Olafur grinned. ‘Gudrun is working today, but she made me promise I would send you straight to the shop. She should be almost finished by the time you get there.’
‘Okay, that’s fine.’
‘We’re waiting for a group of six, then we can be off.’
It was only a few minutes before the group of Americans presented themselves, then they all followed Olafur outside to the minibus.
‘Oh, my goodness,’ one woman in the group exclaimed as they stepped outside of the terminal building. ‘The wind is biting!’
They all began pulling up their hoods and zipping their coats while Astrid and Olafur waited.
‘It is chilly today,’ Olafur agreed. ‘The forecast for the next few days is better, but you never know. It can be very changeable.’
‘Sunshine one minute, snowing the next,’ Astrid said.
‘You’re from here? Of course you are. You look like you’re better prepared than any of us.’
‘I’ve been living in Norway for four years, which is not that different weather-wise. Where are you from?’
‘We’re from Texas. It gets cold, but not for very long.’
‘Layers are the key,’ Astrid said as they gave their bags to Olafur to pack into the bus.
‘Thank you. Any other tips?’
Astrid enjoyed the brief journey to Reykjavik, chatting with the group and finding out what their plans were. She felt a little out of touch when they asked for recommendations of places to eat, but Olafur chipped in with some suggestions.
As they drove into Reykjavik, Astrid felt the comfort of the familiar wrap around her. Yes, some places looked a little different, but mostly everything looked the same. And she loved that. After the upheaval of the past few weeks, the sadness she’d felt at having to leave Tromsø, somewhere she’d grown to love, realising she loved it here just as much was soothing. It was the longest she’d ever been away for, and until now, she hadn’t realised how much she’d missed it.
Olafur pulled up outside the hotel where the Americans were staying. Astrid climbed out with them and saidgoodbye, wishing them a great holiday and hugging the woman she’d been talking to for most of the journey.
‘Want me to drop you at the shop? I can take your luggage home.’
‘Okay,’ Astrid agreed. It might be better for Gudrun to be at the house when she first got there. She felt a little awkward about staying there, having not seen Gudrun and Olafur for so long. ‘Thank you.’
‘No problem,’ Olafur said with a grin. ‘Gudrun would be cross if I took you home without her being there to make sure I am welcoming you correctly.’
Astrid laughed. ‘Nothing changes.’ On the surface, Gudrun came across as carefree, but she was meticulous about how things ought to be done. And it was her way or no way. The great thing was, she was like this while still being a person you could love. You couldn’t hold it against her because she was such a cheerful person and everyone wanted to please her.
Olafur drove the minibus along Laugavegur, slowly because those were the rules at this time of day. It was one of the busiest streets in Reykjavik. Astrid hopped out when he stopped outside the Snug store, standing on the opposite side of the road while she waited for Olafur to move away so she could cross.
When the window came into view, she immediately wanted to go inside. It was so welcoming, the things in the window so tempting, she almost walked in and took Gudrun up on her original offer of a job. She didn’t remember it looking like this the last time she’d been here. But then, it had been in the summer months when everything looked brighter. Now, in February, they were nearing the end of an Icelandic winter, but the hours of daylight were short. The way the shop looked today made Astrid want to go inside and snuggle up in the corner of the huge velvet sofa shecould see through the window. That and the soft lighting that beckoned her in with its relaxing, cosy vibes.
She opened the door and went inside. It smelt amazing thanks to the scented candles that were right next to the door. Her fingers reached out to pick one up before she remembered why she was here. First things first. As she walked further into the shop, she could hear her sister speaking in English, serving someone at the counter. Astrid caught her eye and waved, then went back to browsing while Gudrun finished serving her customer.
Once Gudrun had said goodbye to the woman, who left with a bulging bag of goodies, she came running over to Astrid and threw her arms around her.
‘I can’t believe you’re here!’ she said, stepping back, her eyes sparkling.
‘It’s great to be back,’ Astrid said, smiling but never quite able to match Gudrun’s enthusiasm for everything.
‘Did Olafur tell you about the job they might have for you?’
She shook her head. ‘No.’ She didn’t want a pity job or a job taking endless tours of the Golden Circle while trying to sound enthusiastic, even after the hundredth time in eight weeks. ‘Maybe he was giving me a minute to settle in.’
‘Probably,’ said Gudrun, breaking off to greet a new customer. ‘I finish in an hour. Do you fancy getting coffee for us and hanging out here?’
‘Sure. Is Te & Kaffi still your go-to place?’
