And that was precisely what she intended to do. She'd focus on the happy moments. Buying the house was a step in the right direction. Now they could start afresh in a new place without being reminded of how Vidar used to sit on that kitchen chair, drop his training clothes on the bench in the hall, take a nap in the armchair, do this and that. Having rented fully furnished, they wouldn't take anything with them when they moved. Their house in Oslo, on the contrary, was full of their own furniture, but she concluded it was time for renewal while she had the chance. The furniture was ready for replacement after seventeen years.

  Miranda decided to start sorting through Vidar's papers. Although he'd been the economist, she was the one who'd handled this. Insurances, mortgages, expenses, and savings. She liked to have full control of these things and couldn't stand Vidar's inaccuracy. She moved the binders from their regular drawer in the sideboard. But what was this? An unfamiliar white envelope with Vidar's handwriting. "The Surprise." What surprise? She'd had enough of them lately to last a lifetime. All she wanted was a life without any kind of drama. Should she throw the envelope away? If she did, she'd never know what it contained, but so what? Vidar wouldn't show up asking for the envelope. She put it aside and continued with the job at hand. She got rid of everything she could and filed what she needed to keep. The envelope was lying there, staring at her, and in the end, she grabbed it, annoyed. Curiosity got the better of her. Hesitantly, she opened it and peered inside. Papers. She took them out and nearly lost her balance when she fell into the armchair. Good gracious! The romantic journey he'd surprised her with when they had dinner at the Flying Fish. She'd completely forgotten about it. She leafed through the papers. Oh no. Here were airline tickets and hotel confirmations. The journey would take them to the paradise of the Seychelles where they'd relax and swim in the turquoise sea the first week. Then a roundtrip and culinary experiences awaited them in Malaysia before shopping in Singapore. All in exclusive five-star hotels, and a limousine at their disposal around the clock. She gasped in horror when she noticed the price he'd paid for this adventure. This was the punishment for having joint accounts. She prayed it would be possible to get a refund from the travel agency.

  When preparing to drive to the hotel, she nearly stumbled into Gabriel.

  "Miranda, I'm worried about you. May I come in?"

  She was surprised that he'd come to see her at home but held the door open. "I have to pick up the children at Kitty's."

  "It'll only take a minute." He kept his jacket on.

  Miranda looked at the attractive man in front of her and wished there could be something more between them. But she couldn't see a future for them at all.

  "How are you?" He placed his arm on her shoulder, but she wriggled away.

  "I'm okay. The children not so much. They're hurting."

  "Of course. Is there anything I can do?" He looked at her.

  She shook her head slowly. "I think it's best if we don't see each other outside work. It doesn't feel right, Gabriel. I'm feeling guilty because I was with you while Vidar lay dead close by."

  He looked at her, amazed. "I'm sorry you feel that way, Miranda. But this isn't your fault. There's nothing you could've done to prevent the accident."

  "Perhaps not. But if I hadn't asked him to move out, it never would've happened. He ran straight back to Olivia."

  "That just illustrates what challenges you were facing in your marriage, after Vidar's previous escapades. How would you have been able to trust him again?" He sighed inaudibly.

  She didn't respond. That was precisely the reason she'd asked Vidar to move out. She couldn't find it in her heart to forgive him, and she was afraid he'd do it again. The trust was forever gone, and what was left without it? She felt confused by the last days' events.

  "So much has happened, Gabriel. I can't fathom half of it. Furthermore, I bought a house today."

  "A house? What do you mean?" He looked at her, puzzled.

  "It might be a bit sudden, especially for me, who's always so careful." She told him what they'd done today.

  "Wow, I'll say. But I can see your reasoning." He eyed her thoughtfully. "Are you sure you don't want us to spend time together? You know how much I like you, and I got the impression it's reciprocated."

  She nodded, sadly. "I'm sorry, Gabriel."

  Miranda stood watching him leave. She was as disappointed as Gabriel but knew it was for the best. Frustrated, she drove to the hotel to pick up the children.

  "Guess what I've got." Miranda dangled a keyring when she opened the door to Kitty's suite.

  "Did you buy the house?" Noah stared at her, impressed.

  "Yep."

  Sofie looked confused. "You're usually not this quick, Mom."

  "Now and then you've got to take some chances."

  "Are you okay?" Kitty took her arm.

  "I'm fine, but this is an immense change for all of us. So much is happening at the same time."

  Kitty smiled cautiously. "Especially when you've bought a house."

  "Yes, that too." Miranda fetched her children's jackets. "Get dressed, and we'll go home and make pizza."

  ***

  When Miranda was about to start her meeting with Gabriel the following morning, she received an unexpected visit from the police chief. Alfred filled the doorway, and he didn't look any happier to see her than she was to see him. Not so strange, really. They'd met under unpleasant circumstances they both would have preferred to be without.

  "Come in." She gestured for him to take a seat.

