Premonitions | ✓

six

"Everybody Loves Somebody" -Dean Martin

Christmas and New Year's had come and gone when the winter session had started for Anna. As for Lars, he was getting commissions left and right. In the last week of Anna's six-week course, she had been extremely busy all day every day and every spare moment was spent with Lars. 

     One evening, she decided to end her class early since all that was left was the final later on that week. So, she took it upon herself to surprise Lars with dinner while he finished up at the hardware store. 

     It was four in the evening when she pulled up to the grocery store, and in thirty minutes, Anna had "healthy" microwave dinners along with Lars and her favorite sweet teas. She even picked up a salad for his dad who was a strict vegetarian. 

     When Anna first met the old man she made a joke about how you never meet Vikings that are vegetarians nowadays and he had laughed like it was the funniest thing he had ever heard. Anna smiled at the memory as she parked the land cruiser at the front of the hardware store. 

     Lars and his father had lived above their store since they immigrated here from Sweden when Lars was four, and there was always a light on upstairs. So, when Anna jumped out of the raised car and looked up, she found no light on. For some reason, a small ache shot through her chest but thought nothing of it when taking the grocery bag out of the passenger seat and made her way to the front door. 

     It was a little before closing, so the door was unlocked. Lars was nowhere in sight when the bells above her jiggled her entry. Anna didn't even think about it when she heard the power saw in the back, quickly walked to the open door, and passed the register. 

     The back of the store was a large garage that the Nordin men converted into a workshop that also held the store's extra inventory. Lars' father's small office was to the right of the garage, and when she looked over, there was no light on in there either. 

     She looked over to where the power saw was being used, finding the beefy Swed hunched over it due to his large size as he cut through a hunk of light-colored wood she knew nothing about. Anna placed the grocery bag onto one of the wooden workbenches that were scattered throughout the place as she continued to watch him. 

     Wood chips flew around him until he stopped the saw. The loud noise instantly quieted down, that was when the delicate sound of Dean Martin being played through his grandfather's old record player was heard. It was high on a shelf so that no wood chips would ruin it and the music was able to filter throughout the room better. 

     "Hey!" Anna called making Lars turn around with a smile, "It's our song!"

     He chuckled, taking a step back from his workstation but cocked his head, signaling her to come closer. Anna did as she was told but not without a confused look on her face. Lars yanked her arm just as she was in reach and pulled her into him roughly, making the curvy woman laugh loudly.

      Lars wrapped his large arms around her short frame lightly as her laughter died down and the harmony of the song "Everybody Loves Somebody" played throughout the garage. 

     Anna was surprised when the man began to sway back and forth but she was too nervous to move or even back away, so she followed his lead. Anna surprised herself when she wrapped her arms around him the best she could and leaned her head on his chest. Lars couldn't help the smile and warmth that overcame him. 

     He was feeling bold that day. 

     Since Anna confessed her childhood and home life to him all those weeks ago, he made it his mission never to let her go again. The past year was torture without her, so he told himself that he would have her in any way she would allow. Whether that was as friends or God hoping, as more. 

     "What's got you so happy, huh?" Anna asked him softly as she continued to rest her cheek on his peck.

     Lars almost purred in happiness at the feeling of her being so close but he kept it together as they continued to sway. And just a small moment later, he dipped her at the sound of the middle of the song. Her booming laugh made his emerge. Lars saw how pink her cheeks were, and he took that as a sign of that, maybe Anna liked him too. 

     "What's got me so happy?" He repeated as he lifted her back up from the dip. Their laughter died down as he pulled Anna back to her original spot, against his broad chest, "Well, you of course."

    Lars knew her well enough to know that she had rolled her eyes at the cheesy comment, "I brought us dinner. I even brought your dad's favorite salad. Where is he? I haven't seen him since I've been back into town."

     Their dancing stopped slowly, the mood instantly became solemn. Anna pulled away only a bit to look up at his face, finding Lars already looking down at her with a sad smile. She feigned confusion but she just knew by the look on his face what his answer would be. Anna shook her head, mumbling a quiet "no". 

     "It happened a few months after you left, Muffin." Lars' heart almost broke at the sudden despair that crossed the little angel's face. 

     "No, he-he was fine --healthy even-- when I left. I-I remember!"

     Lars pulled her in when a sob broke through. He did it to comfort her but also hide the tears about to escape him. It had been almost two years then since his father passed away in his sleep. He was having heart problems for a long time, and the Nordin men knew that it was any moment that he was to pass from heart failure. It was terminal and there was nothing to be done. 

     Lars spent a long time preparing for the death of his father so when it came, he was crushed but it wasn't unexpected. It was the one thing Lars and Anna really had in common. They spent all their time caring and loving for their loved ones until the end. 

     For Anna it wasn't sudden, her grandfather took a long time to finally pass, it was agonizing and in the end, she wasn't even able to say goodbye. But, for Lars, his father was downstairs helping the townspeople he knew for years from behind the counter, and then the next day, he was gone. 

     "Lars... I'm-"

    Her arms were around his waist tightly while one of his was around the back of her shoulders and in her curls, the other was around her waist tightly, "I know... I know."