Page 5 of Entwined in Norway

Ida knew they’d been looking at houses, and for Lotta to be telling her this, it meant they’d found one they liked. That Lotta was telling her and not Mats also spoke volumes.

‘And you liked it?’

‘It was perfect. Close to the city, close to the water, and close to here. It ticked all the boxes.’

‘That’s great news.’

It was great. For them. For Ida, it meant she’d be living in the house alone again, and after losing her sanctuary on the island, because now it had happened once, that room felt lost to her, it felt like a blow.

‘You know we could think about selling this place,’ she said to Lotta. ‘I know it’ll be a stretch for you and Mats to get a place of your own. His share of the money from selling this would help.’

‘He doesn’t want you to do that unless you’re ready. You shouldn’t do it for us if it’s not the right time for you.’

When would be the right time? Since their parents died, none of her brothers and sisters had talked about selling the house. It was as if even discussing it would mean the end of something that had already ended. Nothing was going to be the same again and keeping the house wouldn’t change that. They all had their own lives now; she was the only one stuck here, and it wasn’t fair for her to be the one keeping them all from moving on.

At least having her new job on the island meant that she’d finally started to move on and had some distance between her and the house. More than she’d had for years, and she knew she didn’t need that to be her home anymore. But also, it was her home in a way that it wasn’t for any of the others. Perhaps she’d have to start house hunting like Mats and Lotta.

Ida sipped her wine, looking out over the fjord. It was impossible to sit here and not be mesmerised by the water.

‘I think it’s the right time,’ she said. ‘Being on the island for a while… I didn’t miss this place.’ She didn’t tell Lotta that being back here today felt like she was being dragged back down to the place she’d been after her father died when, after years of caring for her parents, she suddenly had nothing to do. Thank goodness for Emil.

Mats came to join them before Ida could say anything else.

‘I told Ida about the house,’ Lotta said, bringing Mats up to speed.

‘It’s early days. We might not get it.’

She knew Mats said that for her benefit, to lessen the blow.

‘I was saying to Lotta, we ought to sell this place.’

She could see the surprise in her brother’s eyes. And she could see that he wanted to say something to her, but didn’t know how.

‘We should talk to the others before we decide anything,’ he said.

She nodded. ‘Come on then, pour yourself a glass of wine. We’re celebrating.’

By the time Fredrik arrived just before nine o’clock, the bottle of wine had gone.

‘You didn’t save me a glass,’ he said, making a sad face as he came to join them on the terrace, having nipped upstairs to check on Emil.

‘It’s not our only bottle of wine,’ Mats said. ‘Fetch another.’

Fredrik did as he was told, opening it before he came back outside. ‘Are we celebrating or something?’

‘We’ve got full occupancy tomorrow night,’ said Ida. ‘And Mats and Lotta have found a house.’

‘Double celebration! Just as well I’m staying here tonight,’ Fredrik said, sloshing a decent amount of wine into a glass for himself.

‘If we sell the house, I’ll have to make sure I have space at my new place for you and Emil,’ Ida said.

‘We’re selling the house?’ Fredrik frowned and looked at Mats. ‘I thought we agreed we’d wait.’

‘What are we waiting for?’ Ida said, knowing that the answer was that they were waiting for her. And she loved them for that. ‘I know you’re keeping hold of it for me. And until I stayed on the island for these past few weeks, I didn’t think I wanted to move out, but now I feel differently about it.’

‘It’s a big decision, though,’ Lotta said. ‘There’s no rush.’

Ida was grateful to all of them for not pushing her to decide. But perhaps if they had, if they’d all discussed this a couple of years ago, she might have moved on by now.