‘Oh, sorry,’ Chloe said, putting down her knife and fork. ‘My trip here. Well, I work for an event-planning company and a client wants to have an anniversary long weekend here to celebrate a big business milestone. So I was sent here to see what activities would work, plan the schedule, make it bespoke for the client and work out how much it would all cost.’
‘Nice, pretty and clever,’ Magnús stated.
‘You will make me blush with all these compliments,’ Chloe told him.
‘Not compliments,’ Gunnar said. ‘Truths.’
Now she did blush momentarily. ‘You are too kind.’ She smiled. ‘Anyway, I put all the activities into a plan and I sent it to my boss and she will then review it, make some amendments maybe and then she will show it to the customer and they will decide if they like it or not. That’s how it works.’
‘Has your boss been to Iceland?’ Magnús asked as he began eating again.
‘No, actually and I think she was a bit jealous that I got to come here because it really is such a beautiful country.’
‘Why didn’t your boss come too?’ Magnús carried on.
‘Well, she couldn’t fly,’ Chloe said.
‘She is scared to fly?’ Hildur asked. ‘I do not know why this is. How often do we see birds falling down from the sky? Flight, it is so easy.’
‘She isn’t scared,’ Chloe said. ‘She’s just having a baby. When you are close to the time you are going to have the baby, you aren’t allowed to fly in an aeroplane.’
The words had rolled off her tongue like they had no consequence but as Magnús launched into asking why pregnant women couldn’t fly and Hildur started to explain in more than enough detail than was appropriate during a meal, Chloe felt a warm, strong hand find hers under the table. She hadn’t told Gunnar that Michelle was pregnant and he understood. He now knew emphatically how challenging this last almost nine months had been for her. She squeezed his hand tight.
‘So do they burst?’ Magnús exclaimed. ‘If they go into an aeroplane and the stomach is too big?’
‘Ha!’ Hildur laughed. ‘If that was the case there would be many fat Americans bursting all over the world every other second!’
‘Well,’ Chloe said. ‘I think if I eat any more of that… what did you call it?’ She indicated the lamb that had been sliced on a large platter.
‘Hangikjöt,’ All three of her dinner companions said in unison.
‘Yes, if I eat any more of that then I think I might burst.’
‘This is not allowed,’ Magnús said quickly. ‘Because I helped Gunnar make alagkaka.’
‘What is that?’ Chloe asked.
‘It is a traditional Icelandic layer cake,’ Hildur explained. ‘We have made ours with rhubarb jam.’
‘It sounds so delicious but, Magnús, you will have to eat more of it than me.’
‘OK,’ the boy said happily.
* * *
‘I do not know why you are helping me to clear things up,’ Gunnar said later when the meal was finished and Chloe had been taken to Magnús’s bedroom by Magnús to help with the puffin dance practice.
‘Why do you complain?’ Hildur asked. ‘I am sitting down. Pass me the platter to dry.’ She reached out her hands, wriggling her fingers. Gunnar did as she asked.
‘So… Chloe cannot have children,’ Hildur stated.
Shocked, Gunnar dropped the glass he was holding into the washing-up bowl. ‘What? How did you know?’
‘Ah, Gunnar, still you doubt many things about me. I have told you of the strength of female intuition and I have told you about the spirits of this land; there is never anything that is unknown, just things that are untold.’
‘It is not for me to tell you either,’ Gunnar said. ‘It is Chloe’s story.’
‘I understand,’ Hildur said, nodding as she dried the plate. ‘But you know that stories can change. Just like the story has changed for you over the years, and for me and for Magnús.’
