3
ASTRID ARRIVED AT Keflavik airport, waited for her two enormous suitcases, which held all her worldly possessions, and then headed out to the arrivals hall to find the Iceland Adventures transfer. When she saw the big sign that declared “Exit to Iceland”, her heart leapt. She was home.
She scanned the crowd of people, reading the signs some of them were holding until her eyes settled on the one she was looking for.
The person holding it was her sister’s partner, Olafur.
He broke into a grin when he spotted her, and she did the same.
It had been a couple of years since she’d been back, and it was good to see him.
‘Astrid! Good to see you,’ he said, enveloping her in a bear hug.
‘You too. I didn’t think it would be you.’
He shrugged. ‘It’s not every day your almost sister-in-law comes to visit. But it was my shift anyway.’
‘You’re making me feel so special.’
Olafur grinned. ‘Gudrun is working today, but she made me promise I would send you straight to the shop. She should be almost finished by the time you get there.’
‘Okay, that’s fine.’
‘We’re waiting for a group of six, then we can be off. ’
It was only a few minutes before the group of Americans presented themselves, then they all followed Olafur outside to the minibus.
‘Oh, my goodness,’ one woman in the group exclaimed as they stepped outside of the terminal building. ‘The wind is biting!’
They all began pulling up their hoods and zipping their coats while Astrid and Olafur waited.
‘It is chilly today,’ Olafur agreed. ‘The forecast for the next few days is better, but you never know. It can be very changeable.’
‘Sunshine one minute, snowing the next,’ Astrid said.
‘You’re from here? Of course you are. You look like you’re better prepared than any of us.’
‘I’ve been living in Norway for four years, which is not that different weather-wise. Where are you from?’
‘We’re from Texas. It gets cold, but not for very long.’
‘Layers are the key,’ Astrid said as they gave their bags to Olafur to pack into the bus.
‘Thank you. Any other tips?’
Astrid enjoyed the brief journey to Reykjavik, chatting with the group and finding out what their plans were. She felt a little out of touch when they asked for recommendations of places to eat, but Olafur chipped in with some suggestions.
As they drove into Reykjavik, Astrid felt the comfort of the familiar wrap around her.
Yes, some places looked a little different, but mostly everything looked the same.
And she loved that. After the upheaval of the past few weeks, the sadness she’d felt at having to leave Troms?, somewhere she’d grown to love, realising she loved it here just as much was soothing.
It was the longest she’d ever been away for, and until now, she hadn’t realised how much she’d missed it.
Olafur pulled up outside the hotel where the Americans were staying. Astrid climbed out with them and said goodbye, wishing them a great holiday and hugging the woman she’d been talking to for most of the journey.
‘Want me to drop you at the shop? I can take your luggage home.’
‘Okay,’ Astrid agreed. It might be better for Gudrun to be at the house when she first got there. She felt a little awkward about staying there, having not seen Gudrun and Olafur for so long. ‘Thank you.’
‘No problem,’ Olafur said with a grin. ‘Gudrun would be cross if I took you home without her being there to make sure I am welcoming you correctly.’
Astrid laughed. ‘Nothing changes.’ On the surface, Gudrun came across as carefree, but she was meticulous about how things ought to be done.
And it was her way or no way. The great thing was, she was like this while still being a person you could love.
You couldn’t hold it against her because she was such a cheerful person and everyone wanted to please her.
Olafur drove the minibus along Laugavegur, slowly because those were the rules at this time of day.
It was one of the busiest streets in Reykjavik.
Astrid hopped out when he stopped outside the Snug store, standing on the opposite side of the road while she waited for Olafur to move away so she could cross.
When the window came into view, she immediately wanted to go inside.
It was so welcoming, the things in the window so tempting, she almost walked in and took Gudrun up on her original offer of a job.
She didn’t remember it looking like this the last time she’d been here.
But then, it had been in the summer months when everything looked brighter.
Now, in February, they were nearing the end of an Icelandic winter, but the hours of daylight were short.
The way the shop looked today made Astrid want to go inside and snuggle up in the corner of the huge velvet sofa she could see through the window.
That and the soft lighting that beckoned her in with its relaxing, cosy vibes.
She opened the door and went inside. It smelt amazing thanks to the scented candles that were right next to the door.
Her fingers reached out to pick one up before she remembered why she was here.
First things first. As she walked further into the shop, she could hear her sister speaking in English, serving someone at the counter.
Astrid caught her eye and waved, then went back to browsing while Gudrun finished serving her customer.
Once Gudrun had said goodbye to the woman, who left with a bulging bag of goodies, she came running over to Astrid and threw her arms around her.
‘I can’t believe you’re here!’ she said, stepping back, her eyes sparkling.
‘It’s great to be back,’ Astrid said, smiling but never quite able to match Gudrun’s enthusiasm for everything.
‘Did Olafur tell you about the job they might have for you?’
She shook her head. ‘No.’ She didn’t want a pity job or a job taking endless tours of the Golden Circle while trying to sound enthusiastic, even after the hundredth time in eight weeks. ‘Maybe he was giving me a minute to settle in.’
‘Probably,’ said Gudrun, breaking off to greet a new customer. ‘I finish in an hour. Do you fancy getting coffee for us and hanging out here?’
‘Sure. Is Te & Kaffi still your go-to place?’
‘Yes. A cappuccino for me, please,’ Gudrun said before turning to answer a customer who had a question about some pottery.
