The next step

3rd of January 2011

The three of us had just dropped Frances back at the airport. Back to Norway, and her job.

I had spent New Years eve with her – at my place, all dressed up with a nice dinner, French wine and chocolates form her home. Lily joined us on the 1st, not as hungover as I feared… I had trouble believing how well my two women got along, but wasn’t about to complain. It made me insanely happy to see them giggle over dresses, or politics, or whichever subject stroke their fancy.

Nils was still a little distant, I suspected he felt like he was betraying his mother somehow. Frances didn’t push, engaging him in conversation when he was amenable, and leaving him in peace when he wasn’t. Little by little, I saw the ice thawing in my son’s mind, especially since Frances had no design to replace of belittle his mother.

“So… any plans for this year, pappa ?”