The Simple Reality

Predictably Unpredictable

Over the course of the weekend, conversations had minimized, phone calls had eased, and speculations were less felt. However, it didn't mean pressure had disappeared completely. Björn had realized on the start up of his days, Agnetha was often awake earlier than him. She would keep herself busy in the morning when typically she'd enjoy taking things at her pace, and by noon she was having her own coffee, sitting silently and lost in a world of her own thoughts. Nights were much more subtle and calm. She engaged only if she felt she wanted to, or had something to say.

There were a few times where he had come home late and discovered she was seated alone, not a phone around her, not even another person or anything to keep her entertained. It was simply her, idly passing time. This night he had entered into the kitchen and found her seated on a high stool, spinning a spoon inside a small ice cream carton.

He had moved in behind her, wrapped an arm around her and across her chest as he greeted her with a kiss to her cheek. He felt her smile and snap out of her thoughts.

"Was I too late?"

"No," she answered. "I expected you to be anyway." Agnetha shrugged. "Did you eat? Do you want me to prep—"

"No," he said tiredly, sitting at last beside her, and she relaxed again. "I ate earlier in the night."

"How was today?"

"It was good," he smiled. "They're rearranging a bit a of the set. Something broke and they're fixing that, and moving things around. Stuff like that." He laughed and pulled out his phone, remembering something he assumed she would enjoy. "A while ago we recorded a few segments of videos for social media. They sent me them earlier."

"Ah?" she voiced, a bit intrigued. Her hand was against her temple as she listened.

"Look." He pulled out his phone and she observed him while he had gone through the process of moving between the messages and found the videos that were sent to him to have for himself before they'd be posted to the world. He handed her the device and had seen her laugh.

"What is this?"

"Promotional stuff for Pippi," he chuckled and watched with her the freshly produced clips of him being hounded comedically by an offbeat journalist. Her silence turned into laughter watching Edda chase Björn for answers about Pippi.

"Oh. I've seen this before," Agnetha told him, nodding seriously. "From my point of view," she then joked. And she wasn't wrong. In fact, it was still like them. She swiped and watched the next video until they'd seen them all.

"What did you do today?" he exchanged, and had seen her face was just blank. She couldn't recall a useful thing she did.

"I did nothing," Agnetha answered and it came out bland.

"Are you feeling better?" She only tilted her head. Not saying no, not saying yes. Honestly, she barely knew, but she has had better days. That was clear. What was also clear was that her mind was still thinking of the latest issue and what people might be saying now. "I was talking to Christian this morning," he started. He knew the topic was running around her mind. "And do you know what he told me?"

"It's Christian. The things he says are half predictable," she laughed.

"He said, 'Papa, you should pretend you met someone and everyone will forget about mama.'"

"Hah! Do that and I fear that you'll forget me too."

"If I couldn't forget you for 54 for years, do you think I will forget you overnight?"

"I sure hope not."

"Never," he reassured, but she knew it perfectly. "But his point was clever. No one can add or say anything else if I say I fell in love with someone else." She burst out laughing.