Time for Surprises

by Mette Barfelt

  "Finish it, Sara. You're the master of all these delicious pastries," Emmelin said.

  "Says you. You've no idea how hopeless it is getting rid of the extra pounds from the twins. It'd be a struggle enough with one child. This calls for another run before bedtime." Sara sighed and started clearing things away.

  "You're perfect," Miranda said, meaning it. Sara had voluptuous shapes in the right places, but she wasn't overweight.

  "We can help you with painting, Miranda," Bettina said. "We're all experienced in that kind of work."

  "Thanks, how kind of you. But I've rented painters to do the job, they'll be here tomorrow. I'm not practical, so I chose to pay my way out of it. The shop offered help, and I accepted."

  "Good for you. You have enough on your plate as it is," Sara said. "Let us know if there's anything else we can do."

  "You've helped me a lot already. This evening was just what I needed." Miranda locked the door and accompanied the others toward the center. Sofie and Noah would soon be back from their training session. Daily life waited.

  34

  Miranda made a brave attempt at packing Vidar's clothes after the children had gone to bed. She tried to be as quiet as a mouse, so they wouldn't know what she was up to. They'd be devastated if they knew she was planning on giving their father's clothes to charity. But what else could she do? She didn't have anyone to pass them on to. Thank goodness. She couldn't imagine anything worse than seeing someone she knew wearing Vidar's clothes, as if he had eternal life and must be remembered as an honorable man, she thought ironically. Good grief, what kind of reasoning was that? Vidar had had many good qualities, they'd just been a little difficult to spot sometimes. It was almost as if they lay lurking underneath and didn't want to surface. But sure, he'd had positive traits. He could be a charmer when he wanted to. And he'd been good at giving compliments. Several of their vacations had been his suggestion, and she had many good memories from their trips. He'd had a laid-back relationship with the children, ensuring popularity. Miranda once more thought about how heartbreaking it was that they were deprived their father. How long would it take before they managed to accept that he was gone for good? And feel joy about the years they'd spent with him, instead of sorrow? A month, a year, or several years? No one could answer that question. They'd take one day at a time, there was nothing else they could do.

  Miranda continued to put Vidar's clothes in big black plastic bags, which she closed with wide tape. What an enormous strain it was to pack away an entire life into a few bags. It felt meaningless that he wasn't to live more than forty years.

  She finished packing and discovered it was two in the morning. Feeling thoroughly exhausted, she sank tiredly onto the bed and fell asleep.

  After the children had left for school the next morning, Miranda lifted the bags into her trunk and drove off to deliver them. Now, there was nothing left in the house to remind her of Vidar, and it felt good. She knew that most people in her situation would cling to their spouse's belongings and that some weren't able to clear away the closets for years, but that way of thinking was strange to her. She felt a strong need to start afresh, to start all over. This was most likely due to Vidar's unfaithfulness and everything that followed, but it was her way of dealing with what had happened.

  ***

  The past four days had been hectic. Two energetic workers had given the entire house two coats of paint. She'd been to furniture shops several times, buying everything she needed to furnish their new home. Isabella had been of great assistance these days, and the teens had spent a lot of time with Kitty after school.

  "You're the only one I know who chooses furniture based on how quickly it can be delivered," Isabella remarked when the movers had carried the last items inside.

  Miranda smiled. "I admit it's unusual. But I want to get it done as soon as possible. Moreover, I did like the furniture I picked. But you know what? If there were something else I'd rather have, I would've managed to wait."

  "Really? I'm not so sure about that. But I admire your efficient style. I'd like to have some of that." Isabella fetched a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water. They'd moved half of the kitchen utensils, so they had some in both places.

  "You get things done, too." Miranda put a bowl of sour toads on the new coffee table.

  "You know, I almost envy you this house. I mean, to have a place that you own."

  Miranda raised her eyebrows. "I thought you preferred to rent and be free to do as you please. But maybe you're finally ready for a man in your life?"

  Isabella didn't appear all that interested. "That's an exaggeration. Even if it's nice to have Celine and Patricia a few steps away, it would be great to have more space."

  "By the way, Celine offered to help me, but I declined. She's got enough with her daughter. They need what little time they have together in the evening before Patricia goes to bed."

  "I agree. I'm happy we've gotten to know them. And she's doing a fantastic job in the conference department, don't you think?" Isabella took a toad and wrinkled her nose at the sour taste of apples.

  "Absolutely. It'll be quieter for Celine during the summer months, but we have some conference bookings come fall. That means they can enjoy the beautiful time ahead. I heard Patricia has already tested the water. She loves swimming."

  "In a self-made bikini?" Isabella laughed.

  "I wouldn't be surprised. She's got something going on with Kitty. You never know, it may be a bikini or bathing suit," Miranda said.

  "It's great they've found each other. Being together gives them so much joy." Isabella got up from the new beige Scandinavian-style sofa. "It'll be an early night for me."

  "Thanks a lot for helping me. I wouldn't have made it without you." Miranda hugged her goodbye.

  "Are you sure you don't need me tomorrow?"

  "I'm positive. We're only moving clothes and some bits and pieces. The children find it exciting to be part of it all."

