Page 67 of Meet Me Under the Northern Lights

REYKJAVIK AIRPORT

‘…OK and here we are everybody. On behalf of my company, and of me and of the whole of Iceland including our magical huldufólk we wish you a safe journey to your next destination and we give you the greetings of the season. In Iceland, we say “ Gleeileg jól ”.’

It was the early morning and Gunnar smiled at his passengers as they began to disembark the airport transfer bus.

And then his heart suddenly soared as he caught sight of a familiar coat.

There was someone standing closer to the terminal building.

A woman. Her hair was covered by a black beanie, but there was maybe something about the way she was standing?

Could it be… And then the woman turned around.

It wasn’t who he had hoped. Hope. Did he even still have that after how he had been at the airport before she left?

She had texted him that she had landed and he had ‘liked’ the message.

Why had he only liked the message? Why had he said nothing?

He knew why. Because he did not want to influence any of the important decisions she had to make about her future.

That wasn’t who he was. But, by saying nothing, was he making Chloe think he didn’t care at all?

The absolute opposite was true. He cared so much already.

‘You need to get off the bus now.’

He jolted in his driver’s seat at the sound of Magnús’s voice right next to him.

‘Magnús, what are you doing here? Why are you not at school?’

‘I am on my way to school. Hildur has arranged a taxi,’ Magnús said.

‘And Hildur will be trying to climb these steep coach steps if you do not get out of the seat and come outside.’

It was Hildur’s voice now. One look past Magnús and he saw the old woman was standing in the snow at the foot of the steps, wrapped up against the elements like a walking sleeping bag.

‘What is going on? Why are you here?’ Gunnar asked them as he got to his feet and hastened Magnús to get off the bus.

‘Why are you here?’ Hildur asked him. ‘That is the question Magnús and I have been asking ourselves.’

Had either one of them or both hit their heads? He frowned at them. ‘I work here. Today I am on the airport run. You know this.’

‘And we also know that we cannot stand one more second of your sadness about Chloe leaving. Isn’t that right, Magnús?’ Hildur stated.

‘It is right,’ Magnús agreed. ‘So, here is your bag.’ He took the rucksack he was carrying off his shoulder and pressed it on to Gunnar.

‘What is this?’ Gunnar asked.

‘This is an opportunity,’ Hildur told him. ‘Because it is the right thing to let people make their own decisions. But it is the wrong thing to let people make their own decisions based on inaccurate, or lack of, information.’

‘I do not understand,’ Gunnar said, swallowing nervously as he hugged the bag to him.

‘You were not honest with Chloe,’ Magnús told him.

‘I do not know what you mean.’

‘Like you are not being honest with that sentence!’ Hildur exclaimed. ‘Gunnar! You did not tell Chloe how you feel about her.’

‘I am uncomfortable having this conversation.’

‘I heard you,’ Magnús said. ‘You told Chloe you did not believe she was coming back for my show.’

His stomach dropped. He hadn’t said that, had he? And Magnús had heard? ‘I do not believe I said that. And Magnús, she made you a promise and?—’

‘And I believe her,’ Magnús stated, pushing forward a defiant chin. ‘Unless you have messed things up by pretending that you do not care.’

Had he done that? In his heart, he knew he had done that. Why? Now, when it was the most important time, had he self-sabotaged something that felt so good? So right.

‘Take that look of pity off your face,’ Hildur ordered, using Magnús’s arm to keep her balance as she waddled forward a little. ‘It is not too late to do something about it.’

‘No?’ Gunnar said, nervousness and dread bubbling inside him.

‘No,’ Hildur and Magnús said at exactly the same time.

‘I should call her,’ Gunnar said, putting the rucksack down on the ground and slipping a hand into the pocket of his coat for his phone.

‘No!’ Hildur and Magnús said together again.

‘What?’

‘No calling,’ Hildur said. ‘No texting or miscommunication. This has to happen in person. And that is why we have booked you a flight to the UK.’

‘What?’ Gunnar’s heart almost stopped. This had to be a joke, didn’t it?

‘You should have an email with the boarding pass. It leaves in two hours so you have time to get a coffee,’ Magnús told him.

‘When you have picked your jaw off the floor,’ Hildur added.

‘Your passport is in the bag,’ Magnús said. ‘And some of your OK clothes. The best of bad choices.’

‘You can go to Chloe. You can tell her how you feel and make certain that her decisions will be made with the knowledge she needs,’ Hildur said firmly.

He didn’t know what to say. His mind was racing as fast as his heart. Could he do this? Should he do this?

‘What about my job? I feel Erik already wants to fire me.’

‘Erik has arranged for Wolfgang to cover,’ Hildur said. ‘I have known Erik’s grandmother for many years, Gunnar. And when a grandmother, or a grandmother figure, insists on something, you have to listen.’

His family were interfering. His family.

He couldn’t have felt more love for them in this moment.

He stepped forward and drew both of them into his body for the kind of hug they had never had before.

As mismatched as their heights and shapes were, it felt like the perfect blend and Gunnar became suddenly acutely aware of how extremely fortunate he was.

‘If you want coffee you should go,’ Magnús said, the first to extricate himself from the cuddle.

‘And all this hugging is hurting my shoulders,’ Hildur added, ducking out too. ‘And they are one part of me that has not been completely destroyed by recent events.’

‘OK,’ Gunnar said, picking the rucksack back up. ‘OK, I am going to England.’

He was going to England. Was this even real? But, as he stepped up his pace, then turned it into a jog that developed quickly into a run, he had never felt more sure about anything.

And then, bam! A second later he was sprawled out on the ground.