The scratching was the first thing her father had noticed, the first annoyance, she thought as she closed the binder and returned it to the cabinet.

She saw a red box on the left side of the table. She opened it and looked at the necklace resting within it. She remembered receiving it as a gift long ago, far too long ago. To JB from KB.

She looked at it for a long time, reaching inside to touch it, hesitating at first, then lifting it out and watching it swing from her fingers.

She fastened it around her neck and felt the cold chain against her warm skin.

Just then, she heard her mother call from the first floor.

“Jana, where are you?”

She lifted her hand at first to take off the necklace, but she changed her mind and left it on.

She left the room, the red box sitting on the desk, open and empty.

* * *

“Didn’t she answer?”

Mia Bolander sat in the passenger seat next to Henrik. Her blond hair stuck out from under her hat. Her cheeks were red, and her hands were wedged between her thighs to warm them.

“No,” Henrik said as he heard Josefin Ek’s voice mail pick up for the second time.

“Try again, then.”

“We’ll try again later. She’s probably busy with tomorrow’s Band Camp. Let’s head back to the station instead,” he said.

He started the car and drove away quickly from the arts center—a little too quickly, and the car began to slide into the oncoming lane. He regained control and braked carefully. They stopped at a red light.

He sighed heavily.

“How’s it going?” Mia asked.

“It’s fine.”

“And how’s Emma?”

He sighed again, thinking about her. He thought about her all the time even though he tried not to because it made him feel guilty.

“She’s good, too,” he said automatically. “What about you?”

“I’m sort of at a crossroads...” she began.

“About what?” he asked.

“Whether I should go for it or not. With Martin, I mean.”

He sighed, thinking how much he disliked being dragged into her personal life.

“But you’ve only seen each other once, right?” he said.

“Twice, actually. I slept with him last night, too.”

“But, Mia, you shouldn’t...”

“If you’re going to give me a lecture, you can just shut up.”

She watched the cars driving in the opposite direction, following them with her gaze.

“But you think, I mean... Is it serious between you two?” he asked.

“I don’t think so, but he seems to,” Mia said.

“He’s actually said it?” Henrik said, flinching.

“What do you mean?”

“That he loves you?”

“Not exactly, but that’s how he’s acting.”

“Have you said it?”

“That I love him? For Christ’s sake, I’m not one to say it first.”

“How do you feel about him?”