The Day Before You Came

Chapter Forty-Nine

Sygni entered the cellar with a cup of coffee in hand and a face of total disapproval; her friend and colleague was on her knees on the big red carpet while she uncovered a large cardboard with a knife, that afternoon new canvases arrived and even though Frida had to be at home she insisted on going to receive them herself. "If Benny sees you like this, he won't just lynch you but me too for allowing it," Sygni said moving closer.

Frida snorted but she didn't stop what she was doing. "He's not here," was her reply. "Besides, it's not a big deal."

"Yes it is. You should be in bed, three days ago you were in an operating room, remember?"

"It was a minor surgery and I'm fine. Opening boxes won't send me back to the hospital. Also, I need to check these canvases, they arrived defective last time," she recalled with a smirk. She had never had any problems with the supplier before, but as in everything, there is always an exception.

Sygni rolled her eyes and shook her head. "It was the parcel's fault," she set the coffee cup down on a coffee table and knelt beside her. "Let me help you." Frida snorted but she stepped aside for her friend to open the box, the truth is that she was more limited in her movement since she had to be careful.

"Mommy, is it a toy?" Colin, who was sitting on the rug playing with his cart, got up curiously to see what his aunt Sygni brought out.

"No my love, it's my tool, to be able to paint," Frida explained softly. Colin widened his eyes in surprise and knelt down next to the blonde.

"These look good," Sygni commented, taking out the canvases and Frida took it upon herself to inspect them meticulously. Last time she had to return them, but these looked good. The entrance bell rang, indicating that someone had just arrived. Colin got up and ran to the door to leave the cellar.

"Daddy?"

"Colin, come here," Frida called him.

"I'm going," Sygni stood up and joined the little boy who was waiting for the door to open before leaving.

"Don't let him touch anything, please," Frida asked. She knew in advance how curious her son was and on one occasion his curiosity cost them a couple of pottery pieces.

Sygni and little Andersson went out to serve the customer and Frida picked up the remains of the cardboard packaging, now she only had to put the canvases in their place, fortunately this time there were not many and the task only took her two minutes. She checked her cell phone that was on the work table next to her notepad and she saw a message from Benny saying that he was already on his way; it was sent ten minutes ago which indicated that he was about to arrive, or maybe the person who was outside was him. She put the cell phone in her bag and prepared to leave the cellar, but not before adjusting the light sweater that covered her, being careful not to rub the bandage that covered the stitches from the operation.

Frida went out to the front of the gallery and there she met a man, he had his back to her while Sygni was having a conversation with him, with Colin holding her hand. She walked over to them and heard clearly as her friend spoke to the man in a harsh voice. "She won't like you being here at all."

Frida frowned upon hearing that and her gaze met her friend's, the man must have noticed there was someone behind him because he turned around, so Frida wished she had never left the cellar. Her body immediately tensed and her legs heated from the sudden change in blood pressure, she straightened up abruptly, almost afraid she would collapse from shock. Little by little the man's lips turned into a smile and then her anger threatened to show. She knew that face very well.

"Hello, Anni-Frid," Ragnar said, taking two steps toward her. Frida instinctively backed away, and she had a hard time finding her words. Ragnar noticed and chuckled subtly. "How long."