“I need to run, but the table is magical! Talk to you later, ok? I’ll lock the front door so go out the back,” she shouted, pulling on her jacket and her shoes and running out the door.
When they had practiced line dancing for two full hours, they took a break and rested. Sussi had borrowed the community centre for rehearsals since it was too cold and slippery to try any Electric Slide-steps out on the pier.
“Remember, a line dancer doesn’t make mistakes, only variations,” Sussi shouted when her pupils were doubting their own abilities.
Emelie sat down by the table with a cup of coffee and one of Linn’s cookies. She picked up her phone and jumped when she saw that Andreas had called and texted her several times. She got up and went into the cloakroom to listen to his voice message. While she was standing there, Sussi came out from the bathroom.
“What’s happened? You are as pale as a ghost,” she said, worried.
Emelie nodded and started tying her shoes.
“Liv has fallen off the horse and Andreas is with her at the hospital on the mainland. Bloody hell, why didn’t I have my phone on? How am I supposed to get there now?”
She angrily zipped her jacket and wrapped her scarf twice around her neck. Sussi looked like she was thinking about something.
“But have you talked to Andreas? Why is he there?”
“No, I haven’t spoken to him, he had left a message. It seems like her leg is broken. Oh, my poor little girl, and I wasn’t even there, Jesus Christ…”
She had tears in her eyes and Sussi gave her a hug.
“Give him a call and see how it’s going before just rushing over there,” she said with determination.
Emelie nodded, found Andreas’ number and called him up. He answered after just one ring.
“There you are! Everything is fine with Liv, no worries” he said in a calming voice.
“What happened?”
“The horse took a wrong step and fell, and Liv fell off landed on her leg so it’s broken, but the doctor said it was a nice, clean break,” Andreas explained.
Emelie squatted on the floor, supporting her forehead with one hand.
“But Christ, my poor girl, is she okay?”'
“Yes, she was sad at first, but now she had gotten some ambientes and painkillers and they are putting a cast on her. Now everything is quite all right, right, love?”
Emelie heard him turning towards her daughter.
“Is she there? Can I talk to her?
“Sure, here she is.”
She heard a rustling sound as Andreas passed one of his headphones over to Liv.
“Hello mum, I’m fine. They are putting a cast on me now and it’s cold and it tickles a little,” Liv giggled.
“Love, how are you doing? Are you okay? It sounds so, so scary falling off the horse like that. Was it?”
“Yes, yes it was, but Filippa from the stables said that Tellus was okay, it has a swollen hoof, that’s all, so that’s good,” Liv said.
“I’m so sorry that I’m not there, but I was at line dancing rehearsals and then I don’t have my phone with me. I’m so sorry, my, sweet, sweet girl…”
“It doesn’t matter! Andreas came and gave me a ride and he has been with me all along,” she said. “Now they're saying that they are almost done here, so now you can talk to him again.”
The rustling sound returned and then she heard Andreas’ deep voice.
“I’ll come over right away. I’ll take the next ferry and come get her,” Emelie said.
