Thirty-Five
Thursday 3rd December
Abi had leant me a truckload of make-up to go with the nymph outfit and everything was packed in professional-looking cubes as I travelled back for the wedding. A stage-quality costume with film-star make-up – it was like going to the Oscars. The plane started its descent, and I felt a rush of excitement and nerves knowing Henrik was waiting for me at arrivals. He’d suggested we stop in Bergen for a night before heading to Firefly Forest and I couldn’t wait to see what he had planned. We needed an off-site liaison to have some no-pressure alone time now that the entire wedding party knew we were a thing.
I waltzed through with nothing to declare and there he was, a head taller than everyone else and holding up aWelcome Sarasign. It looked like it had been splashed together with paint and glitter, and I couldn’t decide if it was cute or cringe. But then his face lit up when he saw me and he gave me an enthusiastic wave – he could only ever be in the cute category.
‘Welcome back to Firefly!’ he said, his dimples showing.
‘Why, thank you very much,’ I said, grinning like an idiot.
‘What brings you back?’ he asked, stroking a curl from my face and staring at me as if he’d never seen me before.
‘The bread,’ I said, wrapping my arms around his neck. ‘Among other things.’ He pulled me in and kissed me until I melted. Yep. One hundred per centcute.
‘Greta’s god daughters made you something,’ he said, handing me the splodgy sign. ‘They spent all day on it yesterday.’
‘That is so sweet!’ I said, loving his kind, semi-uncle vibes. ‘How many are there?’
‘Two. Ella and Kaja. They are verrry excited about the wedding.’
‘Me too. I’ve got quite the nymph outfit to wear.’
‘I can’t wait to see it,’ he said, kissing me again and picking up my bags. ‘Let’s go. I’ve got a surprise for you.’
‘Well, that is a coincidence, because I’ve got a surprise for you too,’ I said, thinking of my skimpy Norwegian-flag underwear. ‘Although I feel bad keeping you away for the night if people are already arriving for the wedding?’
‘Not at all – it’s perfect timing. Gives me a breather from the chaos and means I get you all to myself for a while.’
We jumped in the Firefly minibus and sped out of the airport and onto the highway.
‘Do I get any clues?’ I asked. It was only five, but we’d already missed daylight. There was very little sunlight in Bergen in the winter, but it wasn’t pitch-black outside – more a melting pot of different shades of blue where the sea became sky.
‘Nope. But you won’t have to wait long to find out. It’s quite close.’
Henrik slowed the minibus and turned off down a country lane. It was hard to see down these narrow roads, without any streetlights, but Henrik obviously knew the route. We clearly weren’t staying in the centre of Bergen or going out for dinner and there was nothing to do but sit back and wait.
‘I’m glad you know where we’re going,’ I said, checking my phone, already knowing there’d be zero signal. This area was a nightmare for connection. Henrik turned another corner, and there, lit up below us along the water’s edge, was a row of little glass houses.
‘Oh, wow!’ I said, wide-eyed. ‘Is this where we’re staying?’
He nodded with a shy smile. ‘Got it in one. Our very own star-gazing pod. Well, until tomorrow lunchtime,’ he replied. ‘And later tonight we’ll be served a delicious four-course tasting menu paired with wine, and then we sleep beneath the stars.’
I had a lump in my throat. This was the most thoughtful thing anyone had ever done for me. Ever. It looked like aliens had landed in ice-cube spaceships and parked up to take in the view.
‘Henrik! This is too much! I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.’
He leant over and kissed me. ‘You are way more beautiful, and you deserve it. I hoped you’d like it. I wanted us to have something special to remember. The wedding will be magical of course, but it isn’t our occasion. Tonight is just for us.’
The view out into the ocean was stunning, like a multi-textured oil painting. Lights blinked on and off the boats travelling across the horizon and the waves crashed gently on the shore, lulling the world to sleep. The moon was enormous, mirrored in the water, and the stars were already out and ready for gazing. Quiet and calm. ‘I won’t get a wink of sleep.’
‘That’s the idea. Another good reason not to go straight to Firefly.’ Henrik parked next to the final glass hut and turned off the engine. ‘This one is ours.’
‘How do we check in?’
‘Already done,’ he said, holding up a luminous blue fob.
Henrik bleeped us in, and the glass door slowly slid open. It was like walking onto the set of a Hallmark movie. There was a huge bed made up in crisp cotton sheets and chocolate brown furs, a fluffy red sofa with puffed-up cushions, and a soft, velvety rug in front of a roaring fire. And to top it all off, sat quietly in the corner was a fully stocked minibar and a glass jar of peanut M&Ms.
