‘Magnús, come inside and wash your hands. Dinner is almost ready,’ Gunnar called.
‘He is very bossy,’ Magnús whispered to Chloe as if Gunnar was close enough to hear. ‘But he is also the kindest person I know.’ He whispered even quieter then. ‘But, if you do not like the lamb I have sweets we can share.’
‘Oh, thank you,’ Chloe said. ‘Actually…’ She put her hands into the bag she was carrying. ‘I bought you something.’ She took out the foil-wrapped Santa Claus and handed it to him. ‘I hope you like chocolate.’
‘I love chocolate,’ Magnús said, his eyes lighting up like he had been given the world.
‘Thank goodness,’ Chloe said. ‘I thought I might have to eat it myself.’
‘We can share,’ Magnús said, kindly.
‘Hello, Chloe,’ Gunnar greeted as he arrived next to them.
‘Hello,’ Chloe said, loving the way her stomach squirmed a little bit every time she looked into his eyes.
‘I’m going inside,’ Magnús announced, rushing towards the steps.
‘Carefully! Slow down!’
Chloe watched Gunnar watching Magnús so protectively, making sure he made it into the house without slipping on the ice. And then he turned back to face her.
‘Hello,krúttio mitt,’ he greeted again, moving into her space.
‘Hello,’ she answered, her body enjoying the closeness as he leaned in for a kiss.
It all felt so natural now, like these moments were destined to be, like they had been written into her life plan and that all the things that had happened before had been to lead her to here. She relished the way his mouth made hers come to life before he ended the kiss and looked back towards the house.
‘I am sorry,’ he said. ‘I was half-expecting Hildur to be at the window with a pair of binoculars.’
‘Oh, wait, I think I see her,’ Chloe said, putting a hand to her forehead in a seeking stance.
She felt Gunnar shift, head moving in the direction of his home. She laughed. ‘Got you.’
He turned back to her, his expression far from light-hearted. For a second she wondered if she had said something wrong.
He held both her hands in his and squeezed them tight. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘You have.’
61
‘So, tell us about your visit to Iceland,’ Hildur said when they were all sat around the table feasting on the magnificent meal. ‘Gunnar does not share details with me for fear that I will tell the whole neighbourhood and they will know his secrets.’
‘Does Gunnar have secrets?’ Magnús asked loudly.
‘No, I do not have secrets,’ Gunnar said, rolling his eyes. ‘How could anyone have any secrets in this small house with such large personalities?’
Chloe laughed. She was adoring every single second of this event. From meeting the formidable matriarch with sparkling eyes, who could only be around five feet tall, to watching Magnús and Gunnar trying not to good-naturedly bicker with each other over serving up the delicious feast. There was no doubt in her mind already that this house was a home and it was made that way by everyone’s unique differences pulling together towards their common goal – harmony.
‘I apologise for these people,’ Gunnar said to Chloe. ‘I do not know how we got here but here we are.’
‘Do not apologise for me, Gunnar Eriksson,’ Hildur ordered. ‘I am a gift.’
‘Yes, you are,’ Chloe said immediately. She smiled at Magnús. ‘You both are.’
‘She is pretty and nice,’ Magnús remarked.
‘You are encouraging them,’ Gunnar said to Chloe.
‘And you are not letting Chloe answer the question I asked,’ Hildur said.
