Bjorn's first job that evening was to talk to Emma and Anna, he set up a zoom meeting for he wanted to see them together, they had wanted to be there with him today but he had refused point blank, telling them that he loved them too much to let them sit and watch their own mother and him fight it out in the courts, he'd wanted to protect them from the media scrum and from the vitriol of their mother. They'd been in hiding for a good few weeks now and he didn't want their first meeting with their mother to be a matter for public consumption, he was incredibly pleased to see them and he couldn't hold back his emotions as they congratulated him and told him that they loved him. He told them an edited version of the day's events and said the rest could wait till Sunday when he saw them, they comforted him and enthused over Anna's appearance at the ABBA museum with Frida "She took a huge risk for you Papa" Emma said quietly "she did" Bjorn agreed "but she did it for all of us, every single one of us." he smiled softly "she silenced your mother at the right time" "she really does love you Papa" Anna commented "I know and I love her just as much, please don't ever think we've gone through all this for nothing you two. I've loved her forever" he jumped as he felt gentle hands on his shoulders and he looked up to see Anna had taken her suit jacket off and she was smiling softly at him. She crouched next to him so she could be seen and she said "it's been a hell of a day girls but I still love him and I love you two so much as well. ABBA Agnetha is the same as Anna, she just wears a lot more make up" she rolled her eyes and laughed "You looked amazing Anna" Emma told her "it's taken the pressure off us as well" "I know" Anna soothed carefully "we are both too young for ABBA, it's not till you see it that you realise how big you still are, I don't know how you managed it" little Anna wondered "We were young and hungry back then, even me" Anna told them "and I had your Papa right by my side, we had the time of our lives" "but it got too much for you didn't it?" little Anna asked "It was a lot of pressure, people always wanting more from us" Anna said carefully "She means me" Bjorn interjected honestly "I was driven and very arrogant, I got seduced by fame" "No, I don't mean just you, we put too much pressure on ourselves and none of us realised until it was too late that I really wasn't well after Christian was born" Anna got up and went out of view for a moment before settling herself on Bjorn's lap "Girls there will be things that are now a matter of public record that I need to discuss with you on Sunday, your Papa hasn't tackled me about it yet but he will when he isn't so overwhelmed. I made a statement in support of your father to be read out in court, I assume that it was" Bjorn scowled gently and nodded "I'd forgotten about that, I do need to talk it through with you" he agreed quietly "Never mind that now, girls there was a lot of stuff in there about your mother and the actions she has felt necessary to take over the years but" Emma interrupted her "what you're trying to say while protecting us is that it isn't complementary and that we aren't to get upset" Anna smiled and said "that's about right, I never want you two to worry about what your mother does or has done, it will never reflect on either of you in my eyes. Never, do you understand? Your mother made her own choices and they are nothing to do with you. I love you both very much and that will never change" Bjorn hugged her tightly to him "God, I love you" he whispered painfully and she squeezed his hand in response "You girls make your Papa's heart beat and we will ride out the last of this storm together ok?" Both girls nodded firmly "We shall come to Ekero by ourselves on Sunday Papa" little Anna told him "we've been discussing it, we have no reason to hide anymore, we will get used to the crowds. We have the right to come and see you without hiding, now that you are divorced Mama can do nothing and it matters no longer if we are seen. We are proud to come and we should show a united front as a family, not hide in the shadows. What can Mama do now? Nothing! We know you love us all, we know that we can get through anything together so it doesn't matter anymore" Bjorn was shocked "Are you sure?" "Yes Papa" came the double response "then I insist that you upgrade your vehicles to what we have, that's my only stipulation girls and I won't stand for any argument from either of you. Are we clear?" he had that tone of voice that no-one argued with "I will pay for them, now that I know what's been going on all these years Anna and I will work together to keep everyone safe and that includes all of you" Anna gently stroked the back of his hand where it lay on her lap and he calmed "Yes Papa, perfectly clear. You can show us what we need on Sunday and what we can choose from" Emma soothed him "I love you two so much, you do know that don't you?" Bjorn was repeating himself but they could see he needed the reassurance "We know Papa, we know you love us and we love you too, all of us love you so much. Papa you're exhausted, you've had a hell of day with a lot of emotional upheaval. Go and eat, hug Anna and sleep and we'll talk tomorrow morning. We'll sort out Sunday too" The two girls blew kisses at the screen and kids came in at that point to say bye, they all yelled that they loved them both and Anna gently turned the screen off when they were gone. Bjorn could no longer hold back his emotions so Anna snuggled into him and soothed him gently "Anna, I'm not crying for that marriage" he hastened to reassure her "I know" she whispered "You're crying for your children, you're crying because you are finally free, you're crying because there are things that you didn't know" he nodded "all of those and for us, for the wasted years baby, for OUR marriage. You're so matter of fact, you took on far more than your fair share of the blame for our divorce in your statement baby, it wasn't you" "It was both of us, I won't have you painted as the bad guy and we DIDN'T realise that I was so ill. It wasn't really accepted back then post natal depression and my phobias did become difficult to handle. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but we were dealing with so much in the midst of tours and albums, we just needed time out and I wish we'd both realised that" she told him firmly "One of us did" he grumbled "stop trying to make me feel better, you tried to get me to slow down and I wouldn't listen, you tried to make me get help and I refused" he tucked her head into his shoulder "I did its true but I didn't try hard enough, I got angry instead so you will never shoulder all the blame" there was a comfortable silence while Bjorn composed himself and Anna rested.
