How The Heartaches Come And They Go

Chapter 11

"It's time for to wake up you two. Dinner is ready.", Marieke entered the bedroom with a serving tray carefully balanced on her hip. Frida was slightly startled and confused, like she had forgotten she had fallen alseep next to Agnetha, which made Marieke smile even more than seeing the two curled up together. Agnetha was just as startled, but seemingly more by the fact that Marieke had no other reaction than amusement to her and Frida sharing the bed.

"Is it that late already?", asked Frida.

"Yes, it's a quarter to seven. You were out for almost two hours.", Marieke handed Frida her bowl of chicken soup, before handing Agnetha her's as well.

"This one was made by the little birdie who told me it was your favourite by the way." 

Agnetha smiled:

"Oh, Frida is it really? You didn't have to!" Sitting on the bed crosslegged Frida nodded:

"I know but it was my apology for showing up in the middle of the night, unannounced and commandeering Marieke around." When she said her name Frida smiled at Marieke. Marieke looked down, afraid she was going to blush yet again.

"And while I'm here as company I might as well make myself useful." This time she smiled at Agnetha.

"How's the fever and headache by the way?" Agnetha rested her spoon on her bowl of soup.

"It's getting better, at least the headache is."

"Oh that's wonderful sweetheart." Marieke noticed the immediate regret in Fridas face, when she called Agnetha sweetheart. Agnetha seemed tense all of a sudden. Didn't Marieke do the exact same just yesterday? But when she called her sweetheart Agnetha didn't even seem to notice, unlike now. Both of them focused on their respective bowls of soup again, but Agnetha kept looking at her best friend every now and then. Marieke wanted to ask them about it, ask them everything, but she knew it wasn't her place to ask and she doubted that she would even get answers.

"I think I would like to rest as little more on my own, if that's alright." Agnetha said after a while of meaningless conversation.

"Of course!", Marieke replied.

"Is there anything else I can get you?" Agnetha declined by shaking her head:

"Thank you for the soup, Frida." This time it was Agnetha who squeezed Frida's hand and Frida who was startled. Marieke was surprise by the sudden show of affection.

"And thank you for preparing it.", she smiled at Marieke.

When Frida and Marieke where downstairs again, putting away the dirty dishes, Marieke tried to think of a way to ask Frida, about her and Agnetha and why Agnetha didn't want an Au Pair. She couldn't think of a way that was appropriate. Agnetha was her employer after all and she didn't even know Frida that well. She didn't even remember when she started to refer to her by her first name. Did Frida tell her to? She obviously didn't mind, but Marieke couldn't recall her asking to or allowing her to.

"Is everything alright?", Frida interrupted Marieke's thoughts.

"You seem quite lost in your thoughts."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to drift off like that, everything is allright." Marieke thought that this would be her moment to ask, it wasn't the appropriate one, but that moment would never come. But before she could ask Frida turned her head sideways in contemplation:

"I have a feeling I know what your thinking about." A little perplexed Marieke replied:

"Do you? What is it that I'm thinking about?" Frida didn't let her nervousness show. Was she really going to do this? She couldn't deny a certain je ne sais quoi, but what would happen? She wasn't sure if Marieke really was like them. Was there still a them? What was about Agnetha? Frida missed her, a lot, but Agnetha had made her point, Frida couldn't compete with Björn. Even if she could tell that Agnetha missed her too. The nervousness took over, she couldn't do it. At least not yet.

"You're thinking about when I'm going to leave so you can have a quiet evening and go to bed early." Marieke laughed and raised one eyebrow.

"Oh, you're so far off." Frida had to laugh too, and her nervousness seemed to wain off a little as she winked at Marieke after saying:

"I'm glad, because I think your life shouldn't be all work and no play, you need to live a little." That made Marieke, not only laugh harder but also blush again. How did Frida always make her blush and why did both of them enjoy it so much?

"Where did that come from all of a sudden? It almost sounds like a threat."

"Well, Agnetha has told me how much you work and that you hardly ever go out, even on your nights off. And I know you won't go out while she is sick in bed, not even if I stay here and that is very admirable of you. So I have another offer." Marieke leaned her ellbows on the Kitchen Island towards Frida.

"While I have no idea whre you're going with this you have made me curious. What kind of offer would that be then?"

"Well, that is a surprise."

"Are you serious, Frida?" Frida smiled even wider:

"Oh, she is bringing in the  accusing calling of first names into the play." She paused, before continuing:

"Do you trust me?"

"What kind of question is that supposed to be?" Frida only repeated her question:

"Well do you trust me or not, Marieke?" She raised her eyebrow at the still blushing girl.

"Do you want the honest answer?" It was a game played by two after all. 

"Yes, stupid, I want the honest answer." Frida pretended to hit Marieke with the rolled up newspaper, that was lying on the kitchen island. Marieke laughed:

"Hey! Ok, you'll get the honest answer. I don't know if I trust you. I want to, but that smirk tells me I probably shouldn't."

"Ouch!", Frida prentended to be hurt, while the telephone began to rang. It was always Björn who butted in...

"Don't worry, it's nothing special, just a little surprise. And now pick up the phone and wake up sleepyhead so she can talk to her loved ones." Frida shushed Marieke away with her hands. Marieke smiled. Hopefully she would get chance to ask then.