  Isabella disappeared into the mild summer breeze, and Miranda was left alone with her thoughts. How she missed Gabriel. Even during these busy days, her thoughts had wandered to their innocent kisses. It was as if they didn't want to be forgotten. They almost demanded to be remembered and required action. It was slightly annoying when she did everything to avoid thinking about the short intimate moments they'd shared. How could a few minutes mean so much? She pictured all the lovely things they could experience together in Solvik this summer. The town was renowned for its magnificent sunsets. They might stroll along the romantic boardwalk on long, light evenings, hand in hand. Smell the scent of the salty sea and eat ice cream while chatting and getting to know each other better. What a marvelous life it could have been. She didn't ask for much in life. Simple everyday pleasures were most important to her. After all, most days were working days.

  Miranda laid her head in her hands and sighed deeply. How foolish she was, sitting here, dreaming about things that would never happen. Things she had no right to either. Vidar wasn't even buried yet. She was ashamed of herself for thinking of other men when Vidar didn't get to live. Admittedly, he'd done a lot of idiotic things these last few months, but most marriages had their ups and downs. She should have tried harder to make it work, shouldn't she?

  Sunday turned out to be the best day so far, but then, it had been a ghastly week. They moved the rest of their belongings to the light and inviting house. Sofie and Noah were in a relatively good mood, all things considered. They were happy to get bigger bedrooms, painted in their favorite colors of lime green and sky blue.

  Another positive aspect Miranda had discovered since Vidar passed away was that Sofie's sullen, and at times indifferent attitude, had changed. She seemed more inclined to do better at school. She spent an increasing amount of time with Anneli, Bettina's daughter. Maybe she'd had a good influence on Sofie? Miranda was pleased about any progress and felt she had become closer to her children after the accident. Their unity had improved, or perhaps it just felt th
at way. She knew that both Sofie and Noah were still upset, but they tried not to show it. And why should they be any different from her? She also kept up appearances, hiding her feelings. What were her real feelings? A mixture of anger and disappointment, bitterness, and sorrow. Where her love for Vidar had gone, she didn't know. It must be there somewhere. Or it had disappeared with the smoke clouds into the great nothingness. Gone with the wind, literally speaking.

  Her thoughts went to her teens upstairs. They were tired after a day of moving and lay on their new beds, playing. Thankfully she'd been smart enough to move the internet subscription as well, and everything seemed to be working. She sat on the soft sofa, full of cushions, with a glass of wine. The first evening in a new house. It felt strange, and she wished she had someone to share her joy with. Her wish was fulfilled before she knew it. The doorbell rang, and she went to answer. The police chief wasn't the person she'd wanted to see, but she held the door open. "Please, come in."

  He nodded, and they went into the living room. "I heard you'd moved. You know, Solvik is a town where information spreads quickly."

  She knew he was right. "Would you like something to drink?"

  "No thanks. I'm sorry for disturbing you this late in the evening. But I've neglected my duties, I'm afraid. I'd completely forgotten about this." Alfred pulled something from his pocket. "This jewelry was found in the burned-down building. Do you know if anyone has inquired about a necklace? As you can see, it's an exceptional piece of silver jewelry. It might belong to Olivia Dahle, or one of your guests may have forgotten it."

  Miranda felt nausea fill her body once again and covered her mouth. She breathed deeply and wished she were alone in the living room. It was the exquisite silver necklace. The note was no longer there, and it was sooty, but there was no mistaking it.

  "It's Vidar's. He must've given it to Olivia. I accidentally found it at home a while back. Thought it was a gift for me. Goes to show how wrong you can be." She remembered the text on the note. "Together forever." Yeah, Vidar and Olivia were together, but not in the way Vidar had planned. "Together in death" was more fitting now.

  "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make this harder on you. I'll be on my way now." The police chief put the jewelry back into his pocket. Then he almost backed out of the door before she had time to open it.

  Miranda was overwhelmed by anger and disappointment. Why hadn't Vidar given the beautiful necklace to her? She was the one who'd stood faithfully by his side all these years. Besides, it was ages since she'd received such a thoughtful gift. Oh well, so she was a bit envious. And rightfully so. She felt Vidar had let her down completely. And here she was feeling guilty and partly to blame for him being dead? It wasn't her fault at all, but the result of his thoughtlessness and quest for excitement. Vidar had been unfaithful and had to stand for the choices he'd made. Of course, it was far too late to stand for anything now. However, it was liberating to realize that she could do whatever she wanted. She had no unfaithful husband to answer to. She felt her anger subside at last. A little smile crossed her lips. Maybe there was a tiny hope for Gabriel and her, after all?

  35

  Miranda didn't know whether to laugh or cry when she looked out of the office window the next morning. She'd hung up her jacket and was about to make a cup of tea when she heard booming outside. Next to the burned beach house lay a barge, and on it stood an excavator, smashing the remains of the building to splinters. At least it appeared that way. The driver tried to collect as many pieces as possible. He didn't quite succeed, so he fished up what had fallen into the sea.

  Miranda barely noticed the knock on the door. She glanced over at Gabriel, who had come to start the morning meeting. "Thanks a million. I do appreciate that you managed to fix it so soon. I feared weeks of waiting."

