Still, four years since he’s held his mother.
Does she resent him for that? She did move all the way to Oslo. But before that, Jonah moved to Alaska.
It’s been one year since I last saw my mother, and almost every time we speak she likes to remind me that I chose to move thousands of miles away.
“I brought a bunch of wood in for the fire and there’s more on the side, but the Toyostove will keep you guys warm through the night,” Jonah explains, heading for the woodstove. He lit it before he left for the airport, but only hot embers glow now, the log long since burned.
“It’s toasty in here.” Astrid rubs her hands together, contradicting her words. “I forgot how cold it gets in Alaska. It was raining when we left Oslo.”
“It’s been colder than usual.” And the news is forecasting a bitter front trailing in behind the coming storm. “I’ve stocked the fridge with everything I thought you might need, but if there’s anything else, just let us know. There are plenty of blankets and towels and pillows. Everything.”
“I’m sure we’ll be fine, Calla. Don’t worry yourself.”
“And let me know what you think about the bed.” I plan on listing the cabin on the rental site in January for weekend renters looking for a winter escape. Astrid and Björn are our guinea pigs.
“For what she paid, that mattress better come with servants that tuck you in at night and sing you lullabies,” Jonah grumbles, earning my exasperated eye roll.
Astrid chuckles. “I don’t think we’ll need any lullabies tonight. I’m half-asleep already.”
The toilet flushes and after a brief rush of the tap water, Björn emerges from the bathroom. “It feels like a coffin in there. How long have we been banished out here? The whole two weeks?”
Astrid rhymes off something in Norwegian that sounds musical but coupled with her sharp glare is clearly an admonishment. She switches back to English to say, “It’s fine. It’s perfect for us. Ignore him. He’s old and grumpy and doesn’t like to leave home.”
Jonah stoops to tuck a log into the woodstove, muttering, “He should have stayed there, then.”
“So, not only do you make your mother fly halfway across the world if she wants to see you, but now you want her to do it alone?” Björn snipes back.
“If you’re going to complain for the next two weeks, then yeah. And she’s more than capable of traveling on her own. She doesn’t need you.”
Björn stabs the air with his index finger. “If you knew what—”
“Enough!” Astrid’s hands raise in the air, her brow pinched with strain. “Don’t start already. Please. It’s been a very long day.”
I loop my arms around Jonah’s biceps and gently guide him toward the door. “We’ll let you get settled.” Though, from the sounds of it, I’m not sure Björn will be comfortable here. That’s a bit of a pinprick to my bubble of enthusiasm over this cabin’s completion.
Astrid dips her head to me. “Calla, thank you so much for making all these efforts for our comfort. Everything is perfect. We’ll see you in the morning.”
“Come over whenever you’re up. The door’ll be unlocked.” Jonah dangles the key to the pickup truck before hanging it on the wall hook. “It’s all gassed up. I’ll plug in the block heater on our way out. Don’t forget to unplug it.”
Astrid smiles. “Oh, I forgot about those days.”
I remember as we reach the door. “Oh! If you happen to see two big dogs that look like wolves running around, don’t panic. They’re harmless.”
Björn’s bushy gray eyebrows arch. “Are they wolves or are they dogs?”
“A bit of both, probably, but the official answer is malamute.” That’s Roy’s bullshit answer, to keep the gossip at bay and officers off his back.
Björn nods slowly. “I’ve always liked malamutes.”
“There’s actually something he does like,” Jonah mutters under his breath.
I herd him out with a hand on his back before he can spark another argument.
Chapter Three
“It is really small, but I didn’t have a lot to work with. Do you think renters will mind?”
“People aren’t gonna rent that place so they can hang out in the bathroom.” Jonah’s words are garbled thanks to the toothbrush in his mouth.