Word Count: 66,028
Summary of Events:
After seeing Erik off for another day of work, Madeleine called up Rev. Mueller to ask him advice on what she should do; he advised her to tell Erik all of her concerns so that he would understand. Axel finished his shift driving grain truck and was surprised to find Jordyn — who'd spent the previous night with him — was still there, having gotten a week off from work to get to know him, which didn't entirely please him, although she got him to tell her about Amalie and encouraged him to move on, even if he wasn't sure he could.
Excerpt of the Day:
Although Madeleine had meant to tell Erik her concerns as soon as he’d come home, he’d had a lot to talk about and she’d decided to let him talk about it first, in hopes that she might be able to prepare herself a little bit more, as his presence had caused her resolve to tell him everything to flag significantly.
So Madeleine found herself seated on the deck, enjoying the light breeze that had sprung up and prevented the impressive heat of the day from being stifling, Alina playing on a blanket with her toys, when the screen door squeaked as Erik came out from his workout.
He sat down on the chair closest to hers and was silent for a long time; Madeleine was grateful, as it allowed her to finish the chapter.
“There’s something on your mind,” Erik said quietly once she’d finished the chapter and set the book aside, the bookmark in place. “What is it?”
Madeleine felt suddenly at a loss for words; he’d just given her the chance, but she didn’t know where to start; she grappled for a long time before she finally found the words.
“I don’t want to go to Sweden unless you come with me,” she replied.
“But why?” Erik asked. “Are you afraid of something?”
“Yes,” Madeleine replied, her voice cracking.
“And what are you afraid of?” Erik asked.
“I’m afraid, that when I’m gone, you’re not going to want me to come back,” Madeleine replied in hesitating fashion as she strove to keep sobs from overwhelming her.
“What?” Erik asked, shock evident on his face. “And why wouldn’t I want you to come back?”
“Because you would have Kaira,” Madeleine replied.
“But I don’t love her Madeleine, I just work with her,” Erik replied, looking confounded.
“If I were to spend the kind of time alone with a single man around my age that you spend with her, it would make you mad, wouldn’t it?” Madeleine asked.
“But Madeleine,” Erik replied, looking even more flummoxed. “I’m not going to be able to avoid it. I work with her, and it’s just work. There’s nothing else.”
“Then why do you talk about her so much?” Madeleine asked.
“But I don’t,” Erik replied.
“Yes, you do,” Madeleine replied tightly.
“Just because I spend time with her doesn’t mean that I like her,” Erik said. “There is no woman that I love more than you Madeleine, why can’t you believe me?”
Madeleine didn’t know how to use any language — even Swedish — to convey her answer, she didn’t fully know what the answer was, if she was honest, all she knew was that it was impossible for Erik to spend as much time with an unmarried woman like Kaira without developing some sort of an affection for her.
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