Page 57 of Entwined in Norway

‘You don’t need to leave, Erik,’ Thea said, her eyes pleading with him to stay.

‘He won’t save you from having to tell me what’s going on.’

Thea rolled her eyes and took a slug of wine.

‘I’ll see you later,’ Erik said, blowing her a kiss only she could see before he left.

‘Why did you move to Bergen? I thought you loved Tromsø.’ Ida sensed that whatever the reason was the start of the story.

‘I had to move to a different boat. Me and Henrik broke up.’

‘Oh, I’m so sorry.’ Thea and Henrik met when they were both working on the post boats, the ferries that served the coastal towns of Norway between Bergen and Tromsø. They were originally literally boats to deliver post to small towns but had evolved to be a passenger ferry as well as a tourist cruise.

‘It’s okay,’ Thea said, although it clearly wasn’t.

‘Why did you have to be the one to uproot yourself?’

‘He’s the captain, Ida. No one’s taking my side over his and he didn’t want me on his boat anymore.’

‘That seems harsh. What happened?’

‘He met someone else.’

Ida’s indignation on her sister’s behalf grew to at least twice the size on hearing that.

‘That makes it worse! He was the one in the wrong and you’re the one having to live with the consequences.’

‘I know.’

‘But I still don’t understand why you didn’t come home?’

Thea looked sheepish, as if she couldn’t say the real reason out loud.

‘There are too many memories,’ Ida said for her. ‘I know. I think that’s why Ingrid’s hardly been back.’

‘I think Ingrid’s just busy living in Oslo.’

‘Have you spoken to any of the others about this?’

‘No. What am I supposed to say? I don’t want to come back there, Ida. It’s too sad.’

Ida bit her tongue. She would love to be in the position of being able to ignore all these sad things that her siblings could avoid because they knew she was there picking up the slack for all of them. But that wasn’t Thea’s fault.

‘We’re going to sell the house. I’ve spoken to Mats and Fredrik about it. It’s the right time.’

‘Really? I feel bad for being relieved about that.’

‘Don’t. Things are hard enough without making yourself feel guilty about anything.’

‘I’m sorry I’ve ruined your sex holiday.’

Ida almost choked on her wine. ‘It’s not a sex holiday!’

‘If it isn’t, it should be. He’s fit.’

Ida grinned. ‘I know. I can’t believe it’s happened.’

‘You two look good together. How long has it been?’