My Hjärtvän

Written by: Zoe Luglan

Ingrid stared herself down in the mirror. There was trepidation, somewhere, lurking in the green of her eyes—but she wouldn't admit that to anyone, least of all herself.

She plaited her hair and tied the end with a baby blue ribbon, matching the dress she wore. Today she was wearing her favorite, it was made of soft fabric and cloaked her body perfectly, slightly brushing the ground as she walked. Standing tall in front of the mirror, admiring her long brown hair—like caramel, her father used to say—and the glow of her cheeks, she felt good. Certain. Today was going to be a good day. She would make it so.

"Ingrid!"

"Yes, mother?"

"It is time to go!"

"One moment!" Ingrid grabbed her wicker basket and met her mother by the front door.

"Ready, sweetheart?" Her mother held out her hand and Ingrid linked their arms.

It was a beautiful day out. Summer was departing and autumn was slowly making its way into the sleepy village of Ekeby. A soft breeze kissed Ingrid's cheeks and fluffed her skirt. Swirls of light-hearted clouds danced through the pale blue sky—familiar, like the butterflies in her stomach.

She took a shaky breath. It was just another day. Ingrid flitted her eyes around the landscape, seeking something, anything, to distract herself from the disarray of her mind. Large oak trees lined the dirt path they walked down, leading into the heart of town.

As they neared, the sounds of chatter got louder and louder. Ingrid was grateful for it. The trees began to thin out and in their place were market stalls, dozens of them on either side of the path.

"I'm going to go say hi to Mrs. Johansson," her mother said. And with that, Ingrid was left on her own.

She took a deep inhale. The air smelled wonderful. There were crates of everything you could ever imagine. Heaps of shiny apples, dozens of jars of lingonberry jam, bundles of carrots, and even knitted wool socks. This was Ingrid's favorite time of year—for many reasons.

Two soft hands covered Ingrid's eyes. "Guess who," an angelic voice whispered in her ear.

Ingrid smiled wide and turned to face her, wrapping her arms tightly around her torso. "Lovisa, my hjärtvän, I missed you," she said softly into her neck.

Lovisa pulled back, and Ingrid had to slow her breathing so as to not flush in front of Lovisa. She'd somehow gotten more beautiful. Her hair, nearly as light as starlight, was braided into two, messy plaits, long down the front of her chest. Her eyes blue, blue, blue, like a blistering flame.

Lovisa grabbed Ingrid's hands. "Well!" She tilted her head to the side with a smile. "How have you been? I feel like it's been ages since I saw you."

"A month." Ingrid smiled sheepishly, looking at the ground. "It's been a month." Not that she kept count, or anything.

"Still! That's far too long. C'mon." Lovisa took her by the hand and pulled her away from the crowd. She led her to a towering oak tree with a swinging bench hanging from one of its branches. Their spot.

They sat side by side, thighs touching, feet dangling in the air. A peaceful silence settled between them as they swung back and forth. From up there, at the top of the hill, they could see the whole village. Everyone looked like tiny dolls wandering about tiny wooden houses. It was as though they were their gods.

A girl could dream.

Lovisa was the first to end the quiet. "Have you met anyone yet?"

Ingrid turned to her. "What do you mean?"

"Well, just that we're sixteen now." Lovisa shrugged. "We ought to be keeping our eyes open."

"Our eyes open for what?" Ingrid furrowed her eyebrows.

"Ingrid! You know what." She swatted Ingrid's arm. "Please don't make me say it."

"Lovisa, I really don't know what you mean." Ingrid looked up at the sky. It was lovely—a blue she wished she could swim in. Maybe one day she'd become a bird and fly away from all of this. Be whoever she wanted, do whatever she wanted.

Of course, Ingrid knew what Lovisa was talking about. She just didn't want to think about it, least of all talk about it with Lovisa, of all people.

Lovisa huffed. "A husband, silly." She reached over and pinched Ingrid's thigh.

"Oh, right." Ingrid watched her feet dangle over the grass. It was long and soft, the perfect place for a fawn to curl up for a nap.

"It's not all bad." Lovisa put her hand to Ingrid's cheek and forced her to meet her eyes. "We'll get a house! And children! Our lives will finally begin!" Lovisa's eyes were shining, nearly to tears.

Ingrid pulled away, shaking her head. "I don't know about that. I like my life how it is now."

"What? All alone up on that hill with your mother?"

"Well, yes." Ingrid gave a curt nod. "It's peaceful."

"But there's so much more to life."

Ingrid met her eyes. "I already have everything I want right here."

Lovisa shrugged and laughed. "If you insist." She jumped off the swing and began to run down the hill. Looking back, she shouted, "Well, are you coming or what?"

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