Grímur would usually brew a pot of coffee and drink it with the pastry from the bakery, but now a sour frustration, mixed with the pain of love, troubled him so much that he was unable to relax. He needed to shave, even though he had done it before going to the bakery. He undressed and felt an immediate relief as he stepped into the shower. The flow of water always calmed him down, although not as much as the razor did. He soaped his face and felt the burn, his skin still tender from that morning’s shave, but running a finger over his eyebrows told him that there was a trace of stubble there.

Eyebrows were the worst; worse than facial hair. It never seemed possible to shave them perfectly, and there was always a hair that was missed and irritated him. He slid the razor over his forehead, back and forth, with the growth of the hair and against, and even though it hurt, it left him calmer.

77

31

They found themselves seats by the window, so with nothing but the glass between them and the pram, Áróra felt a little more relaxed about Ellý leaving the baby outside.

‘I’m so happy to get out of the house,’ Ellý said. ‘I don’t have much reason to go anywhere so I spend far too much time hanging around at home. Anyway, it’s great to see you. How long has it been? You haven’t come to family reunions or anything since you were a kid. At least, I don’t remember, it’s been that long.’

She interrupted the flood of chatter to sip her coffee. Ellý clearly had a need to talk to someone other than the baby.

‘I don’t remember either,’ Áróra said, truthfully. It had been a long time since she had been to Iceland for any other purpose than to get her sister out of trouble, and much longer since she had been in touch with relatives here. ‘I’m just here to try and track Ísafold down,’ she said, then immediately realised how that sounded and hurried to correct herself. ‘But it’s lovely to see you too. It’s been far too long.’

‘What mess has Ísafold got herself into?’ Ellý asked, lowering her voice. It wasn’t quite a whisper, but low enough for sharing a secret.

‘I thought you might be able to tell me,’ Áróra said. ‘Mum asked me to come over because she hasn’t heard from her for more than two weeks. She’s so worried, she’s freaking out.’