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As her mother's dying wish, Freya Kemp travels to Iceland to meet the man her mum left 27 years ago. Freya's Icelandic father, a man she's never met before. When she's there, to try and get some inspiration...
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How people survived losing someone they loved had always seemed a mystery to Freya Kemp. How did anyone live on in a world where it seemed like the sun had dimmed and everything had lost most of its colour? What was the point of anything anymore? Freya had come to the conclusion many times since her mother's death and even more times since her funeral, that there was no point anymore. She felt so alone it physically hurt her to put both of her feet on the floor and get up from bed most mornings. It was a wonder she had even stepped on a plane and flown all the way to Reykjavik, Iceland.
Freya still remembered one of the last conversations her and her mother had with clarity, somehow remembering every detail of the last month before her mum's passing and next to nothing since. She was determined to start living properly and try to heal from this, knowing full well that her mother would not want her to not live like this. If there was one thing Frankie Kemp could not stand, if there was one thing she hated, it was sadness. And especially when felt over a long period of time. Freya had only ever seen her mother truly sad when Freya was 14 and her mother was 31 when their cat, Opal, died. Frankie had adopted the black Maine Coon when she was pregnant with Freya because she needed someone to wait for Freya with, and Opal had been the perfect companion. Her passing had been very hard on Frankie and Freya remembered seeing her mother cry everyday for a week. They hadn't adopted a cat after that, Frankie could not bear living through the loss of another one. Freya had loved Opal with her entire heart, but losing Opal had been nothing like losing her mum.
Freya remembered holding her mother's hand while in the hospital, a week or so before her passing, and her mum smiled at her, resting two fingers under Freya's chin and her thumb on her chin. She usually did that before telling Freya how much she loved her or just to look at her for a few seconds. When she was younger Freya had hated when her mum did that, but as she got older, the more she treasured it. Thinking back on it now felt like sitting down to eat one of her mum's homemade dinners, only for the food to be so hot it burned Freya completely alive.
'You need to go to Iceland,' Frankie had told her.
This had taken Freya off guard. Her younger sister, Holly, and step-father, Ben, weren't there, maybe in the cafeteria or out buying Frankie flowers, Freya couldn't remember. All she remembered was that it was only the two of them, and it was also the last time the two of them had ever been alone together.
'Why?' Freya had asked.
'Because I think it's time you do.'
Freya frowned.
'I think you should meet your father.'
'Without you?'
Frankie's smile faltered ever so slightly. She let her hand travel down her daughter's hair, just as black and thick as hers once used to be before chemotherapy stole it from her. 'I'll always be with you, my emerald.'
