As they walked up the winding pathway to his grandmother's house, Magnus felt incredibly nervous for some reason. He shouldn't be. They had rehearsed their story during every lunch hour for the past two and a half weeks. He had even given her his paternal grandmother's wedding ring to wear. He could see her fiddling with it, her eyebrows drawing together.
His grandmother, after having briefly met Maria had insisted on them coming to give her a proper visit at her home in Trollhättan. As could be expected, Maria had put up a fuss.
"I agreed to a few minutes, not an entire evening, Magnus!" She'd hissed at him when he'd cornered her in the break-room to ask for her help again.
"Please, Maria! She really liked you, and she told me that she wanted to get to know you better." Maria made a sarcastic noise in response to that, but he continued. "More specifically, she said, 'That's quite a woman you've found, min gullgosse. Humour an old woman and come visit me this weekend?' Maria, I couldn't possibly say no to her. She practically raised me." He gave her the most pleading look he could muster. She countered with a truly formidable glare. He winced internally. The woman could produce quite a mean glower when she wanted to.
It took some serious begging and cajoling, and he had probably as good as sold his firstborn child to her, but he had finally secured her help. So here they were, four and a half hours of driving later, on his grandmother's front stoop. He took Maria's hand in his, giving her what he hoped was an encouraging smile. It must have worked, because she gave him an answering smile, the kind that never failed to make his heart beat just a little bit quicker. He couldn't help the answering smile, definitely genuine this time, and he looped his arm around her shoulders, tucking her into his side as he lifted his other hand and knocked on the door. By the time the door opened, Maria's arm had made its way about his waist, and her left hand rested on his chest. He knew they made a convincing picture, as his grandmother exclaimed over them, one of her thin frail hands gripping her Zimmer frame as she waved them in the door.
He was forced to relinquish his hold on Maria as he went to give his grandmother a careful hug and a kiss on her wrinkled cheek. She looked well, he observed. She was dressed neatly, and her thick white hair was pulled back in a loose bun. Her cheeks were pink and her eyes twinkled as she pulled Maria into a hug as well.
They made it through dinner fairly easily, as everyone was so busy eating that there wasn't much in the way of conversation aside from the stray comment here and there. The true test came when they moved into the living room with cups of coffee and some slices of cake.
Magnus was truly impressed by Maria's calm demeanour, and her ready answers to his grandmother's questions. Everything was spot-on, and he was able to contribute himself every now and again. He really couldn't fault her for her memory. But then, that was what made her so good at her job at the station. He had noticed her aptitude, of course, but he supposed he just hadn't given it that much thought before. As he glanced down, he couldn't help noting how at home Grandma Martinsson's ring looked on her hand as it rested on his arm. It glittered there against her delicate finger with every minute movement she made, and he could almost imagine it finding a permanent home there on her hand. He gave himself a mental shake. She was his friend. What the hell was he thinking? He looked up to see his grandmother looking at him with that Look, the kind that said she knew something he didn't, and he gave her a mock frown in response. She just grinned cheekily at him, and continued chatting with Maria who was leaned into him ever so slightly.
The only slip-up of the night occurred when they told the story about how they'd met. Maria told the story flawlessly, and at the end she looked up at him with an adoring smile that almost had him fooled. And in response he had kissed her on the cheek. As he pulled away, he caught sight of his grandmother's raised eyebrow and realised that he had not given Maria the type of kiss that was typical of most couples who had been married for such a short time as they supposedly had. He played off his gaffe by passing the tame kiss off as modesty, half-heartedly grumbling "You're quite the voyeur for an old woman, Mormor." Rather than being offended, his grandmother only laughed. Maria looked up at him, her brow faintly wrinkled in confusion. In reply, he tipped up her chin and pressed his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. He heard her give a faint gasp of surprise, before her eyes fluttered shut and she tentatively kissed him back. He vaguely registered his grandmother's satisfied chuckle, but he paid it no mind as he was instead focussed on keeping the kiss in check. It felt far too soon as he made himself pull away. He noted the look in her eyes as well as the faint blush that tinged her cheeks, and filed them away in the back of his mind to think over later.
All too soon, their visit was over, and they were standing in the entryway saying their goodbyes. After Magnus had hugged and kissed her goodbye, she held Maria for a long while, whispering something in her ear that had her nodding, tears gathering in her eyes even as an uncontrollable smile spread across her face. No amount of begging or pleading would make her tell him what it was his grandmother had said, and he eventually had to give the cause up as lost. After that, the drive back to Ystad was silent, and from what he could tell, Maria had fallen asleep somewhere around Malmö. He gently nudged her awake when he finally pulled up in front of her house, then got out of the car, giving her a helping hand and accompanying her to her front door. When she twisted the ring off of her finger and handed it back to him with a sleepy smile, he felt his heart squeezed by a strange pang that he chose to ignore. Instead, he kissed her on the cheek and quietly thanked her for her help before heading back to the car. His lips tingled the entire drive home.
It was two weeks later that he got the phone call at work from his sister that his grandmother had passed away quietly in her sleep. The empathy on Maria's face when he told her was a balm for his grief, as was the warm comforting hug she pulled him into. He took a week's leave from work to travel home for the funeral.
