31. Carina
THIRTY-ONE
CARINA
Yesterday was an emotionally exhausting day.
Thankfully, we only have one thing on the agenda today—the Fisherman’s Memorial Service.
I’ve been to the memorial more times than I can count to honor my uncle.
His memory is kept alive through stories I’ve heard from my parents and Norma.
Today, they’ll all be there with my younger sisters to pay tribute to Jakob and the many others who’ve been lost to the ocean.
Stretching my arms toward the headboard, I turn my head to find Henrik’s spot is empty. Reaching over to lay my hand on the sheet, it still feels warm. He couldn’t have gone far. “Henrik,” I call out.
A few minutes later, he appears in the doorway, carrying a plate and a cup of coffee.
Holy hell. He’s clothed only in his boxer briefs that hug tight to his impressive thighs.
“Good morning, gorgeous.” His deep voice rumbles in the air.
Be still my heart. I feel my cheeks grow hot.
I don’t know why I still blush at his greeting.
He’s been saying the same thing for months.
I’ve never felt more seen, special, or loved by anyone.
“Morning.” I sigh.
He struts over to the bed and sets the coffee on the nightstand. “I brought you breakfast. I know today might be tough, especially after yesterday, and I wanted to start you off with something filling.”
He holds out a plate to me. A perfect, fluffy vegetable omelet, hash browns, and buttered toast cover it. My stomach growls, and he smirks. “I thought you’d be hungry. You worked up an appetite last night.”
Smiling, I say, “This looks amazing. I hope you also made yourself a plate.” With his hands on his hips, he gives me a challenging look, but I mirror it. A deep laugh falls from his kissable lips. “I wanted to deliver yours first and see if you needed anything else.”
Scanning the food on the plate, I can only think of two things that would make it even more delicious. “Could you bring some ketchup and your mom’s jam?”
“Ketchup? For what?” His face contorts in disgust, but I know he’ll still grab the offending item for me.
“Didn’t your mom ever teach you not to judge something before you tried it?”
He breathes out an exaggerated sigh, then leaves the room. He returns minutes later with his plate, his mom’s jam, and the ketchup. Holding it out, he asks, “So, what do you eat the ketchup on? Please say the hash browns, because they’re potatoes and that at least makes a little sense.”
I shrug and reach for the bottle, squirt it on the hash browns, and look up.
His shoulders drop and a sense of relief washes over his handsome face.
I smile and move the bottle over my omelet and drizzle a small amount over the top.
Henrik doesn’t use any words, but the loud gagging sound tells me everything I need to know.
Lifting my fork to my mouth, I savor the perfect omelet.
“This is delicious. Would you like to try a bite?”
The speed at which he shakes his head makes me laugh. “Come on, Henrik, it’s good. I understand not everyone would like it, but maybe think of it like I garnished my omelet with tomatoes.”
He frowns. “I’ll pass.” Then he looks back at my plate. “Please tell me my mom’s jam is only for your toast.”
I bark out a laugh, and nod.
About halfway through our quiet breakfast, Henrik clears his throat. “Did you want to talk about yesterday and what happened?”
I look down at my plate. I’m not usually concerned with how others see me grieve, but Henrik is different.
Since our first conversation, he’s been able to detect my subtle mood changes.
This is both unsettling and reassuring. Unsettling because when I expose my vulnerabilities, there’s always a chance to get hurt.
And I don’t think I’d handle it very well if Henrik hurt me.
It’s reassuring because, so far, Henrik has been a godsend.
He’s seen the holes and gaps in my protective armor and instead of trying to figure out the best way to get in by force, he shows me repeatedly that I can trust him with my fragile heart.
“Okay,” I whisper.
His warm hand covers mine. “I don’t want to force you to share something if you don’t want to. I’m just trying to understand so I can be more thoughtful and considerate about the pain you’ve experienced. I want to protect you from more pain, not cause it.”
My gaze meets his, and I see his eyes are filled with love.
I sigh. “Until yesterday, I didn’t realize how much energy I was exerting to pretend I was all right.
But no matter how hard I tried to be strong, I failed miserably.
You saw through my forced looks and tight words.
Not only did you recognize my discomfort, but you identified the reason and removed it.
” My heart swells with love. He’s seen all my warts and scars.
And he continues to stand steadily by me, giving me encouragement, support, and love.
He squeezes my hand before rising from his chair. “I have something for you.” He hands me a familiar-looking envelope, and I smile, knowing what’s likely inside. Pulling it open, I see a gorgeous piece of cobalt sea glass inside with another note. Removing it, read the words he’s penned for me.
We’re weathered and worn, shaped by our trials, but like sea glass, we’re beautifully resilient.
I love you, Carina.
~Henrik
My eyes fill with tears as I reread the notecard. Sniffling, I say, “These sayings are so beautiful, and they mean so much to me.”
“They aren’t just sayings, Carina. Yes, I found some sea glass quotes, and they inspired me to create my own. To show you how incredibly beautiful you are inside and out.”
I wipe my tears away and leave my spot for his lap. Wrapped in his muscular arms, there’s no place I’d rather be. Leaning my head against his chest, I say, “I love you so much.”
Hours later, we arrive at the memorial service early, and I see my parents and sisters. It’s then that it occurs to me that my family hasn’t met Henrik yet. As we approach them, I squeeze his hand. “Can I introduce you to my family?”
He nods. “I’d really like that.”
Glancing at my sisters, I see their cheeks are pink as they whisper to one another. “Mom. Dad. I want to introduce you to Henrik Berg. Henrik, this is my mom, Emma, and my dad, Jansen. Those are my little sisters, Ebbie, Kindra, and Aloisa.”
Henrik extends his hand to my father. “Sir, it’s nice to meet you. I’ve seen you around the docks plenty of times. It’s nice to put a name to the face.”
My dad laughs. “I agree. I’ve seen you too, but that makes sense, since both our jobs involve the harbor.” Henrik smiles and then looks at my mom. “It’s good to meet you too.”
“It’s so nice to finally meet the man who has stolen our Carina’s heart,” my mom says. Then she turns to me. “We should have you two over for dinner before you head out for the survey.”
Before I can reply, Henrik jumps in. “We’d love to.” My mom’s smile is a dead giveaway. She’s already smitten with my boyfriend.
My dad touches my mom’s arm. “Honey, it looks like they’re starting soon.
We better grab our seats.” Then he turns to Henrik and me.
“It was good to see you, Care Bear. And, Henrik, it was nice to meet you. We’re looking forward to having dinner with you soon.
” Henrik and I both wave as they head off to the other side of the seating area to sit next to some old family friends.
We see Eirik, his parents, Mia, Edgar, and Mr. and Mrs. Berg nearby, and say hi to them before we find our own seats and the service begins.