Touched by his words, Cecilie knew her son was every inch as fine a man as his father.
Jonas slept. It had been an emotional day, but now, in sleep, he looked at peace. Lauren quietly closed the door.
The drizzly skies were finally beginning to clear and the sun, though weak, pushed its way through the clouds. Lauren sought out Jonas’ mother.
“I think I’ll go outside for a while. I checked on Jonas, and he is still sleeping. The rain has stopped, it’s starting to clear, and I could use some exercise.”
Cecilie looked at the young woman who loved her son so much. She was lovely and warm and graceful and spoke Norwegian with a barely discernible accent. She had amazingly beautiful eyes, so soft, so expressive, it was easy to see why her son had fallen in love with her. She knew she would never forget how tender Lauren had been with him when he finally recalled forgotten episodes from his childhood, or how he, who always kept part of himself private, trusted her with his most intimate thoughts and feelings. Cecilie felt a great need to know her better.
“I’ll go with you if you don’t mind. The lane leads down to the shore. It is a nice little walk, and Jan-Erik should be getting home by the time we get back.” She scribbled a quick note. “Just in case he gets here first, or Jonas wakes up.”
Lauren smiled. “I’d like that. I can only be sedentary for so long before my body protests.”
Cecilie smiled. She liked Lauren’s openness. “We’ll need jackets.” She reached into the hall closet and pulled out a couple of coats. Handing one to Lauren, she said, “It’s still cool out.”
“Thank you. New York was in the low nineties when we left. I should have remembered how fickle the summer weather can be here and packed accordingly.”
“Hopefully it will be nice tomorrow. Our view is so beautiful on a clear day.”
They walked companionably side by side along the gravel road. Here and there a home was visible through the foliage, but all in all, it was a secluded, private area.
“How long have you lived here?” Lauren asked. “It’s such a beautiful, peaceful place.”
“Almost eight years now. There is a common dock down below. Some of the neighbors keep their boats there, but Jan-Erik and I usually save our sailing for the island.”
“Jonas told me his family comes for part of every summer. I can see why. It is such a wonderful place.”
Cecilie looked at her in surprise. Lauren was, after all, American, and fair or not, she’d always thought of American women as somewhat spoiled. It surprised her to learn that Lauren liked the rugged little island Jonas loved so much. “You don’t find the island too rustic and confining?”
“Confining? Not at all. Jonas invited me to spend a day there shortly after we met. I thought it was a magical place.”
No wonder her son loved her. For him too, the island had always been a special place. “We are lucky it’s still in the family and that Jonas is so generous about sharing it. I have two brothers who each have two married children who in turn have several children between them. Most of them descend on him every August.”
“I imagine Jonas enjoys the time with his family. I have always loved family gatherings myself. There are about seventy-five of us now. We tend toward large families,” she explained to a disbelieving Cecilie. “All but the littlest ones will be at the wedding.”
Cecilie’s laugh rang out. “And I thought our group of twenty-one was a crowd.”
“I have twenty-one first cousins,” Lauren grinned. “Then there are aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews. You’ll get dizzy before you meet even half of them,” she assured her.
“Oh, Lauren, you’ll be good for our family. You are exactly right for Jonas.”
“And I can’t imagine my life without him now.”
“Your religious differences didn’t worry you?”
Lauren glanced at Jonas’ mother. She was a nice woman, a kind woman, but not, Jonas had warned her, a particularly religious one. “This may sound strange to you,” she said, “but I believe Jonas and I were meant to meet and for a reason. Jonas has needed to find his spiritual roots for a long time.”
“I realize that now. He is so like his father. Not in looks especially, but his nature. He has a gentleness, goodness if you like, that his father also had. I was devastated when we lost him.”
“Is that why you didn’t re-marry for such a long time?”
“Yes. Our life together had been so perfect. I couldn’t imagine anyone ever taking Joachim’s place.”
After a long silence, Lauren ventured another question. “Why do you think you withheld church from Jonas after his father died? Did you not realize his faith made his father the person he was?”
“I did know that, Lauren. It was one of the reasons I agreed that Jonas could be blessed and raised in his father’s church. But I told the truth when I said I thought I was protecting him. Being LDS in Norway hasn’t always been easy. My little boy was struggling with the loss of his father. I didn’t want him to carry the additional burden of being teased about the church he attended. People can sometimes be cruel without meaning to be.”
Lauren thought of her childhood, growing up in an area where most of her friends and neighbors were Latter-day Saints. She had never faced the challenges Cecilie spoke of. Jonas’ mother did what she believed was best for her son at the time and had raised him to become an extraordinary man. She deserved much credit and Lauren’s gratitude.
They walked side by side until Cecilie said, “I can’t tell you how surprised I was when Jonas asked about his father’s membership in the Church. I honestly thought all of that had faded into the past.”
“It had,” Lauren agreed. “That’s why being told of his connection to the Church came as such a surprise.”
“How did it happen? If you don’t mind my asking. He only told me he met an elderly lady who knew his grandmother and claimed that both his father and grandmother were Latter-day Saints.”