  "You're welcome. It's what friends do." He made a cup of coffee, and they kept watching the eager digger. "Are you all settled in your new house? I wish you'd let me help you."

  She hadn't talked to him about personal matters for days, so she told him about the furniture. "Wanna come over and have a look? The children are playing tennis tonight if you'd like to stop by."

  "I'd love to."

  She wished he'd lay his arms around her, but she knew he wouldn't. He had too much respect for her to cross the limits she'd set.

  "Let's get this meeting started."

  Miranda felt she had much to catch up on after days of not being able to concentrate and way too many things to sort out. The hotel had been given a lower priority, and she wasn't proud of it. She felt lighter at heart now that the beach house had been removed. She'd decided the new building wasn't going to be a copy of the old one. During the meeting earlier today, she'd asked Gabriel to contact an architect to get proposals for a new jetty and a beach house. She was eager to see what ideas they had and hoped the building would be ready in the fall.

  Miranda had also made some reflections about her father lately. Even though he hadn't shown much interest in her choice of career, she felt he might have regretted this. Why else would William have let his children inherit the hotel? He could easily have sold it, as he had done with his other hotels. But he'd wanted the siblings to work together here, so perhaps it was his way of telling them that there were many things he should have done differently. She sensed her bitterness toward her father was starting to diminish. It wasn't as intense any longer. She had to keep in mind that he had wanted her to succeed at the hotel. It was a lot to live up to, but the trust he'd shown by letting her run the hotel meant more than anything to her.

  She heard someone tiptoeing behind her. Kitty was dressed in summery yellow and had King in her arms. She stopped to talk to her.

  "How are you, Miranda?" Kitty looked at her granddaughter, concerned.

  "Much better now that we've settled in the new house. But it'll be good to get the funeral over and done with on Friday. I thought of inviting you home on Saturday. Everyone's excited to see the house."

  "Sounds fabulous. The funeral will be a dreary affair, but everything will be better once it's over." King appeared to agree because he licked his owner's hand vigorously, tail wagging. "See you, Miranda. The beauty parlor awaits us. I'm having an anti-aging facial today."

  Gosh. Did you need anti-aging when you were close to ninety years old? Wasn't that something younger people did to prevent wrinkles and aging? "I could do with a massage myself," Miranda said, joining her. "Not only on my face but the entire body. It feels like I've had several rounds in the dryer."

  "No wonder, considering everything you've had to deal with lately. You have to take care of yourself, Miranda. No one will do it for you."

  "You're right. But it'll have to wait. Now I have to talk to the employees to see if everything's okay."

  Kitty followed a therapist and Miranda went in search of Jasmine. She hadn't seen her sister since the accident. Jasmine had a customer but was nearly done with her nail treatment. Miranda stood aside, waiting for her to finish.

  "Do you have time for a chat?"

  Jasmine nodded toward the break room. "In here."

  Miranda sat on a chair and thought once more how complicated their relationship was. "How are you and the child?"

  Jasmine touched her belly and caressed it tenderly.

  Miranda could spot the growing belly. She'd give a lot to avoid this conversation.

  "The child is fine. We've seen the baby on ultrasound."

  We? Was it her and Hugo she meant or had Vidar accompanied her? "Who do you mean?"

  Apricot-colored roses spread on Jasmine's cheeks. "Hugo followed me to the ultrasound. My condolences, by the way. Such a ghastly accident."

  Miranda nodded. "How do you feel now that Vidar's gone?"

  The apricot color lingered. "I'm happy I didn't tell Hugo about Vidar. There's no reason to say anything now. Hugo will be the father of my child."

  Miranda had difficulty believing what she heard. Could she choose a father, just like that? And deal with fatherhood that
easily? Moreover, it was absurd to let Hugo believe he was the father if he wasn't. Didn't Jasmine have any qualms? Where was her conscience?

  "You're going to let Hugo pay child support until the child is grown-up, in case he's the father?"

  "Vidar's no longer here. I wouldn't dream of letting you pay for his sins, so to speak," Jasmine said.

  Miranda nearly started laughing at this foolishness. "No, I promise you'll never get a coin from me. I've paid enough for both your and his sins to last a lifetime." She stood to leave, unable to bear the sight of her sister a minute longer. "I suggest you're honest for once and tell Hugo the truth."

  ***

  Jasmine stared dumbfoundedly after Miranda as she swiftly disappeared. What did she mean by that? If she said anything, she'd risk losing Hugo. And not just him but the apartment too. Then where would she live with her child? It was simple for Miranda to say, she had a big house. Tears threatened to overflow. She was fed up with her pregnancy hormones. Because the tears weren't due to Vidar's passing away, she knew that much. Getting involved with him had been wrong, as she'd told Miranda previously. But it didn't help in the least. Sometimes it was useless being regretful. All you could do was make the best of the situation. And that was what she was doing now by nursing her relationship with Hugo, which wasn't as passionate as it used to be. She had to work hard to bring them back on track again, but she'd manage now that she could focus solely on Hugo. Everything would turn out fine in the end.