Every now and then, Lennart’s eyes slid from the road to the little boy. His head had flopped to one side and his curls billowed sweetly in all directions like on a classic cherub and his domed eyelids were fringed with dark, curved lashes. It made him look like a doll.

He poked his right foot and when there was no reaction, he pinched it. That made the child turn and bury his head into the car seat’s headrest; maybe there was a bit of shade there. It didn’t look comfortable but in any event, he seemed to be sleeping soundly. Despite the nocturnal light, which was slowly intensifying. Soon, the car would be filled with sunlight.

His head started moving and suddenly went rigidly still. Lennart glanced over and was met by a pair of eyes that had opened in wonder.

The boy didn’t seem scared, just sat there looking at him. His dummy lay between his legs. Lennart picked it up and held it out in front of him until he reached for it. It was not long, however, before he started whining. Lennart picked up his phone and thumbed his way to the right number.

‘He’s hungry or something. I can grin and bear it, I guess, but the question is what happens in the back if the kid starts howling. If Rune’s asleep, we don’t want to wake him. We’re going to try to ride it out.’

After ending the call, he handed the phone to the boy, who was entertained by it for a moment or two. Then he started squirming in his seat, emitting displeased puffing sounds. He wasn’t crying yet, but it wasn’t far off. Lennart tapped the phone against the buckle on the child’s tummy.

‘Look,’ he said. ‘Look at this.’

*

They stopped at a petrol station and Lennart carried the boy into the motorhome. Fanny had a bag full of clinking glass jars. While the microwave hummed, the boy sat with the old lady. She rocked him on her knee and sang softly in his ear: Hooray for me and you I say, hooray for me and you. Fanny watched them with a weary expression. She didn’t seem able to keep her eyes open properly.

Lennart stepped outside. It wasn’t even five yet. A reindeer with brown, plump horns was standing under the petrol station’s roof, glaring at nothing, and beyond that there was another one and two more on the other side of the car park, grumpy-eyed and bored, speckled like feral cats.