  "Er, I thought you'd be interested in an update," Alfred started hesitantly. "As you know, I've had help these last few days. Investigators from Oslo have examined the cause of the fire. The electrical system appears to be in order. Since it was an explosion, it was natural to control the propane system used to heat the saunas. Reception controls the ignition, but we haven't found any fault in the propane system. Therefore, we believe that Vidar tried to ignite it from the actual building. We've also found a lighter and remains from cigarettes."

  Miranda felt sick again. "But Vidar didn't smoke."

  "No, but Olivia Dahle did. Not that often, she was more of a social smoker."

  It was an intimate party they'd had, she thought bitterly.

  "Our preliminary h
ypothesis is that they didn't manage to ignite the sauna, but instead opened the gas by mistake. Propane gas leaked out, and Olivia lit a cigarette. And then – ka-boom..."

  Miranda felt herself getting enraged. So, the accident was Vidar's fault? Had he tampered with the system to ruin things for her, like with the computer? Why couldn't he for once have been careful and done a proper job? Instead, he'd been slipshod, dreaming about a more challenging job with lots of responsibilities. Even what little responsibility he'd had as a janitor had proved too much for him. She was extremely disappointed in her husband but tried to calm herself. This wasn't a time to break down.

  "We've closed the case, concluding it was an accident. I've removed the barrier. I assume you'll build a new jetty?"

  She nodded. "As soon as possible."

  The police chief said goodbye and headed for the door. She looked pleadingly at Gabriel. "I need to be alone for a while."

  "I wish you'd let me help you."

  So did she.

  Not long after Gabriel had left the office, Isabella showed up. Miranda was glad to see her sister and accepted comforting hugs.

  "You poor thing, everything you've gone through. How're you guys doing?"

  She'd kept her updated via text messages the last few days but hadn't given any details from the visit at the hospital. Now, she told her sorry story from beginning to end and felt exhausted afterward.

  "Well, I never! Good thing Vidar isn't here, or I'd strangle him." Indignantly, Isabella looked at what was left of the beach house.

  Miranda smiled weakly. She wasn't alien to that sentiment herself. But Vidar was already dead, so it wasn't very constructive, not to mention macabre. She shuddered and tried to shake off these dark thoughts. After all, she had much to be grateful for. They were healthy and had their family close by. She had a job she enjoyed and a steady salary, giving her leeway.

  "How exciting it is with the new house. That was clever, I must say. I can help you buy furniture." Isabella looked at her eagerly.

  "Great. But first, we need to choose colors and buy paint. The children can come along, so they get what they like. I thought about doing it this afternoon."

  "Do you need help with other practical stuff? The funeral and everything?" Isabella asked.

  "It's all arranged. I like to get things done, you know. But I was hoping you could do the flowers."

  Isabella laughed. "Of course I will. I'll say, you're efficient. Now I need to continue with the bouquets I'm working on. See you later."

  Miranda sat, staring after her sister. What an agonizing morning it had been. She felt drained. Gabriel would get offers from companies who could build a new beach house. She appreciated him taking care of it. Walking over to the window, she looked at the burned remains. What a depressing sight. She bit her lip. As long as the building was there, it would be extremely difficult to concentrate on anything but what had happened on the jetty. She made a swift decision and went to speak with Gabriel. He was finishing a phone call and pointed at the chair across from him. She sat down and looked at him while she waited. How she missed their friendship already. It was only yesterday they'd talked together at her house. It felt like ages. What a handsome man he was. With such good looks, he could get anyone. Odd that he didn't get married and have children long ago. She wished things had been different. And that she didn't feel guilty about everything that had happened to Vidar. Then she might have had a future with Gabriel.

  He ended the conversation and looked at her questioningly.

  "Gabriel, can you get the beach house removed? Preferably today?" she asked.

  "Sure. We don't have a janitor these days, but I'll do my best."

  "No, I didn't mean you personally. I can't really picture you in a digger out on the water. I hoped you could find someone who does this work. I'm willing to pay anything to avoid looking at that building ever again. I feel as if I can't move on in life before it's gone."

  "I can see that. I'll get to it right away, I'll just check with the police first."

  She looked at him, gratefully for a moment, before returning to her office. "Thanks a lot."

  ***

  Miranda let out a sigh of relief. She stood in the empty house, looking around. It wasn't entirely empty. The paint and equipment were in the middle of the living room. Thankfully, the children had been in a relatively good mood when they chose the color of their bedrooms. They'd spent two hours shopping and had forgotten half of what they needed. She was happy when they biked to tennis practice, after dinner at Lombardi's.

  Miranda opened the windows to let in the fresh air of early summer. School vacation would start in a few weeks. Sofie and Noah were looked forward to relaxing days on the beach, without homework or commitments. She'd take a few weeks off. Maybe they could go abroad again. She would check to see what they wanted.

