24
Nora didn’t return to filming that day. Fortunately both Hassan and Emil were working, so she could stay away completely. The accountant had told her that wages took priority when a business went bankrupt, so she felt comfortable calling them in. She messaged Elnaz and explained that she needed a break from filming, which no doubt made her very unpopular. Maybe they could film a few scenes with Henrik on his own; it was his show after all. And she would be spending the whole evening putting up decorations, so she would be making her contribution.
She spent the rest of the day doing housework, then took a trip to the liquor store. She browsed the shelves with the evening in mind, and picked up a bottle of ordinary mulled wine and a bottle of that year’s special—Forest, with a hint of pine needles and birch resin—which sounded okay. She added a bottle of red for when the sweet taste of the mulled wine got to be a bit too much. She’d sent a message about the change of plan to the girls, and to her surprise both Bea and Maryam were free.
She continued on to the grocery store and bought two blue cheeses to go with the gingerbread cookies, plus a bottle of alcohol-free mulled wine in case any of her friends were pregnant again.
When she got back to her street, she saw two men with a cherry picker hanging up Christmas decorations. Farther along, the lights were already on. Thick fir garlands adorned with red silk ribbon and tiny lights were draped between the buildings, with a gold-colored bell in the center. She put down her bags by the door leading up to her apartment and quickly checked on the patisserie. The production team seemed to have left, but Emil and Hassan were busy serving a long line of customers.
As she walked into her apartment, her phone pinged with a message.
Sorry, but I’ve been called into work this evening—it sucks! I don’t suppose you can postpone? It’s our tradition! Bea wrote.
A second later she received a message from Maryam. Arvid has picked up some kind of bug and Stefan has it too. So sorry but won’t make it. Please can we do it another day?
Nora felt deflated. Then she took a deep breath; she’d coped with far worse.
No problem. I’d love to postpone, but in TV world it’s Christmas tomorrow. I’ll pour myself some wine and get those decorations up in record time! she replied.
Take the bottle I gave you , Tess wrote.
I drank that weeks ago , Nora answered with a dancing emoji.
She grabbed the cheeses, one bottle of mulled wine, and the bottle of red and went downstairs. When she walked into the café, Emil’s face lit up. “We’ve had a fantastic day—it might be a record! And this place looks amazing!”
“Brilliant renovation,” Hassan said as he swept beneath the tables and chairs.
“It’s great, isn’t it?” Nora agreed.
“And the new rolls are a hit—we sold out in no time.”
The boys helped Nora carry the boxes of decorations into the café. Then she checked the day’s take.
“Best day of the year,” she said with a big smile. “Well done, both of you.”
After the boys left, she locked the door, poured some mulled wine into a pan, and gently warmed it. She put some gingerbread cookies on a plate, the cheeses on another, then carried everything through to the café.
She put on her favorite Christmas playlist and got to work untangling lights and extension cords.
She put a piece of creamy blue cheese on a cookie, popped it in her mouth, and closed her eyes. It reminded her of her mother and that last Christmas. She hadn’t been able to eat much by that stage, but Nora had taken this very same cheese and gingerbread cookies to her mother in hospice. Nora had spent those final days keeping vigil. When her mother seemed to be listening, Nora had reminisced about Christmases past. One evening when her mother was sleeping, Nora had felt a surge of rage. She was suddenly furious that her mother wasn’t going to be around anymore. Angry that she was going to be left behind. The same feeling overwhelmed her again as she sat in the newly renovated café, but this time her anger was tempered with grief.
“It’s all so empty, Mom,” she said out loud.
Her eyes filled with tears. Tommy K?rberg and Sissel Kyrkjeb? sang Christmas Is Here , and she let the tears flow. She wiped her eyes, but the tears kept on coming. She’d loved this song ever since she was a little girl. It reminded her of the sense of anticipation she had experienced back then and the wonderful sense of security that her mom and dad gave her. Why had it all been taken away?