Chapter 4 #2
At the top of the house was Ada’s room and a toilet.
As Milly walked in, she could feel Ada’s energy as if it had soaked into the walls and knew instantly she’d feel at home here.
A large double bed took up most of the space, covered in several rows of scatter cushions, but there was also shelving, a chest of drawers and a wardrobe.
Milly walked through, loving the pale cream walls and light blue bedding.
It felt light and airy and smelled of cherry from the candles she’d been burning.
From the large window Milly looked out over the city, taking in the skyline: the mix of old and new.
Terracotta roofs, bright red in the afternoon sunlight, and modern glass skyscrapers dominated, but there were also verdigris towers and spires of old churches adding even more height.
Bushy-leafed trees like giant brushstrokes of green were everywhere.
Sometimes it was impossible to see the water, the canals hidden by the tall buildings, but then, if she looked close enough, there’d be flashes of them, as though they were playing peek-a-boo.
‘Do you like it?’ Ada asked tentatively.
‘I love it,’ Milly replied, almost breathless as she took in the picturesque scene. ‘And when did you get so tidy? Before you moved here you were the messiest person I ever met in my life.’
‘It’s part of the hygge lifestyle. I take care of everything now. My life and my time and my energy are precious.’ Ada fell onto her bed, pulling a cushion under her neck. ‘Now, we better get your case up here, and then go shopping before we have dinner.’
Milly laughed. ‘I didn’t know it was pronounced hoo-gah, and I thought it was all about cosiness and thriftiness.’
‘No. It’s all about living a happy, contented, well-balanced life, prioritising wellbeing, whatever that looks like.
’ She leapt up again as though she had too much energy to sit still.
‘And for some people – people like me – wellbeing means shopping before I spend the next three months with Arctic foxes. So let’s go!
We’ve got a lot to talk about while we do.
I need to know how you are about Tom and what your mum said and—’
Milly made a groaning noise and Ada stilled.
‘Wait!’ Seeing the look on Milly’s face, she gasped, pressing her hands to her face. ‘You didn’t tell her, did you?’
‘Umm … Not yet, no.’
‘Milly!’
‘I will, I promise. Later today. This evening. After dinner. I just … I’ve been busy!’
‘Your mum’s going to freak out.’
‘I know but I thought if I told her before I left she’d try and talk me out of it.’
‘She does mean well.’
‘I know, I know.’ Milly flopped onto the end of the bed. ‘I know she means well. I promise I’ll call her tonight.’
Ada smiled. ‘You’re terrible – you know that?’
‘I do. But maybe being here will fix me.’
‘We can but try.’
They both laughed as they headed out again, towards the streets of N?rrebro, which Ada assured her was the coolest shopping district in all of Copenhagen. As they looked around clothing boutiques and cute shops selling home and glassware, Ada didn’t waste any time in asking the hard questions.
‘So,’ she said, holding out a white floaty skirt that was super pretty, but probably not much good in the Arctic. ‘How do you feel about Tom?’
‘I don’t know really. I feel … guilty.’
‘Guilty? Why should you feel guilty? He’s the one who cheated. Total creep.’
Milly studied an oversized T-shirt with something in Danish written on it.
‘I guess I feel guilty I’m not more upset.
I cried for a bit, but even then I wasn’t really sad about him, more that everything was changing and that he’d betrayed my trust. Then when I started sorting out the sabbatical, I don’t know, I just …
I guess any actual heartbreak faded quicker than I thought it would.
Don’t get me wrong, the humiliation and anger are still there.
Very strongly. I get hot just thinking about what everyone’s saying and how he’s made a fool out of me – but upset … not so much. Maybe I’m just in denial.’
‘Or maybe you weren’t as into the whole relationship anymore. You’d been together for years and you hadn’t seemed that loved-up for a while.’
‘Do you think so?’
Ada nodded.
Milly put the T-shirt back. Until she was sure what it said she wasn’t buying anything. She’d been caught out that way before on a girls’ trip to Turkey. ‘Why didn’t you say anything?’
‘I guess there was never a good time. When we get chatting, we talk about so much I nearly always forget what I actually need to talk to you about.’
Milly giggled. ‘Yeah you do.’ She picked up another top, studying it, trying to look nonchalant. ‘So, tell me about Theo. Is he always this rude?’
‘Honestly, no! I’ve never seen him like that with anyone.
He’s normally so chilled out he’s virtually horizontal.
It must just be you.’ She gave a cheeky grin, which Milly ignored.
