but he was deathly pale. ‘I’ve imposed on your grandmother. I don’t know many people in the village.’ His hair was on end.
She advanced further, sinking onto the edge of the sofa. ‘Are you OK?’
‘Not really.’ Even his lips were white. ‘My brother Mattias called. Dad’s had a heart attack. I didn’t want to scare Josie by letting her hear my end of the conversation. Nan Heather said she’d keep the girls in the kitchen. She’s a kind soul.’ His voice cracked and he covered it with a cough.
Forgetting her own worries, Hannah fell on her knees beside his chair. ‘Oh, no! Poor Lars!’
Nico wiped his eyes on his sleeve. ‘It was such a shock. His neighbour found him collapsed in the garden so he was very cold. She covered him with blankets until the ambulance could take him to hospital in Jönköping. The one in Eksjö is closer but didn’t have the right bed available. Nässjö doesn’t have its own A and E.’ Twin tears oozed from the corners of his eyes and he wiped them away. ‘When Mattias said … I thought the worst.’ His voice broke again.
She grasped his cold, hard hand. ‘Do you know how Lars is now?’
‘Conscious. Exhausted. Confused.’ He gave a half-laugh half-sob. ‘Mattias says he’s grey, but trying to joke about an elephant sitting on his chest. Luckily, everything’s booked for me to fly to Sweden in two days anyway. Vivvi and Loren can’t take Maria after all so I’ve got the documentation sorted for her to come with us – including clearing it with social services. This morning Maria’s case worker visited and said she might be able to arrange respite instead but I’m still not having Maria go off to strangers. I’ll manage somehow.’
Hannah held his hand tighter. ‘Josie’s very good with her and maybe your mum will have the girls while you visit Lars?’
He managed a smile. ‘Apparently she’s rushed to the hospital. Who would have thought it? She told Mattias that they’ve been “sort of seeing each other again”. I’m not sure how that will go down within the family considering they split when I was fourteen.’
From the kitchen came a wail. ‘Maria’s awake,’ he said, wiping his eyes more rapidly.
‘I’ll go to her while you get yourself together,’ Hannah offered. ‘Nan can’t get her out of the buggy with her arm in a cast.’ She gave his hand a last squeeze then slipped back into the kitchen. Josie was undoing Maria’s straps while Nan clucked, ‘There, there, my duck.’
Maria’s face was red and crumpled. ‘Mydad?’ she whimpered.
‘He’ll be here in a minute,’ Hannah said soothingly. Cautiously, because she hadn’t had much to do with children, she lifted the little girl up and cuddled her.
‘Mydad,’ Maria whimpered again.
Instinctively, Hannah held her closer, finding it poignant that Maria didn’t call for her mum. ‘Two minutes and he’ll be here,’ she crooned, rocking Maria while Nan found a plastic beaker and poured apple juice and water into it. ‘Here’s a drink. That’s lovely isn’t it?’
‘Juice,’ Maria said more happily and took several gulps.
‘Is Dad coming?’ Josie glanced at the dining room door.
‘He’s finishing his call,’ Hannah said soothingly. ‘Who won at snap?’ If Nico hadn’t yet dried his tears he wouldn’t want Josie to see them.
Josie allowed herself to be distracted. ‘One game each. This one’s the decider.’
‘You play and Maria can watch. I’ll make drinks,’ Hannah suggested brightly, popping Maria onto a chair now she’d cheered up. She made Josie a glass of juice and tea for her and Nan, putting it on the dresser where Nan could reach it but Maria wouldn’t knock it over. Then she carried a cup to Nico, closing the door behind her.
He looked more his normal self now, on his feet and eyes dry, if a bit pink. ‘Sorry,’ he muttered, thanking her as he took the mug she proffered. ‘It was the shock. I knew as soon as I saw Mattias’s name that there was something wrong because I’m always the one to ring or email.’ He drew in a long breath through his nose as if fighting emotion again. ‘It’s as if being separated during our teen years has all but severed our fraternal tie.’ He stopped. ‘I’m babbling. Still in shock.’ He sat down again suddenly. ‘I’m a mess. Loren’s gone into rehab.’
‘I didn’t know that about Loren,’ Hannah said softly, feeling sorry for Nico and the way everything was landing on him at once. ‘That’s why you agreed to take