Chapter 30
Three months later
As it did every year, the first snow fell in Voss in October, at first covering the tops of the mountains and then, as it grew more persistent and the temperature dropped, the whole town.
Mats’ proclamation in the summer that they should all go to Voss after the first snow, like they’d done as a family so many times, became a plan that everyone was working towards.
‘I don’t want to leave my house behind,’ Ida said to Erik the day before they were due to leave. ‘It’s so perfect I never want to stay anywhere else.’
Ida had been living in her house since she’d picked up the keys two months ago.
She and Erik had worked on it solidly, with some help from Mats, and it had finally been completed two weeks ago.
After a week of painting, they’d declared it finished, which is why Ida was reluctant to leave for Voss when she’d only just started enjoying living there, now that it was dust-free and cosy.
They were sitting on the sofa in a nest of blankets and cushions, drinking hot chocolate and watching the flames of the fire through the glass door of the cast-iron stove.
A few trolls from the collection she’d rescued from the farmhouse on the island were lined up on a shelf above the front door that Erik had fitted specially, overlooking anyone who set foot in the house.
Like weird little security guards. Aside from the troll she’d left in the house as her lucky charm, the rest of the trolls were still packed in a box in the garage of the house in Loddefjord because, as much as she loved them, she didn’t want them filling her perfect little house.
‘I’m going without you then,’ Erik said.
‘You wouldn’t.’
‘I’m ready for the snow, baby!’
Ida laughed. He never called her baby, and she wasn’t sure she wanted him to start now. ‘It won’t be the same as snowboarding, you know.’
He shrugged and grinned at her. ‘It’ll be awesome, and you know it.’
She was happy he was looking forward to it.
He’d been building himself up to the idea of skiing over the past couple of months.
His leg had steadily continued to improve, and Ida knew having a go at skiing meant more to him than he was letting on.
It was a way of reclaiming that part of his life, being at peace with what he couldn’t do anymore by doing something different but related.
‘I think I’ll be the cabin cook and cleaner, like I always am. And that’s fine.’
‘But I have a vision of us gliding through the snow side-by-side. You don’t want to do that?’
‘Maybe once, but that’s all. It’s going to be annoying skiing with a beginner.’
He laughed. ‘I am no beginner. I have a natural affinity for snow sports, don’t forget.’
Ida shook her head. ‘Cross-country is a different set of skills to throwing yourself down a mountain. I know you think you’ll be good at it, but we’ll see.’
‘We will.’
The following day, it was grey and raining, which was very common in Bergen at this time of year. They’d packed the night before so they caught the bus to the train station. Fredrik was driving Mats, Lotta and Emil.
Erik loved the train ride, and Ida knew that climbing through the mountains from Bergen to Voss now that the weather had turned more wintry would be spectacular, the snow gradually appearing as the altitude increased.
And it was nice to spend some quiet time together before there was no chance to exchange a word between them once the Larsens were together.
The whole family was excited. It had been a few months since they’d got together on the island to celebrate the opening, and Thea hadn’t been able to make it then, so it was the first time they’d all been together since two Christmases ago.
‘It’ll be great to finally meet Ingrid,’ Erik said once they were settled on the train.
‘She’s very excited about meeting you. She knew about you before anyone else.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘That day when you invited me out and we went to the fish restaurant, I called her to find out what to wear.’
‘You did?’
‘My brain stopped working and I just couldn’t think straight.’
‘I can understand that. I have that effect on women.’
‘It was only because I hadn’t been out for a meal with anyone other than the family for a long time. I didn’t want to let myself down. It had nothing to do with you.’
He smiled and squeezed her leg. ‘It’s okay if you want to think that.’
If Erik had been Mats or Fredrik, her reaction would have been very different.
Erik smoothed her edges, and she felt more at ease with him than she did with anyone else in the world, apart from Emil.
She didn’t need to think of a smart comeback to hide the way she felt.
Erik knew she’d fallen for him the first time he’d set foot on Lysg?rden, and she knew it had been the same for him.
They loved talking about that moment, that whole couple of weeks when both of them had found parts of themselves they had thought were gone forever.
Because that was how they found themselves here, on this train, slowly becoming part of each other’s lives.
