How The Heartaches Come And They Go

Chapter 7

A few hours, a bowl of chicken soup and a phone call from Björn and the kids later, Agnetha was asleep again.
Marieke was just about to clean up the kitchen when she heard the familiar ringing of the door bell. Three in the afternoon was a much more appropriate time for this sound, but when she took a look through the peephole, Marieke saw Frida again. This time alone, without Benny. She opened the door.
"You're not who I expected.", repeated Marieke the words Frida had said last night. They both laughed.
"I just wanted to apologize, for last night. I was terribly drunk and thought it was a good idea to show up here unanounced and in the middle of the night."
"Don't worry, in retrospect it was actually quite amusing.", she giggled again.
"Well that's for you to say you are not the one to make an absolute fool of yourself.", Frida paused for a second, to grab something from her bag.
"Would you mind if I came in? I brought some chicken soup for Agnetha."
"Of course, come in.", Marieke let Frida pass into the living room, before continuing:
"But I'm afraid Agnetha has already had some chicken soup."
"Oh, you didn't seriously listen to drunk me bursting in to order you around, did you?" Frida gently touched Marieke's forearm as she laughed. Marieke looked down at the warm tanned hamd on her pale arm. It made her nervous, she wasn't sure if Frida was mocking her or joking but she liked the feeling it gave her.
"Well, I guess I did. But as you pointed out multiple times, you are her best friend, so you are one of the people who know her best." Marieke smiled at Frida but didn't dare to look her in the eye for more than a second.
"If you want to go see Agnetha again, she is where you left her. And I think also asleep again." Frida sat down her bag next to the couch and threw her coat over it.
"Agnetha is right, you are a very sweet girl." Frida made her blush. The nervousness she started feeling when Frida had touched her arm gave Marieke to call after Frida:
"Oh and if you plan on kissing her again, a damp washcloth can not just cool her down but also remove the evidence on her cheeks." Frida turned around slightly embarrassed.
"Just saying.", Marieke said shrugging her shoulders. Frida grinned cheekily:
"What if I don't want that?" The wink that followed send shivers down Marieke's spine.

When Frida disappeared upstairs, Marieke decided she would put away Frida's coat and then clean up in the kitchen. Every now and then she could hear Frida laughing and Agnetha coughing because she tried to do the same. Marieke admired their friendship, they seemed so devoted to one another.