Astrid listened to her sister embark on a conversation about how the potter used a special clay that contained lava, which was how they produced such interesting colours from the glaze.
If she worked here, she’d never in a million years get to the point of being able to have conversations like that.
It wasn’t in her nature, and sometimes it surprised her how different she and Gudrun were, given that they had the same parents.
It had started snowing, making the coffee shop look cosy and enticing from the outside.
Inside was just as she’d remembered. Gazing at the tempting array of cakes made her stomach rumble, and she realised the last time she’d eaten had been at breakfast. So she ordered two cappuccinos and two cinnamon buns to take away.
It would be a while before they ate this evening.
Gudrun’s customer was just leaving, again, carrying a large Snug bag, and now there was no one else in the shop but the two of them.
‘Come on, let’s sit over here,’ Gudrun said, pulling out two stools from under a kitchen island that was displaying various glassware. She moved a few things to make space for Astrid to put the coffee down.
‘I bought cinnamon buns. I couldn’t resist,’ Astrid said, handing the bag to Gudrun.
‘Oooh, it’s ages since I’ve had one of these. I have to be strict with myself with it being so close. I could easily pop in there every day for breakfast. But since you’ve bought it for me, I can’t say no, can I?’
‘Think of it as a welcome home celebration for me,’ Astrid said.
‘Yes. I think I can use that excuse for the next few days.’
Once Gudrun had closed the shop, they walked along Laugavegur and up the side streets to Gudrun and Olafur’s small house.
It was just as Astrid remembered. Blue with a grey roof, now dusted with snowflakes, and Olafur must have beaten them home because the small windows were glowing in the most inviting way.
‘You still have the fairy lights on,’ said Astrid. It was traditional for Icelanders to decorate outside with lights through the winter months to stave off the darkness of the long nights, but now spring was almost here, it was less common.
‘We have them all year round, except in midsummer,’ said Gudrun.
‘They’re just pretty.’ She shrugged and went up the steps to the front door.
‘Welcome!’ she said as they stepped inside.
The front door opened straight into the sitting room, where Olafur already had a fire blazing in the wood-burning stove.
‘ Hae ! We’re home!’ Gudrun called.
He appeared at the door from the hallway opposite and slung his arm around Gudrun’s shoulders, planting a kiss on the side of her head.
‘Astrid. I have put your cases in the spare room.’
‘It’s not the spare room, it’s the guest room,’ said Gudrun. ‘Come on.’
She led the way into the small hallway, which led to the kitchen, two bedrooms and the bathroom.
‘It’s been decorated since you last stayed here.’
The room had previously been fairly bland.
Olafur’s friends stayed the odd night here and there, and they had never cared what it looked like.
Aside from their friends Anna and Ned, Gudrun and Olafur lived closest to the centre of town out of everyone in their friendship group, so it was a handy place for people to crash if they didn’t want to make a longer journey home.
It was particularly well used in the winter months when the weather was unpredictable and one needed shelter from a snowstorm.
Now, the room was just as cosy and welcoming as the window of the Snug store.
It was painted a dusky pink and had a metal bedstead, which had been painted in a deep teal shade.
All the accessories, of which there were many, were in heathery shades of pink, purple, green and blue and even to Astrid, who didn’t have the first clue about anything to do with decorating, they looked stunning against the walls.
‘It’s gorgeous,’ she said to Gudrun. ‘It has such a warm and cosy feel.’
‘I’m so pleased you like it,’ Gudrun said. ‘You’re the first person to stay in here since it’s been finished. I banned the men from staying over once I knew you were coming.’
‘Thank you,’ Astrid was genuinely touched.
‘I think it’s important that you have somewhere you can feel at home. And you know you can stay here as long as you want.’
‘Oh, Gudrun. That’s so kind, but I’ll try to get my own place as soon as I sort out some work.’
‘If you won’t take a job at Snug, you have to take the room for as long as you need to.’
‘But Olafur might not want a long-term house guest.’
‘You’re not a house guest, you’re family. And Olafur loves having you. He’s pleased I’ll have someone to talk endlessly to that’s not him.’
Astrid hugged her sister.
‘Come through when you’re ready,’ Gudrun said. ‘Olafur’s making pizza.’
Olafur had already brought Astrid’s cases into the bedroom.
She’d been fairly organised, and put everything she’d need for the next few days in one case.
Opening it up, she unpacked it, putting her clothes in the small wardrobe and laying her few toiletries and other bits and pieces on the dresser.
She went to the small window, pausing to watch the snow fall on the tiny garden before she pulled the curtains across.Then she changed into a pair of joggers and her favourite sweatshirt, pulled on a pair of woolly socks and padded through to the kitchen where Olafur was loading one of the pizzas with thin slices of meat. He paused when he saw her .
‘Are you happy with meat on the pizza?’
‘Yes. It looks delicious already,’ Astrid said, her mouth watering.
‘Beer or wine?’ Gudrun asked, opening the fridge and waving a bottle of rosé.
‘I’m guessing the right answer is wine.’ She didn’t mind.
‘Beer for me, please,’ Olafur said.
He put the pizzas in the oven, took the beer from Gudrun and the three of them went into the lounge.
‘ Skál ! Welcome home, Astrid.’
‘ Skál ,’ Astrid said, clinking her glass against Gudrun’s and with Olafur’s bottle of beer. She sat back, snuggled into the sofa, thinking tonight was a pretty good start to whatever she did next.