‘Theo’s okay, trust me. If he wasn’t, I wouldn’t be living with him.
And I don’t just live with him because he’s one of the most gorgeous men I’ve ever seen. ’
‘Is he? I hadn’t noticed.’
The two women looked at each other and burst into giggles.
‘So,’ Milly said, ‘as my love life is a disaster, tell me yours is going better?’
‘It isn’t. Not yet. But if there’s ever anyone, I’ll tell you. But honestly, Theo is a really nice guy.’
‘You’re still not regretting investing in the café then?’ Milly asked tentatively.
‘Definitely not. I know we could be busier, but Theo’s so passionate about what he does, and he needed some financial support.
He didn’t even ask me actually. We were talking about it, and I offered.
He refused, like, ten times before I finally convinced him.
The money would just be sitting in my bank earning little interest, whereas I could actually do some good with it. ’
Milly lifted her head. She wasn’t sure Ada had told her that before. If she had, she’d forgotten. All she’d known was her friend was making a quick decision to invest in a café with someone she’d hadn’t known very long.
‘Do you have some financials I can look at? It would really help me understand the state of the business.’
‘Theo takes care of all that on a day-to-day basis, because I’m more of a silent partner, what with my own job being so busy, but I can send you the topline updates he’s sent me. Right, a couple more shops then we’ll grab some food and go back for dinner. I’m cooking, which means you are too.’
‘Great!’ Milly replied, her tone flat. ‘My favourite activity.’ Cooking absolutely wasn’t one of Milly’s strong points. She could make basic family staples but if she could get away with not cooking, she absolutely would.
‘Cooking’s different in Denmark.’
‘Really? You keep saying that about everything here and I’m not buying it for a second.’
‘You’ll see!’
Soon they were back at the canal house, making Danish meatballs in a rich creamy sauce, with boiled potatoes and pickled cucumber.
The pickled cucumber she wasn’t one hundred per cent on board with, but she’d give it a try.
The meatballs on the other hand were going to be delicious, though Milly’s eyes were currently watering as she grated onion ready to add to the meat mixture.
‘Is this really necessary?’ she asked as she wiped her cheek with the back of her hand.
‘Definitely. You don’t want massive pieces of onion in your meatballs, do you?’
‘Right now I don’t think I’d care.’
Ada giggled. ‘You’re nearly done.’
She was busy finding a jar of homemade pickled cucumbers that she and Theo had made the year before.
After straining the excess water, Milly added the grated onion to the mixer and thoroughly washed her hands before looking at the damage to her make-up in the mirror. ‘I look like I’ve been to a funeral!’
The front door opened, and Theo walked in. Milly quickly lifted off her glasses and wiped under her eyes, attempting to remove the remnants of mascara collecting there. As he walked into the kitchen, he stared at her, then Ada.
‘What’s happened? Is everything all right?’
‘Everything’s fine,’ Ada answered. ‘She was grating onions for the meatballs.’
That lopsided smile appeared again and Milly, who was already surprised by his concern, felt her breath hitch in her throat.
Why did he have to be so handsome? It was just …
rude. ‘I’m fine,’ she said, giving the underneath of her eye one more quick swipe.
She’d never really suited the smoky eye/messy make-up look. It didn’t really go with glasses.
‘What are you doing here anyway?’ Ada asked. ‘You’re not normally back for ages.’
‘I thought I would as we have a new house guest. It seemed like the polite thing to do. I’ll have to go in extra early tomorrow though to prep for the day. Can I do anything to help?’
Ada shook her head. ‘No, you’ve been on your feet all day. Sit and have some wine.’
Milly did the same, but her mind was buzzing.
People really were far more considerate here, it seemed.
Ada had always been kind and a great friend, but there was just an atmosphere of care and consideration, of looking after each other, and it was clear Ada had found a place she felt truly at home, which chimed with what she’d been looking for back in the UK.
As she delivered the wine, Theo rubbed his eyes and sighed.
‘Not a good day?’ Milly asked.
‘It didn’t get busy?’ Ada added.
‘No. Everyone else was full and I stayed open with zero customers, looking stupid.’ He pushed the heel of his hand into his temple.
‘I’m sorry,’ Milly said, seeing how much it genuinely upset him.
She couldn’t imagine what it was like starting a business and then watching it not succeed.
The only thing she could liken it to was her work as a content creator, but she didn’t get paid for that and as it had started out as a hobby, the stakes hadn’t been very high.
She’d still be disappointed if she lost her wonderful community though, it must be so much worse for Theo.