Somehow, with all the extra shifts he had had to work to make up for Christmas, and the shifts he had picked up to spend the week with Roxanna in Bath, made the time positively fly past him in a blur, and suddenly it was only a day before he was meeting her at the airport before heading to her home. Henrik sighed a little as he looked around his bedroom, trying to focus on what he absolutely needed to pack. He'd never been to Bath before, but somehow he knew that exploring it with her would make the experience that much better.
Letting out another sigh, he padded over to his bed and folded another pair of trousers, adding them to the clothes in the suitcase before putting in fresh pants and socks, enough for every day of their trip. Lastly, he packed Roxanna's cat stuffie, wanting to bring it along. There wasn't much time now until it would be a permanent part of their household, and he rubbed the fur softly before zipping the case and bringing it over to the door, so all he would have to do is pick it up in the morning.
With that out of the way, Henrik made his way into the kitchen and started to make lunch. While soup was warming up on the burner, his phone rang, and he smiled as he went into the living room to answer. "Hello?"
"Henrik! I'm getting ready to head to the airport, and I forgot to tell you, I'm bringing back a little extra luggage this trip, since we have plans to head up to Sweden after I graduate. I just thought it would be easier to get this out of the way, even if it will make life a little more plain."
"You could never be plain, Roxy. You were born to sparkle."
The inane words slipped from his mouth before he could call them back, and he shook his head slowly as he made his way back into the kitchen, stirring the soup as he waited for Roxanna's reply. "That is too romantic, Henrik! And just one of the reasons that I love you so much." A soft sigh slipped from her mouth. "I cannot believe that in six hours I'll be getting on the plane that brings me home to you."
"Well, for a week, yes."
"Hush, when you put a time on it, it makes it seem so short. I want to hold on to every moment that I can, okay? Because every moment from here on out brings me that much closer to spending the rest of my life with you."
A pleased smile stole across his face as he nodded. "There is something so beautiful about the future you see for us. I want that future so badly, too, but a part of me…"
"A part of you feels like if you name it, something will go wrong?"
"Yes. Exactly."
Roxanna took a deep breath. "I will one day work on getting you to trust that the universe will not go off the rails if you admit that everything is going well. I know, it might take us our entire married life, but I will one day mend all the cracks in your heart with gold."
Henrik nodded thoughtfully as he mulled over her words, finding something so indescribably lovely about the way she viewed him and everything about him. "I love you," he breathed out as he turned the burner off and grabbed out a bowl, pouring the soup into it before setting it on the table so he could get out a spoon. "I love you so much."
"Twice in the space of thirty seconds, Henrik, that's new. But for what it's worth, I love you, too." She kissed into the receiver, and he knew that she was getting ready to say goodbye. "I still need to finish up my packing, so I really do need to go? I hate to say goodbye, but this is my last goodbye until I'm in your arms again. Even if it is only for a week."
"A sweet week together. And I will be there at the airport to pick you up at eight."
"Until then, my darling." She sent him another kiss. "Goodbye, Henrik."
"Goodbye, Roxanna." They hung up, and Henrik tucked into his soup, thumbing through the newspaper before settling in and working the crossword puzzle. There was a sense of peace that settled around him as he answered the clues that he could, before going back and making educated guesses on the others until his soup was finished and the puzzle completed. It was an easier one that afternoon, and he was glad for that.
It didn't take long for him to wash the dishes, and then he was making his way into the living room and settling onto the sofa, picking up the latest edition of the Lancet and starting to read from where he had left off. The articles this week fascinated him, and he found himself taking notes in the margins of a few, thinking about how he could work them into his own practice at the hospital. Finally, with the next article read, he stood and stretched, cracking his back a little before going to the door and slipping his feet into his loafers.
The day was still a bit cool, so he grabbed his jacket and tugged it on as he started walking down the pavement, deciding to take advantage of the sunny day by being out in in as much as he could. Henrik waved at a few familiar faces as he passed them, humming a Wagner piece as he went along. He had thought that he would walk around aimlessly, but he found his feet taking him towards the small park that he had grown to love, knowing that Roxanna would love it as well, since she seemed to love the outdoors.
Taking a seat on the first open bench, Henrik made himself comfortable and watched the people that went past him. A tender look crossed his face when he saw a family enter the park. The mum was carrying a baby while the father had an arm around her waist, his free hand holding tightly to their son's hand. A feeling of deep longing filled his soul as he watched the family find a spot beneath an oak tree to spread out a checkered blanket to rest on.
"That is what I want," he murmured aloud as he turned his face away, not wanting to appear to be staring, after all. "I want Fredrik here, with us, and a baby to dote on." It was the closest he had come to admitting his wants in a few months, and he wondered how he could let Roxanna know that that was the path he wanted to walk down with her.
The insidious voice in his mind chose that moment to speak up, reminding him that Roxanna might not want to start a family right away, since that would affect her career, and he knew how much her career meant to her, even if she hadn't started at a hospital yet. Sighing a little, he ran his hand through his hair and tried to find his peace once more, trying to focus on the fact that Roxanna would be with him soon, and they could weather that storm together.