“It is Jonas’ story to tell, but I don’t think he would mind if I shared a few things with you.” Lauren told her about their time on the island, about Jonas’ invitation to stay an extra day and her refusal because of church. “He asked if he could come with me. I agreed but warned him I wasn’t Lutheran but a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He said he still wanted to come. So, Sunday morning we attended church together. And that’s where he met Mrs. Gustavsen. I introduced Jonas in Sunday school class. She made the connection and sought him out after the meetings. Later that day, he told me about it. He was very disturbed to discover his grandfather had forbidden his grandmother to attend church after they were married.”
“Yes, I can imagine. He was very close to both his grandparents. Armand was a good man, Lauren, but he had one blind spot: His religious intolerance. Joachim chose to move across the country as a young man when he could have had a very comfortable life joining his father’s firm. But he knew he had to choose between that and his faith. He chose his faith. He moved to Oslo where he completed his education and started his career. And faithfully attended the Church of Jesus Christ until the day he was taken from us.”
“And his father never knew?”
“If he did, or even suspected, he never spoke of it. And Joachim, being a considerate son, did not attend church services in Bergen when we visited. He did not want to anger his father or make difficulties for his mother.”
Listening to Cecilie, Lauren was full of admiration for Jonas’ father and the sacrifices he had made, both for his faith and to protect his mother. “He must have been quite a man,” said Lauren quietly.
“He was, Lauren. None better.”
“Just like Jonas,” Lauren said softly. “It took me almost no time to realize I loved him.”
Cecilie stopped walking and turned to her. Putting a hand on her cheek, she said, “You don’t see the wealth when you lo
ok at him, do you?”
Lauren shook her head and smiled faintly. “I try not to think about it. It’s too daunting. I loved him before I knew.”
Unexpectedly, she found herself wrapped in Cecilie’s arms. “Thank you for seeing in my son what so many have overlooked in favor of his other, more obvious assets: his gentle soul, his capacity for love, the courage to be his own person and do what he believes is right.”
They were nearing the dock. Several boats bobbed at anchor in the picturesque little bay, but there was no sign of activity on any of them. A sharp breeze kicked up, and Lauren pulled her coat tight.
“Ridiculously cold for midsummer,” commented Cecilie with a shudder. “Are you ready to go back?”
“I guess so.” She wasn’t, not quite, but Cecilie was cold. “I’d like to come back on a warmer day, though.”
“You’ll find life down here then. It is a lovely place on warm, sunny days.”
The uphill trek went a little slower and gave Lauren a chance to look around. From one vantage point, she could see all the way to Oslo’s inner harbor and the majestic City Hall, a proud landmark.
“You live in a beautiful place,” she commented. “Does Jonas miss living in Oslo?”
“He has never said so. He was only eighteen when his grandfather first broached the idea of preparing him to take over the business. Jonas was honored that Armand had that much faith in him. Once he finished his education, he thought he would have a decade or more of working with his grandfather and gaining experience. None of us could have foreseen the heart attack that took him from us just a few short years later.”
“Jonas wears responsibility well.”
“Yes. Armand would have been proud of him.” Cecilie sighed. “When Jonas settled in Bergen both his grandparents were still alive and then within six months of each other they were gone. I have worried about him. He has needed someone of his own, someone to come home to, a family to love.”
“He would agree with you. When we first met, I wondered why a man as nice as he was still single.”
“And he couldn’t wait to tell me he had found the woman he wanted to marry. Naturally, I was happy for him, but worried, too. We knew nothing about you, and you were American. I wondered how he was going to make it work.”
Lauren’s mischievous smile broke through. “And now that you have met me and seen us together?”
Cecilie laughed gently in relief. Lauren wasn’t offended. “Now I’m in awe of his ability to recognize how right you are together. I couldn’t have picked anyone better suited to him myself.” She tucked her arm through Lauren’s, and they climbed the rest of the hill in comfortable silence.
The minute they reached the terrace, the door burst open, and Jonas stepped outside. Reaching for Lauren, he lifted her up and twirled her around. Amid her laughter and his mother’s smile, he exclaimed, “It’s a good thing our wedding is only two weeks away because one year from our wedding day we’re going to the temple!”
He set her down but kept his arms around her. “I’ve been on the phone with Jake. He has agreed to baptize me. It has to be Jake, Lauren! You said it had to be my choice and only if I thought it was right for me. Well, it is right for me! The most right thing I’ll ever do except love you. Jake said I have to be a member for at least a year before I can get a temple recommend, so as soon as the year is up, I’ll qualify. We’ll go to the temple for our first anniversary.”
Lauren stared open-mouthed. She had never seen Jonas so animated. The words simply tumbled out of him.
“Well, say something!” he demanded when she remained too stunned to utter a single word.
Finally, she croaked out, “What did you just say?”
He pulled her into a fierce hug. “I love you. If you think a lifetime is going to be long enough, you’re crazy.”
Cecilie tiptoed through the open door and into the den. Closing it quietly behind her, she leaned against it and drew a shaky breath. As much as she had loved Joachim, she had cheated him by not taking more of an interest in his religion or trying to understand it better. But Jonas understood. How could she have been so blind? How could she have withheld church from a little boy who begged to go? In the end, he dealt with it the only way he knew how, by blocking it out of his mind. But as he grew, he lived his life very much the way his father had taught him. The only area he had trouble was in finding the right girl to marry. She thought his standards impossibly high. She told him the girl he was seeking didn’t exist. And she believed that. Until Lauren.
