Page 188 of Pucking Strong

She glances up at me through her lashes. “Do you love him?”

“Teddy? Of course I do. Why would you ask me that?”

Her bottom lip quivers. “He told Miss Shae you don’t.”

My heart stops. “What? When did you hear this?”

“On the phone. He says you won’t say it, and it makes him sad.”

I groan, crossing my arms. It’s possible she misheard their English. Or, if she only heard Teddy, then she only heard one side. But why would Teddy talk of such things where Karolina might hear? And why discuss it with his sister instead of talking with me directly? I glance down at Karro. “And why were you listening to his private conversation?”

She pouts. “Are you mad?”

Sighing, I sink back in my chair. “No, lamm, I’m not mad.”

“I didn’t mean to listen. Honest. I just … woke up.”

I place a hand on her shoulder and give it a squeeze. “Karro, look at me.”

She looks up, bottom lip still quivering. “If you don’t say you love them, they go.”

“What?”

“Prince Derek didn’t say it, and Odette left. Then the monster got her. If you don’t say it, Teddy will go. I don’t want Teddy to go. He has to stay.”

“I’ll say it,” I assure her, brushing my hand down her long braid again. I’m getting better at braiding. My skills are nothing near as accomplished as Teddy’s, but I can now manage a passable French braid, a Dutch braid, even a fishtail.

“Youhaveto,” she says again, her eyes narrowed at me.

“I will,” I repeat, feeling very much like I’m being chastised by my bossy older sister. Thinking of Petra, I sigh. “Your uncle is an old Swedish fart, Karolina.”

She giggles.

“I’m not used to saying what I feel,” I admit. “Your mother was always so much better at it than me. And Mormor. She always says exactly what she thinks and feels. You and Petra get that from her.”

“I miss Mormor,” she murmurs. “And I miss Mamma.”

I wrap my arm around her. “I miss your mamma too, lamm. Every day. So much. And Mormor. We’ll go visit her in the spring, ja? As soon as my hockey season is over. We’ll show Teddy the lake and the beach. We’ll take him looking for mushrooms.”

She sits up with an excited smile. “And Junibacken!”

I smile. “Of course.” She and Petra had season passes to the little children’s discovery center in Stockholm. I got them for Karolina as a third birthday present.

“I want Teddy to stay forever. He won’t leave if you tell him he can stay.”

My smile widens as I picture the two of them laughing and playing together, practicing ballet in the mirror. Years from now, they’ll argue over homework, and he’ll complain she drives too fast in my car. I can see it all. I see a future for the three of us, warm and bright. It’s not the future any of us expected. But now it’s the future we all deserve.

I glance down at her, nudging her with my elbow. “And me, lamm? Do you want to stay with me forever too?”

She takes my hand. “I have to.”

“Why?”

She shrugs. “You were sad before I came, Morbror. You’re not sad anymore.”

Wiping away my unexpected tears, I look to the ceiling and say nothing, letting my niece hold my hand.

The elevator doors open on our floor, and I push Karolina out to see Hanna waiting for us at the end of the hall. She scrambles off the floor at first sight of us, phone in hand. Her eyes look puffy, like she’s been crying.

---