Aurora is sleeping deeply beside me, so I carefully get out of bed, slip on pajamas and the robe I packed, and go to the window.
It’s pitch-black outside, the sun won’t rise until nearly nine. But the snow has stopped. There’s just enough light to see the powdery snowdrifts between the pines, a most peaceful scene.
I take it as an omen.
A good start to the new year.
A fresh, clean slate.
I step out of the bedroom and into the rest of the cabin.
It’s total chaos. Bags of chips and food are everywhere, as are champagne bottles and beer cans. It looks like a bunch of teenagers were here last night.
Especially with Magnus sleeping on the floor instead of up in the loft, lying on top of the couch cushions and snoring deeply. My eyes go over to the couch that’s pulled out, my sister Stella and her fiancé Orlando passed out on top of the covers. They’re still in their clothes, as is Magnus.
I gently kick Magnus with my foot.
“Magnus,” I whisper.
Magnus grunts and rolls over.
Rolls right off the cushions and onto the wood floor.
Thunk.
“The fuck?” he asks, trying to get to his feet. “Where am I?”
“You’re sleeping on the floor. You fall off the ladder or something?”
He squints at me and sits up with a groan. “No. I think Ella forbade me from going up there because she thought I’d fall off in the middle of the night.”
“Your wife is a wise woman,” I tell him. “Listen, I need two things. Painkillers, and also for you to check in with your buddies about getting the trail cleared. I really need to get back to Copenhagen today.”
“Can you repeat that?” he mumbles.
I roll my eyes.
Thankfully, it doesn’t take too long before everyone else is awake, and also moaning and groaning about in similar states of pain. Magnus administers pain meds to all of us, Viktor and Maggie come over and whip up a quick breakfast, while the rest of us clean up.
Then we get the good news via a knock at the door.
We all look at each other in surprise, and for a moment I fear the paparazzi have found us up here.
But then Magnus opens the door to reveal his bodyguard, Einar.
“The trail is clear,” Einar says to him.
Thank god.
After that, it doesn’t take long for us to get packed and ready to go.
We get in the ATVs and head back down the mountain. It looks extremely pretty with the fresh snow, and it manages to temper my hangover as well, which is sorely needed if I’m to make a speech in front of the country later tonight.
“I had fun last night,” Aurora says to me as we approach the road, the cars waiting for us. She grabs my hand and squeezes it.
“So did I,” I tell her, remembering how good it was after we rang in the new year. “Maybe that’s a sign we should do this more often.”
“Oh, I’m sure Magnus is already planning the next party.”
“I’m sure he is. But maybe the two of us need to get away more often too. A couple of nights in a fancy hotel, away from the responsibilities and the noise. Where we can be together, alone. Just us.”
“I’d like that very much,” she says, kissing me on the cheek.
The drive back to the airport takes time, and the both of us manage to sleep for some of it, but then I’m fully awake on the plane ride back to Copenhagen, going over the speech I have to make. I have a drink of tomato juice and vodka on the plane too, just to help me over the edge.
I finally feel one hundred percent when we get back to the palace and see Clara, Freja, and the twins again. It’s a quick hello to them, basking in their love and their excitement at seeing us, then Aurora and I are getting ready for the evening.
The press has gathered in front of the palace and I can hear them and the crowd outside the windows.
“You ready to welcome in the new year?” Aurora asks me, holding my hand.
I nod.
The doors open and we step out into the square.
Flashbulbs go off, people cheer.
It’s funny to think that last night I was twerking to Lizzo, and now I’m standing in front of my country, my people, about to give them an inspiring speech.
Dear god, I hope Aurora never shows that video to anyone.
“Good evening,” I greet the nation, looking at the crowd and into the cameras. “Welcome to the new year, a blank slate of second chances and new beginnings.”
My speech is fairly long, talking about the expectations for the country, how important it is to hold onto friends and family, how there will always be challenges ahead that we need to approach as one. Usually my speeches about new years are short, because there isn’t much to say, but something in my gut tells me that this time might be different. That this time we may need to hear how to get through hard times together as friends, as family, as a country. Maybe it’s because I just spent two nights away with my wife and friends, reveling in how important it is to keep those connections.
Maybe it’s nothing at all.
But it’s a good speech, written from the heart, and by the time I finish wrapping up, I know I’ve set the tone for the rest of the year, with calmness, heart and dignity.
Maja hands Aurora and I a glass of champagne, and we both raise them to the crowd.
“So, with all that said, my fellow countrymen,” I say proudly. “Here is to 2020. May it be the best year yet.”
THE END
Shorter Stories
The following short stories have only been released in anthologies,