She stole a quick look. They were talking, smiling, laughing, hugging. Then she saw Jonas gently cup Lauren’s face. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and he kissed them away one by one. Cecilie swallowed hard. Nothing had touched her like this for a very long time. She turned and walked out of sight.
“I would like the baptism to take place before the wedding. I want everyone to know you’re not marrying a heathen who has never been baptized in any church.”
Lauren laughed softly. “If you are a heathen, there must be some very fine people among them.” Then she sobered. “Oh, Jonas, what a wedding present you are giving me! A thousand times better than the house.”
He looked at her glistening eyes and realized she meant it.
Only Lauren, he thought, as he so often did. He picked her up and danced around with her in his arms. “I feel fantastic! I remember things. And I didn’t even know there were things to remember!”
His joy was contagious. Lauren put her arms around his neck and held on for the ride. Finally, she said, “I think you’d better put me down, Jonas. The neighbors are going to think crazy people are visiting your family.”
“I am crazy!” He kissed her noisily. “Crazy about you.”
A less than discreet cough cut through their joyous laughter. Startled, they turned their heads. Jonas dropped Lauren gently to her feet.
“Jan-Erik,” he acknowledged with a soft chuckle.
“Jonas.” His step-father didn’t even try to hide his smile. “So, this is the young lady we have been hearing about.”
Before Jonas could make the introductions, Jan-Erik offered his hand to Lauren who shook it firmly.
“I’ve looked forward to meeting you,” she grinned, “although perhaps not in these exact circumstances.” Her hair was windblown, she was wearing a coat several sizes too large, and she was breathless from Jonas’ antics. But she was completely at ease.
Charmed by the young woman, Jan-Erik smiled with enjoyment. Jonas had chosen well. “Your mother sent me down to tell you she has a meal ready. I think she was afraid to come herself. She wasn’t sure what she’d be interrupting.”
“Nothing ‘R’ rated, I can assure you,” said Jonas with a gleam.
Jan-Erik put his hand on Jonas’ shoulder. There was affection there, Lauren noticed. “Good to see you, son. We’re glad you made the trip.”
“Thanks. It was something I had to do.”
“I understand. Your mother is struggling with more than a few regrets. Go easy on her, will you?”
“She shouldn’t be. She did what she thought was best at the time. And who knows? Maybe it was. I might never have met Lauren otherwise.”
Jan-Erik touched his shoulder again. “Maybe you could mention that to her.”
“I will.” He reached for Lauren’s hand. “Hungry?”
She smiled. “Uh-huh.”
“Let’s go see what my mother has concocted.”
Cecilie set an attractive table, and in addition to the delicious salmon she served, she and Jan-Erik tossed in a dash of fascinating conversation. They discussed Jan-Erik’s work as a judge and Cecilie’s job with the public-school system. The two of them also talked openly about their earlier marriages, which gave Lauren an insight into who they were as people.
It was clear that Jan-Erik and Cecilie loved each other and had h
elped each other overcome heartbreak and tragedy. They mentioned Joachim and Else, Jan-Erik’s late wife, quite naturally as they told the story of how they met and were drawn to each other.
“You know how Jonas’ father died and how devastated we both were at the time, Lauren,” said Cecilie, “but I think Jan-Erik’s experience was even worse. After twelve years of marriage, Else developed severe mental illness and spent the last few years of her life in a sanatorium. Jan-Erik always assumed she would get better, but as years passed with no sign of improvement, family and close friends suggested he divorce her. She hadn’t been a wife to him for so long. They urged him to move on with his life, but he refused. He visited her almost daily all those years. Eventually, she didn’t even recognize him, but remained his wife to the end.”
“How could I divorce her?” said Jan-Erik, gently shaking his head. “She didn’t choose to be ill, and I had promised to love her in sickness and in health. I couldn’t leave her when she needed me the most. If I had, I couldn’t have lived with myself.”
Lauren wanted to cry. There really were still decent and honorable men in the world. With eyes full of sympathy and admiration, she asked, “Did you have children together?”
“No. We wanted them, but regrettably, it didn’t happen. It would have been easier for me if we had. Cecilie had Jonas to love after she lost Joachim. I had no one to remind me of Else and the happy years we had before she became ill.”
“I didn’t think anything could be worse than losing Joachim so suddenly, without warning,” added Cecilie. “But since knowing Jan-Erik, I think having to watch the one you love suffer as Else did must be even worse. That’s why it is so nice that we can talk to each other about them. We both know you don’t stop loving someone just because they die or get too sick to recognize you. And when you have been very happy together, you don’t want to forget.” She turned misty-eyed. “Occasionally something will remind Jan-Erik of Else, and he shares it with me, and sometimes I still miss certain things about Joachim, and he comforts me. I love that about him,” she finished as she covered her husband’s hand where it lay on the table.
Because of Lauren: A Love Story Page 30