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Charlotte’s house, but no one answered. How odd. She must have gone out and forgotten that they were supposed to get together that afternoon. Although that really wasn’t like her, and besides, the storm was picking up outside.
    Erica felt that they had become close friends quite quickly. Maybe because they both were in a fragile time of their lives, maybe because they had so much in common. It was funny, really. She and Charlotte seemed more like sisters than she and Anna ever had. She knew that Charlotte worried about her, and that helped her feel secure in the midst of all the chaos. Her whole life, Erica had worried about other people, especially Anna, so to be viewed for once as the person who needed protection felt strangely liberating.
    Still, she knew that Charlotte had her own problems. It wasn’t just that she and her family were forced to live with Charlotte’s parents—though Lilian especially didn’t seem easy to live with—but a tension came over Charlotte’s face each time she talked about her husband, too. Erica had only met Niclas briefly on a few occasions, but her spontaneous impression was that there was something unreliable about the man. Or perhaps unreliable was too strong a word. Maybe it was more a feeling that Niclas was one of those people who has good intentions but in the end will always allow his own needs and desires to take precedence over everyone else’s. Charlotte had told her a few things that had confirmed this impression, even though she mostly had to read between the lines, since her friend usually spoke adoringly of her husband. Charlotte looked up to Niclas and occasionally even said straight out that she couldn’t understand how she had been so lucky. It seemed inconceivable to her that she was married to someone like him.
    Physically, it was true that Niclas was more attractive than Charlotte. Women were invariably drawn to the tall, blond, and handsome new doctor. And he had certainly had an extensive academic background, unlike his wife. But Erica knew that if one looked at their inner qualities, it was Niclas who was lucky to have found someone like Charlotte. She was a loving, wise, gentle human being, and as soon as Erica managed to pull herself out of this listless state she was going to do everything she could to help her friend appreciate her own strong points. Unfortunately, though, at the moment Erica had no extra energy.
    A couple of hours later darkness had fallen, and the storm had reached full force outside her window. Erica realized she must have dozed off for an hour or two with Maja, who was still passed out on her breast. She was just about to reach for the phone to call Charlotte again when she heard the front door open.
    ‘Hello?’ she called. Patrik wasn’t due home for an hour or two, so perhaps it was Charlotte who finally saw fit to show up.
    ‘It’s me.’ Patrik’s voice had an empty sound to it, and Erica was instantly uneasy.
    When he entered the living room she grew even more concerned. His face was gray, and his eyes had a dead expression that didn’t vanish until he caught sight of Maja, asleep in Erica’s arms. With two long strides he came over to them, and before Erica could react he had swept up the sleeping baby, pressing her hard to his chest. He didn’t even stop when Maja woke up from the shock of being picked up so abruptly and started shrieking.
    ‘What are you doing? You’re scaring her!’
    Erica tried to take the screaming baby from Patrik to calm her down, but he fended off her attempt and just hugged the infant even harder. Maja was now screaming hysterically, and, at a loss, Erica slapped him on the arm and said, ‘Stop that! What’s wrong with you? Can’t you see that she’s terrified?’
    Finally Patrik snapped out of it. He cast a confused look at his daughter, whose face was bright red from anger and fright.
    ‘Sorry.’ He handed Maja over to Erica, who did her best to soothe the baby. After a few minutes