Ridiculous, she thought. She put a hand on her stomach. There was barely a bump yet, but it was there. She hadn’t told her father yet. It wasn’t really something she could do over the phone or by text. She hadn’t even told him she was back in Bergen. And then there was her mother. She would have to know as well.

Ninni smiled at the thought. Her mother wouldn’t mind becoming a grandmother. Hopefully. She might even come home for a visit. Stranger things had happened.

Frikk put his nose in her hand. Ninni patted him. ‘How do you think Jack is doing?’

The dog licked her hand. Ninni sighed. Two break-ups in one month and a baby on the way. That was a new record. She could only hope Jack wasn’t as miserable as she was.

The summer fling with Jack had helped her get over Karl’s betrayal. And, as it was just a fling, it should be easy to get over. She hoped.

She stood in the doorway for a long time, until Frikk barked.

‘Yes, yes, I know. Food. I should cook something for myself too.’ She chatted to the dog while she filled his bowl with dry food. In the few seconds it took him to hoover up the food, she made herself a half decent omelette.

I’ll call Pappa after dinner and ask him to come over, she thought.

No time to mope over Jack; she had other matters to concern herself with now. Like buying a crib, and working out how to keep a baby alive. There were plenty of books on the subject, apparently.

She looked at Frikk. ‘It’s not as easy as taking care of a puppy, you know.’

Frikk barked again.

***

A few days after Ninni had disappeared as quickly as she had come into his life, Jack decided to return to London. There wasn’t anything keeping him on the island, and he decided a clean break would be best.

It had been a nice dream, but that was all. For a moment there, he had contemplated settling on the island – he could become a farmer and perhaps build something with Ninni. And now that was all gone.

Good thing too, he thought. He had a job back in London, a life and his family. What did he need a farm in Norway for?

He popped inside Alma’s shop to say goodbye, and found Jens looking at a crate of tangerines with a puzzled expression on his face.

‘Oh, hei, Jack.’ Jens held up a peeled fruit, missing a few wedges. ‘There’s something wrong with these oranges.’

‘They’re tangerines,’ Jack said.

‘Tangerines? Oh, you mean clementines. But they can’t be. They’re so tart it burns the roof of your mouth,’ Jens said.

He spotted Jack’s suitcase. ‘Are you leaving?’

Jack smiled. ‘Yes, I’m going home. I just wanted to say goodbye.’

‘But you’re coming back, of course? We have got used to having you at the farm, you know,’ Jens said.