Coffee and Books 1

Chapter 26

Uncle Lars helps me up the stairs to my room, aunt Yvonne is waiting there to help me take a shower. An hour later I'm back in my own bed, wearing leggings and a button down shirt from Lars. It's way too big, but with my shoulder taped in, I can't really lift my arm to put on clothes. So this is it for now. At least I feel clean again, that is such a relief.

Lars is picking up my mother from the airport and Yvonne is preparing lunch. She has put a table next to my bed, with the vase of sunflowers and my mail. The flower balloon is bobbing against the ceiling.
I decide to open up the mail. I've got a couple of cards, and a small package. The cards first. There is one with an image of kittens, from Mrs. Willow. The second card is from Emilia, with a teddy bear that has his head bandaged. The last card is a big surprise: it's from Chad. When I open up the card, something slides out. It's a photo from me and Loki on the red carpet at the night of the gala. Chad must have been one of the photographers there.
'I thought this might cheer you up. Get well soon!' the card says in his hurried handwriting. It's a lovely photo and I'm really touched by Chad's gift.
I reach for my phone to send him a text message to thank him. But although the phone is charged again, I can't use it. The screen is too damaged. I'm gonna have to get a new phone, I realise. Great.

The package is next and I struggle to open it with one hand. Using my teeth, I manage to rip the tape and there is the second surprise of the day. A new phone. With a card from Stark Industries that says 'Thanks for the muffins. Get well soon!'.

Wow.

I've got some thank you cards to write. As soon as I can get someone to write them for me, because I don't think anyone will be able to read what I write with my left hand.
I hear voices on the stairs and a few moments later my mother rushes in the door, stopping in her tracks when she sees me.

"Oh my..." she says, and instantly starts crying.
I can't keep my eyes dry either and only when she has convinced herself I am not that badly damaged, she manages a smile again. Carefully, she comes to sit next to me on my bed.
"You gave us quite a scare, my child," she says, giving me a kiss on my cheek.

"I can imagine. Was uncle Lars able to reach you fast enough?"

My mother nods. "He sent a text message to call him asap and we happened to be at a hotel that day. So when I spoke to him, I immediately phoned the travel agency to book a flight to New York. This was the fastest I could get here."

"Where is William?" I ask. "Did he stay there?"

"No, he dropped me off at Copenhagen airport. That was the closest airport with flights to New York. Then he drove the campervan back to Holland. I got a text from him after I landed this morning, saying he got home safe."

"I'm sorry to ruin your vacation, mom."

"Don't be, honey. I only have one daughter, I want to be with you."

Mom has not heard everything yet, she just knows I was in a big car crash. So of course she wants to know how bad I am injured and what the doctors said. When she knows enough about my health, she asks how I got to be in a limousine that night.
"Lars mentioned something about a gala for those people from Asgard?"

I tell her the whole story from the past few days, leaving out the emotional drama with Loki and his restraints at Stark Tower. That's for another time. Maybe.

"There was a rocket fired at the car? This whole thing sounds like a movie. Explosions, superheroes flying through the sky taking down helicopters... Oh honey, what did you get yourself into?"

"Lars and Yvonne are thinking the same thing," I mutter. "They say I should not see Loki or the others anymore," I tell my mom, looking at my hands.

"Well, if those people attract such dangers, then I agree with your aunt and uncle!" she states firmly.

"I guess," I say weakly. "But they are not the ones who hurt me! They helped me, Loki got me out of the car."
Of course my mom is on the same page as Lars and Yvonne. And I get it, they are just concerned for my safety. But they don't know how I feel.

My mom sees the photo of me and Loki on the table and picks it up. "Is this Loki?"
I nod. My mom looks at the picture a little longer. Then she looks at me again. "Oh, Ylva..." she sighs. "You fell in love, didn't you?"

She doesn't get the chance to ask more questions, because Yvonne puts her head around the door and tells us lunch is served. We get over to the other apartment and sit together for over an hour, talking about my moms vacation, my life in New York, the coffee shop, and more. But I'm really tired, so mom sends me back to bed. I'm sure they will talk about me and Loki when I'm gone, but I couldn't care less at the moment. I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.