They were disturbed by Benny yelling that the takeaway was here and would they hurry up because he was starving. Bjorn sighed "I'm comfy right where I am" Anna giggled "Me too but I'm as hungry as Benny" Bjorn sat up surprised " You are?" he questioned "I've been working all day my darling and I'm as relieved as you. Gives you an appetite knowing that everything you've ever dreamed of is coming true and you've done a good days work" he hugged her tightly again "Come on then, we better make the most of you being hungry" he went to stand but he was stopped by "Bjorn, just in case you forget again. I do love you, I did it all for you and I'm sorry if my statement hurt you" "I'll never forget again Anna darling and your statement didn't hurt me, it shocked me and saddened me but it didn't hurt me in the way you mean, we'll talk about it later" he reassured her "Bjorn?" "Yes?" he asked patiently "Can you help me with me with my shoes? They won't come off, I'm old and my feet are swollen" she blushed and giggled "I'm so old Bjorn I'm sorry" he stood and set her on the floor then hunkered down in front of her "it will always be my pleasure my darling girl" he tapped her right foot and she held onto his shoulders as he lifted her foot and gently eased her shoe off before doing exactly the same to her left foot. He rose to his feet and smirked as he had to look down a lot further to meet her eyes "those heels are bloody high Anna, I don't know how you don't break your neck" he pecked at her lips gently and whispered "but I love them baby" he sighed and growled "later" he picked up her shoes and put them on the desk before taking his suit jacket off, rolling his shirt sleeves up and taking his waist coat and tie off. He dumped them with Anna's shoes and grabbed her hand pulling her gently to the kitchen diner where they were greeted by Jens and Christian carrying in mountains of takeaway bags, Benny was pulling his tie off and unbuttoning the collar of his shirt "I hate ties" he grumbled "I always feel like I'm choking" he grimaced as he ran his finger around his collar to loosen it "let's eat" Frida heard the tail end of the conversation as she came into the room "you lasted longer than I did" she chuckled as everyone realised she'd been up to change and she was in her sloppy clothes "don't blame you" Benny told her "wish I'd thought to change before the food came" he rolled his sleeves up like Bjorn "but I can't be bothered now"
There was no standing on ceremony or manners that night, everyone just helped themselves and perched on countertops or sat casually at the table, it was a strange night for Bjorn because he was having a hard time believing that he was entitled to this now, he was free. This was his life now and no one could ever take it away from him. He smiled as he ate his food stood next to Anna who was sat cross legged on the counter, he was free from Lena but he'd never be free again because he didn't want to be. He knew it sounded contradictory but he relished the thought of the rest of his life with Anna, he glanced at the ring on his hand and grinned stupidly to himself, he desperately wanted Anna to give him a new wedding ring to signify their new life and he wanted to give her the wedding ring of her dreams too. Loving Anna WAS his freedom, it had been denied to him for so long and now the thought of being able to express his love publicly and to shout it to the world was amazing to him, his own peculiar freedom and he couldn't wait.
Anna for her part was happier than she could remember being in decades, it had felt good to do something positive, it had felt good being out in front of the crowds with Frida and if she were totally honest it had felt amazing to finally shut Lena down. There was years of pent up anger and frustration in her actions today together with her determination to protect Bjorn and their new family, she knew that she and Bjorn needed to talk about it but it held no fear for her anymore but she also knew that she and Bjorn could handle it, she considered herself free now, she had exorcised the ghost of Lena, she could hurt them no more and that thought gave Anna peace. Tomas and Lena had been consigned to the past by the unbreakable love that Bjorn and Anna shared and Anna had finally spoken without saying a word.
