Page 30 of From Helsinki with Love
“But we have all missed you so much.” She sniffles, a tear falling down her face. “So much.”
“I missed you, too.”
After our little exchange, she spots a confused Vivian and switches to English while swiping under her eyes with her shirt sleeve. “Oh, sorry, forgive my poor manners. We normally try our best to speak English if someone around us can’t speak Finnish, but I got carried away seeing my son for the first time in months. Please, come in from the cold.”
I let Vivian and Linnea walk in before me and close the door behind us. The different smells of the holidays fill my nostrils, and I want to weep with happiness. I truly have missed being home with my family. It being Christmas makes it even better.
“Can I get your coats?” Elise offers.
I narrow my eyes. “What’s your endgame here, little one?”
“Äiti told me to behave and be nice to our guest, so I’m doing my part.”
“I knew you wouldn’t do it yourself.”
“Stop teasing your sisters, Jasper.” Mom sighs. She’s used to us constantly bickering, so it’s nothing new.
“This is just how I tell them how much I have missed them, äiti.”
Vivian laughs beside me. “He’s right—I just had a front row seat to the razzing interactions between Jasper and Linnea on our way here.” She looks around and turns to my mom. “You have such a beautiful home, Mrs. Åkerman.”
“None of that! Just call me Anne.” She hugs Vivian. “And thank you for the compliment, Vivian. We have lived in this house since we moved back to Finland when Jasper was a teenager, and the girls were just little ones.”
“I love the light colors and the Nordic vibes you have going.”
“Thank you, dear. Let me get—”
Her next sentence is cut off as my farmor (paternal grandmother) and Pappa appear in the doorway to the sitting room. They both have matching green eyes, and my dad has light brown hair sprinkled with some salt and pepper. It’s a wonder how all of us kids got our mom’s looks.
“Famo, I have missed you so much,” I exclaim in Swedish and lovingly hug my grandma who seems to get smaller every time I see her.
She says she’s delighted to have me back home and greets Vivian with her delicate, accented voice, “Welcome to Finland, Vivian. I’m farmor Lovisa, but the kids sometimes call mefamo.”
“Lovely to meet you, Lovisa.”
Greeting my dad next, I look down at him sitting in his wheelchair. “Pappa, how are you doing?”
“Son, it’s good to see you,” he says, eyes watering. I haven’t seen him since his accident in September, so it’s an emotional moment for both of us. But today isn’t about the events that changed his life, so I turn to Vivian and gesture between her and my dad.
“Vivian, meet my pappa, Nils.”
Offering her hand for a handshake, Vivian reacts to him like he isn’t sitting in a wheelchair.And I couldn’t like her more this moment if I tried.“I have heard a lot about you, Nils. Like I told your wife, you have such a beautiful home. Thank you for inviting me.”
“Thank you, Vivian. We’re happy to have you as our guest.” Pappa lets go of her hand and starts rolling toward the living room. “Let’s have drinks first.”
My eyes trail him, having a tough time accepting that this is the same man who has broken many Finnish hockey records. The man who taught me to skate before I could even do it without any support. The man who made me the hockey player I am today. My own personal Superman.
It’s a bit selfish to think all that, as I know my dad hasn’t been the same after the car accident that paralyzed his right leg earlier this year. Even though his rehab has been going well so far, the road to recovery is long and winding. They still don’t know whether the damage is permanent or if Pappa will recover.
That’s also why my parents haven’t released an official statement yet. They are waiting to see what happens before they do that. The public only knows that my dad retired from his coaching job for personal reasons and has been staying out of the spotlight. Sure, there are speculations, but nothing concrete has been released to the media.
As we walk into the living room, I take in the familiar surroundings. The tree in the corner is decorated with lights and ornaments, and presents are stacked neatly underneath it—I need to add Vivian’s and my family’s presents before dinner. It feels more like Christmas here, but the atmosphere is different this year, with Pappa’s accident casting a shadow over everything. Äiti, farmor, and my sisters are doing their best to make sure everything goes well, but all their eyes keep straying to his wheelchair. I’m sure he’s noticed, too.
“Are you okay?” Vivian asks in a whisper as she stops next to me. I’m shocked that she has noticed something is off since we haven’t known each other for that long and I like to keep my feelings close to the chest.
“Yeah, I’m just thinking how it’s good to be home again. I haven’t been back in months,” I reply, keeping my voice low.
“I understand,” she says with a nod. “That’s exactly how I was when I was in college and visited my childhood home.”