  Miranda walked through the rooms and noted everything that needed to be done. The only furniture in the new house was in the bright kitchen. A dining table and four chairs stood by the window. How amazing it would be to have breakfast here, with such a magnificent view of the lively marina. She opened drawers and cupboards – everything was empty. All she had to do was fill them with her own stuff, after a thorough clean. She guided a spider out of the window and carefully checked for other vermin, but luckily found none.

  The doorbell rang, and she jumped from the unfamiliar sound. Who could it be? There hadn't been time to bring the rest of the family over yet. She'd planned on surprising them once the rooms were painted.

  "Hello, Miranda, are you in here?"

  She went out into the hall and looked at her guests. Sara, Emmelin, and Bettina stood outside, with their hands full.

  "How delightful! Do come into the kitchen. It's the only furnished room in the house."

  They put their things on the counter. "We wanted to cheer you up," Sara said, laughing heartily, but then turned serious. "From what you told me at the bakery, I became very concerned."

  Miranda nodded and was pleased they'd come. "It's lovely to see you. But how did you know I was here?"

  "I saw you drop off things earlier this afternoon, so I assumed you'd bought the house. And Bettina knew your children were practicing today. So we'll have your full attention." Sara smiled. "But let's unpack, then we can have a chat."

  A few minutes later they were seated at the kitchen table with scented pastries in front of them. Doughnuts and cupcakes with apricot and coconut.

  "Here are some cinnamon buns," Emmelin said, placing the basket on the table.

  "Then I'll pop the champagne." Bettina lifted the bottle from the cooler.

  Sara looked at her apologetically. "It may not be appropriate after all that's happened, but I felt we should celebrate your new house properly, even though the circumstances aren't the best."

  Miranda smiled gratefully. "It suits me perfectly. It's been a few depressing days, but life must go on." She told them what it had been like, and everything that Vidar had been up to since moving to Solvik. She couldn't keep it a secret when the women were so considerate.

  "You certainly didn't deserve this," Emmelin said, drinking the apple cider she'd brought.

  "The worst part is possibly that there's no end to the misery. If Vidar's the father of Jasmine's unborn child, then I'll never be able to leave this behind." Miranda took a bite of the cinnamon bun. It had extra sugar and cinnamon, and she licked her mouth.

  "I agree," Bettina said. "But you know what? You won't know until Christmas, and that's a long time ahead. Try to forget about it for now. There's no need to worry needlessly. What if the other man is the father?"

  "You're right. The chances are fifty-fifty, I'd say. It's hard when I keep seeing Jasmine at work, but I do my best for the children's sake. She's their aunt, even if they don't keep in touch with her much. Jasmine's almost a child herself, not in age, but in maturity," Miranda said.

  "In time, some handsome guy will turn up in Solvik," Sara said, smiling knowingly. "All we hav
e to do is make sure you're in the vicinity when it happens."

  Miranda turned hot. "Actually, I'm friends with Gabriel at the hotel. He's been a great support through this tough time. But I think it's best if we stay friends."

  "Why? There's no excess of good-looking men in this town, so you should act while you have the chance," said Sara.

  Miranda had to laugh at her wording. Perhaps she'd made a mistake by letting him slip through her fingers. But she was in no way ready for a relationship. And she had way too many mixed feelings for both Vidar and Gabriel to think clearly. "I'll keep it in mind. I feel partly responsible for what happened to Vidar. Although it wasn't my fault, I bet there were things I could've done differently after he lost his job. Maybe I didn't handle it correctly. Or I should've been more understanding of how hard it was for him."

  Bettina took her hand. "You can't think like that. No matter how you look at it, it'll never be your fault. Vidar appears to be exactly like my brother. They think about themselves first, and then a bit more about themselves. There's never room for anyone else."

  "Bettina is right," Emmelin said. "My ex-husband was the same. They're a specific race. At least that's how it feels now and then."

  They looked at each other and burst into laughter. To Miranda, it was liberating to have friends who said what they meant. How wonderful not to have to wrap words into pretty phrases. She knew they were right. But it wasn't as simple in practice as in theory. At least not when her emotions were playing ping-pong inside her.

  They finished the cakes and emptied the champagne. It was a long time since she'd felt as optimistic. She could hardly wait to move in.

  "It's such a cozy house," Emmelin said after being given a tour. "I have a sea view, too, so you definitely have something to look forward to. There's nothing better than sitting in your own garden, looking at everyday life outside."

  "I agree," Bettina said. She lived by the waterline herself.

  "I'm envious. Our house has a view of the neighbors. But my bakery has a perfect location, so that's a small comfort." Sara eyed the cinnamon bun on the paper plate she'd taken with her. "Look, it's begging to be eaten. Can you hear it?" She glanced at the others, who shook their heads, trying not to burst into laughter again. "Well, I can hear it. It's literally screaming at me," she said, biting into the bun.