Page 59 of The Un-Apparent Heir

Sanne snickered. “No. He’s having an active discussion about sailing with Prince Peder and Mamma.”

“Has she been sailing much?”

“Ironically, she made friends with Peder and Olav via Kiersten. Planning their wedding made her so happy. I don’t think Kiersten knows how much it meant to Mamma, but it cheered her up in dark days.”

“I suspect you’ll be back more now.”

“I think so. Especially this summer. It will be nice to see Marie more now that she’s coming to stay.”

“I was told she will be in London a bit, too.”

“We will keep her for a moment.”

“Bring her out to Windsor and stay with us. We can do a girl’s night. Put the boys to work watching the baby,” Natalie said. “If we’re lucky, we can get Lucy to come down, too. Like old times.”

“That sounds like a lot of fun,” Sanne said.

“What now?” Lucy approached.

Niall was on her hip, his usual smiling self.

“I was saying we could get you to come down from Scotland for a girl’s night. The boys can watch the babies.”

“I like that idea,” Lucy said. “As long as your Mum’s chocolate chip cookies come into play, I’m down. We should ask George and Pat when they will be around. The girls would love that.”

“Oh my God, yes!” Sanne laughed. “I want all of this to happen. Total girls’ night!”

“Let’s make it happen then,” Natalie booped Keir’s little button nose. “Sorry. It’s just there. Too boopable, buddy.”

“Nat!” George waved.

“What!?” She shouted, walking towards him.

“It’s so beautiful here,” Lucy murmured. “Look at that, Niall. Look at the little island.”

“How is Nat?” Sanne asked Lucy.

“She is handling it well,” Lucy replied. “I know it’s never easy for her.”

“It wasn’t easy to find out Kiersten and I were pregnant in a couple of weeks,” Sanne said. “I told her before I told anyone but Paul because… I didn’t want it to be a surprise. I’ve also felt like shit.”

“I know those feels,” Lucy admitted.

“It comes in waves. I feel like that on days like this without my mom,” Sanne admitted. “She loved Oslo. I was born here. I have so many pictures of us all here in the summer. It’s a head trip to think that dream is dead and that Keir won’t ever have the summer pictures we did or that Marie does.”

“Life moves fast.”

“It felt bleak last year, didn’t it?” Sanne asked.

Lucy shrugged.

“I'm feeling better now.”

Lucy stared off over the bow. She didn’t say yes. She didn’t motion.

“You alright, Luce?”

Lucy shrugged. “It’s complicated. Scotland is… it’s not my home. It’s sort of how London doesn’t feel like home to you. I know it’s stupid given how important it is. Why should I complain? I have everything.”

---