The Lost and Hidden Years

Chapter Four

The next few weeks passed quietly. Agnetha found it was safe to leave the house on multiple occasions, whether it was to visit her children, shop for groceries, or walk through town for coffee and other items. She wasn't afraid of Gert. He somehow had learned to keep his distance. Knowing the restraining order was intact, she felt safe already.

Though she was alone in the crowd of a few, Agnetha felt the presence of another. She sensed the eyes of someone at every step she took, every corner she had stopped. It wasn't fans or people who perhaps recognized her. It was a heavy and familiar stare. She couldn't put her eyes or finger on where the person stood, observing. She looked around but could only see pedestrians crossing, police officers glancing, and children jumping around in excitement of the holiday season. I'm overthinking. I'm paranoid. He's not here. He's not following, she reminded herself.

She couldn't help the anxiety. Agnetha dropped everything and left back to her home. She was nervous to be alone with the unsettling fear that someone was behind her in such an open and crowded place. She had tons of Christmas shopping to be done still with Christmas Eve coming down to only one week away. She called her friends– threeway.

"Agnetha!" Frida sang her name cheerfully, stretching it in excitement to see her friend calling.

"And Lolo," she laughed.

"Hi, there Frida, and Agnetha."

"My God, how long has it been since we talked?"

"Three days?" Agnetha said in a laugh.

"Well, to me feels like an eternity," she explained.

"Is it really our fault, Frid?"

"You're right. It's Benny's. Music, home renovations, Ludvig..."

"So it's not the two week vacation you two just took?"

"Yeah," she sighed happily. "That too, but it was much more like visiting Lotta in New York. I don't consider it a vacation. Vacation requires sunshine and margaritas."

"Listen," Agnetha said after a while of laughter and women talk. "I need to finish my Christmas shopping. I don't want to go alone." Lolo quickly understood why, but Frida was never aware of her best friend's situation. So, they planned to meet the very next day. The three of them had to finish their shopping. For them it was tradition to finish their shopping together.

The overcast December day was chilling. The snow covered the streets, each one of the three was dressed in layers of winter outerwear, bundled up with seven bags of gifts in each woman's hands. This is the holiday season. Each year they shop together and once all of their shopping had come to a close end, they'd find a simple coffee shop and chat as they warm up with their hot drinks.

"How's Santa treating you girls this year?" Frida asked.

"We'll see when Christmas comes," Agnetha said as she picked up her cup. Her two friends laughed to one another. "I can tell you now where he's placed you both. Lolo on the nice list and Frida's on the naughty list," she chuckled.

"Agnetha, you always place me on the naughty list."

"After seeing what your Christmas shopping was," she paused and smiled, "can you blame me?"

"It's Benny's Christmas present. I'm doing my shopping just like you two," she laughed.

"Well, no. Not like us," Lolo said, "but yeah, we get the picture."

"Then Agnetha," Frida began and turned to Lolo, "where do we place her?"

"She's  placed on Björn's guest list. That's the only list I know."

"How naughty or nice that is, I cannot tell you," Agnetha laughed at them. They all paused for a short while, each one sipping from her drink and taking bites of either mini muffins, croissants or holiday cookies.

Five days to the eve of Christmas, Agnetha had gotten ready for the day quite early. She had made plans with her son Christian a few days prior to help him prepare his gifts. Gert had known her plan already, because although he was complying with keeping his distance from her, he would still continue to break into her home when she wasn't there.

Two days ago, Gert had seen the updated calendar on Agnetha's fridge and knew it right away this date wouldn't be cancelled. It was something between her and Christian. Agnetha would never miss a chance to be with her children.

Between the moving bushes, he hid behind with his eyes glued to the front door of her home. He had waited from the early morning. He had grown cold sitting and waiting, eyes watering and his skin reddening and drying up from the bitter cold air. Gert couldn't care less. He had a plan. He had to carry it out if he planned on winning back the woman of his dreams.

11:45 AM
A silver car pulled up into her driveway. Agnetha opened the door with two bags in her hand which had intrigued Gert, but Christian carried them to the car and helped her in as well. After waiting another fifteen minutes, Gert began to play out his plan. He left the bushes and sped up the front steps of her home.

He unlocked the door easily with the replica of her original key, one Agnetha never knew he had. During one of the nights he had snuck into her home nearly a year ago, he had created a print of the key to make a copy for himself.

With this key, and without her knowledge, Gert had access in and out of her home simply, as if he was living there. There was no need to break in and no one would ever find out this way. He entered through her home, missing being a visitor. He photographed her calendar, the to-do list, each room of her house until he got to her bedroom at last. He stood still and inhaled. It smelled just like her. He closed his eyes and reminded himself. Soon.

Going into the closet, he grabbed a selection of clothes and neatly piled them. A variety of clothes, undergarments, shoes and a jacket were stuffed into the duffle bag he had brought into the house with him. He wasted no time. He finished everything he needed to and took off knowing the next time he returns to her home would be the very last time. With purpose.