‘Hey, look.’ Erik was peering out of the window.
The train had stopped at a station called Finse, not too far from Voss, where there was an old hotel right next to the platform.
The snow was deep enough that there were people on skis as if that were the only way to get around, which Ida suspected it wasn’t, but at this time of year everyone was excited to get on their skis again.
Before the long winter ground everyone down.
‘I’ve always loved how this hotel looks in the snow,’ said Ida. ‘It could be from a movie.’
‘It’s very pretty. Reminds me of the old ski lodges we have at home, but smaller.’
‘Have you decided what to do about Christmas?’
They’d talked briefly about it before, but Ida felt a decision ought to be made.
‘I’m going to have to go back. I can’t not be at home for the holidays. And I can spend some time in Banff clearing my place out, ready to sell. Would you think about coming with me?’
He’d never asked her that before, and Ida had assumed it was because he wanted to catch up with his parents by himself. Such a lot had changed for him in a short space of time; it was understandable. So she had no expectation of joining him. Even though she badly wanted to share Christmas with him.
‘Would your parents be okay with that? They might want you to themselves.’
‘They’re going to love you, Ida. I think they’ll want you to themselves. You’re gonna have to brace yourself for seeing a lot of pictures of me as a kid. And hearing a lot of stories about how amazing I am,’ he laughed.
‘That sounds good to me. I can tell them how grumpy you were when we first met.’
‘Nothing they haven’t been on the end of themselves. Man, it’s incredible to me that I could be such an asshole and still end up with you.’
The train had resumed its climb through the mountains. Erik gazed out of the window, unable to tear his eyes away from the ever-changing landscape, while Ida rested her head on his shoulder and mindfully enjoyed the quiet before they arrived.
‘I feel like we should have brought skis with us,’ Erik said when they stepped off the train. The change in temperature was noticeable, but they were well prepared with winter coats and boots. People were carrying skis, and some were skiing from the platform out into the town.
‘It’s mostly uphill to the cabin, remember? That’s a brutal start to the weekend, even for someone with a natural ability like you.’
He gave her a good-humoured raise of the eyebrows. ‘I can’t wait to show you what I can do. You’re gonna eat your words, Ida Larsen.’
They walked up to the cabin. It felt like a much longer walk than it had in the summer, although Ida had done it countless times before.
‘Ready?’ she asked him when their cabin, the windows glowing with a welcoming light, came into view.
Thea had been here for a few days already since she was off work for a couple of weeks.
She’d found a tiny flat in Bergen near the quay her ship sailed from, but it really was tiny, so she was still spending time in Voss when she wanted a change of scenery.
‘Always.’ He took her hand, and she thought how wonderful it felt to be doing this with someone instead of always being the single person.
Always being the one in charge, the sensible one holding the family together.
She knew she’d made that role for herself in the past few years to compensate for the lack of fulfilment the rest of her life gave her.
And in her darkest moments, she’d thought her future might be nothing more than that.
The legacy that Mats had picked up and run with, despite the misgivings of Ida herself and the rest of the family, had genuinely changed her life.
So now, she led the way up to the front door of the cabin, with Erik at her side. Part of something aside from being the eldest sister of the Larsen family. And it felt amazing.
‘Ida!’ Ingrid squealed and threw herself at her sister. She was dressed all in cream, looking cosy and relaxed already, even though she couldn’t have arrived much before them.
‘Ingrid,’ Ida said fondly, giving her youngest sister another hug. ‘I’ve missed you.’
They took a moment to assess each other before Ingrid’s eyes landed on Erik.
‘You must be Erik.’ Ingrid smiled at him before her eyes flicked to Ida with an almost imperceptible look of approval.
‘Great to meet you, Ingrid,’ said Erik.
‘Mats and Fredrik aren’t here yet, then?’ Ida knew the answer because Emil would have made his presence known by now if he knew Erik was in the building.
‘Fred had something to do for work before they could leave. Mats texted to say they’ll be another hour or so,’ Thea said.
‘In that case, let’s get settled in and open a bottle of wine before the peace is shattered,’ said Ida.
‘Already started.’ Ingrid settled herself back on the sofa, looking as if she were in a photoshoot for the magazine she worked for.