Chapter 1
Hanna
Today
The new guests will surely complain if I'm not finished in ten minutes.
With firm pressure, I wring out the mop. The hot water quickly turns my fingers fiery red, but I don't care. Nor do I mind the beads of sweat forming relentlessly on my forehead or the fact that my jeans are soaked from a little accident with the water bucket earlier. With determination, I push the mop across the floor, following the wood grain.
There's a rustling sound behind me, but I don't turn around. I need to prepare the cabin for the next vacationers, and my time is almost up. I'll probably have to skip cleaning under the red-and-white-checkered sofa, so at least I can scrub away the soot marks next to the Swedish stove.
"Wow, it's really busy in here," someone remarks.
Without interrupting my work, I glance around. In the rustic-furnished hallway, I see Elina. Her honey-blond hair shines in the incoming spring sunlight. "Hey," I say with a smile.
"Oh dear." She furrows her eyebrows in concern. "Do you have a headache again?"
How does she know that?
Quickly, I grab the water bucket. "I'm fine. What's new?" I ask, hoping she won't pry any further.
"I'm doing well. But you look tired." Suddenly, she's right next to me, giving me her penetrating doctor's gaze. "When was the last time you took a day off?"
A day off? How is that even possible? "I'm perfectly fit, and I enjoy my work." As if to prove it, I dip the mop cheerfully into the water.
From the corner of my eye, I see her tapping her chin with her index finger, giving me an intense look. She shouldn't. My life is what it is, and it could be much worse, so I won't complain.
"You're a great doctor, but sometimes you see things that don't exist," I add, winking at her.
Suddenly, she smiles at me. "And you're the best sister-in-law one could imagine. That's why I want you to be well."
Wait a second. Did she just say sister-in-law?
As if she can read my thoughts, she waves her hand in front of my face. I notice a delicate silver ring on her ring finger with three azure blue stones embedded in the metal.
"Wow," I whisper in awe and even pause in my work for a moment to pull her into a hug.
"That's amazing, isn't it? I want you to be one of my maids of honor. There'd be two of you. You remember my best friend Maya, right? She already said yes," she chatters away as I try to put on a carefree expression for her, kneeling to scrub away the soot marks.
Elina and my brother are the happiest couple I have ever seen. It's as if they see into each other's souls every day, finding beauty even in the darkest corners. Soon, they will start a family together. It's wonderful, and I should be happy for her. Yet all I feel is a painful longing.
With effort, I manage to lift the corners of my mouth. "It would be an honor for me."
I look around. After cleaning the living room, I need to tidy up the hallway, vacuum the doormat, and change the light bulb above the entrance door. I also have to prepare the floral welcome greeting for the new guests.
My God, how am I going to manage all this?
"It will be fantastic," Elina exclaims, jumping up with excitement, her eyes sparkling. "You won't believe what Noah came up with for the proposal. The entire observatory was lit up with candles. He waited for a night with many shooting stars. And then…"
She sighs blissfully, and my heart clenches. I swallow hard but keep my composure. Florian and I will get married someday too; I just need to be patient a little longer.
"Then he got down on one knee in front of me. He said his love for me was as vast as the sky above us. And that I am the star that will always shine for him." Elina lowers her eyelids bashfully. "It's quite cheesy, isn't it?" she adds softly.
With a determined headshake, I guide Elina toward the exit. Noah is ready to share his life with her. That's simply beautiful. "That's just how true love is," I say even though I've stopped believing in true love myself. It doesn't exist, at least not for me.
She steps back, allowing me to start mopping the hallway. Her cheeks turn rosy. "Absolutely."
"It will be the most fantastic day of your life," I say, then quickly finish my work, crouching down to grab the mop. I'll have to clean the narrow threshold manually, or it won't be properly clean.