The whole week was a blur. He barely registered any of it, the shock still keeping hold of him. He vaguely registered shaking a large host of people's hands after the service, each offering their condolences. He skipped the luncheon afterwards, instead buying a sandwich at a roadway stand and driving out to a lookout point in the mountains that he and his grandmother had gone to numerous times just to sit and talk together. When it was finally time to go back to Ystad, he barely registered when his sister pressed a somewhat bulky envelope into his hand as he stood outside the house that had been emptied of all his grandmother's belongings, some of which were packed in the boot of his car. He didn't get a good look at the envelope until he had pulled up outside his house, and when he caught sight of what was written on the outside, a lump rose in his throat. Magnus and Maria. He started up the car again, and made the short drive over to Maria's house. He knew she didn't have work today, and would likely be there. Sure enough, she opened the door just moments after he knocked, a concerned look on her face when she saw that it was him. Wordlessly, he presented the envelope to her and she pressed her hand to her mouth and nodded, gesturing him in before closing the door behind them. She directed him to the couch, before leaving the room, and he could hear her doing something in the kitchen. Finally, she came back, two steaming mugs in either hand. He gratefully accepted the one she handed him, taking a sip of the hot tea it contained. She settled next to him on the couch, and he set his cup on the coffee table before taking out the envelope again and gingerly tearing it open. There was an expensive looking necklace inside, which accounted for the awkward bulk of the parcel. He handed it to Maria, who held it delicately in cupped hands. Next, he pulled out a two page handwritten letter, unfolded and began to silently read.
It was dated a few days before his grandmother's death, and the majority of it was addressed to him. She told him that she was happy to go. Her only regret was leaving behind her dear children and her beloved grandchildren. She told him not to grieve her overmuch. But it was the passage near the end that arrested his attention and made him laugh in disbelief.
I'm so glad you decided to introduce me to that lovely girl of yours. It was one of the best evenings I've had in a long time. However, I thought you should know, I knew you weren't married to her, min gullgosse. Did you honestly think you could fool me? Although, you certainly seem to have yourself fooled that you aren't madly in love with her. Now, if you could, would you give this to dearest Maria when you actually do decide to wake up and ask her to marry you? She is a wonderful young woman, and I can imagine no person who deserves it more.
All my love to you both,Mormor
He gave a half-laugh, half-sob that had Maria looking at him with concern, her hand on his shoulder. He shook his head, wiping the tears from his face with his palm before handing the letter to her. She read silently, a myriad of emotions flitting across her face. When she reached the passage in question, she laughed aloud, her hand pressed against her chest, a combination of mirth and sadness warring on her face. When she finished, she set the letter down on the coffee table and turned to him, the necklace still cupped in her upturned hands.
"Well then…" He could hear laughter in her voice, and a glance at her face showed that mirth had won out as she struggled to keep a grin in check, her eyes fairly dancing with contained amusement. He found himself laughing, and her giggles punctuated his merriment. They laughed like this a good while, both holding their stomachs and leaning on each other for support. Magnus felt something in his heart mending as they shared their amusement. As they finally returned to some semblance of seriousness, Magnus finally spoke.
"I should have known I couldn't pull one over on her. She's always known me better than I know myself half the time." He grinned at Maria, shaking his head as he ran a hand through his hair. Then his gaze turned serious. He turned his attention to her hands and the necklace they cradled. He reached out and plucked it out, letting it dangle from his fingers. He recognised it as one that his grandmother had worn constantly after her husband's death, one that he had given to her as an anniversary gift, a long time ago before Magnus had even been born. It was a small jasper stone that had been put into a simple but elegant setting and strung from a delicate gold chain. He looked at Maria, and when her eyes met his, the look she gave him made his heart race. In her eyes, he saw hope, a touch of sadness, longing, and… love. So much love he could barely stand it. He swallowed hard before looking back down at the necklace in his hands. His grandmother had seen what he hadn't realised, or hadn't been ready to acknowledge yet. He loved Maria. He had loved her for a long time, he realised now. It took only a moment before he reached a decision in his mind. He took Maria by the shoulders and gently turned her so that her back was to him. Then, unclasping the necklace, he reached around her and set it against her neck before fastening it again. Then, placing his hands against her shoulders, he placed a soft kiss where the clasp rested against the nape of her neck. He grinned against her skin as he felt her shudder.
"Magnus?" Her voice was slightly breathless and there was just the slightest hint of a waver, he noted with not a small amount of masculine pride.
He brought his mouth close to her ear. "I love you, Maria," he murmured. He relished her quiet gasp. "Would you marry me? For real this time?" She shifted in his grasp, turning to face him, her gaze searching. She seemed to find what she was looking for, because her face broke into a giddy smile and she nodded, biting her lip to contain her pure joy. His own grin flashed in response, as his heart filled nearly to bursting and he pulled her in for a toe-curling kiss.
Three months later, when they were married and moving into their new house together, his grandmother's letter was placed in a frame and hung in a place of honour over the mantel.