Page 104 of Forever Fascinating

They sat for hours in the hot tub, working on the bottle of bubbly, while talking and laughing with each other. They both were lounging, relaxing in the warmth, and feeling almost tipsy… but she didn’t know if it was from the alcohol – or his presence.

Matthew held her hand or pulled her into his lap, just holding her, while they cuddled and admired their surroundings. As the evening deepened, both grew quiet, staring in awe at the breathtaking ‘sunset’. When they described it as a midnight sun, she realized it truly was.

The clouds and horizon darkened… but only enough to cast a ruddy warm hue across the sky, turning the clouds almost purplish in the distance. It never got darker, which made her wonder how the glass room would work for guests sleeping there.

“C’mon,” Matthew said gently. “It’s getting late, and I know you must be tired, too. We’ll probably be up at the first rays of sunlight and…”

“Will you hold me,” she asked softly, looking at him. “Will you hold me like you did those last nights in Greece? I just want to hear your heartbeat and feel you breathing against my side.”

“It would be my honor and privilege,” Matthew replied tenderly, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I love holding you close and still can’t believe you picked me out of this entire world.”

“I would pick you every time.”

He pressed his forehead to hers, taking a deep, steadying breath.

“Sometimes I just don’t deserve you, Jana… but I’m so glad you are here.”

* * *

Early the next morning,they drove back into town to find something for breakfast. The little cottage had several yogurt containers waiting, but she was hoping for a little something more traditional… only to find out it was.

At the restaurants, you could order Skyr yogurt and berries. Apparently, everyone here indulged in the yogurt, topping it with honey, berries, or other items. They ate their Skyr and berries, splitting an order ofkleina, which resembled little doughnuts, and drank coffee.

They walked the streets, holding hands, and stepping into the occasional gift shop to peruse the items here. It was a lot different than Athens, which had a market every few feet full of souvenirs.

No, this place had shops here and there that specialized in certain things. Sweaters of every shape, size, and color were in one shop… while another brandished scarves along with stickers, magnets, and handmade coffee mugs. There were shops that sold rich lotions made with beeswax and essential oils.

Jana picked up a cardigan with large silver clasps for herself – and matching knit caps for her and Matthew to wear back home during the brutal winter storms. She purchased handmade soaps for both their families, along with two small bottles ofBrennivin.

It was a traditional liqueur made here, in a black and green bottle, that smelled strongly. She was going to put them with the Ouzo they had brought from Greece. Matthew looked at the bottles skeptically, and passed on the sample he was offered.

She didn’t blame him – and almost wished that she had. It was clear and extremely strong, causing her to feel like she was blowing fire. Something like that sample would have been good after the polar plunge… not before!

They orderedplokkfiskurfor lunch, which was a strange type of fish stew that was actually quite delicious. It was full of potatoes, chunks of cod, some onion, and you could see the rich butter floating on the top. A basket of charcoal baked breads was in the center of the table, and the duo ate heartily, whispering among themselves at how different this was from their last trip together.

Finally, several hours later, they were climbing aboard a boat, having used the changing rooms to don their swimsuits and wearing the bathrobes provided by the charter boat. This tour was wonderful, because it wasn’t nearly as crowded as she imagined it might be.

Fjallsarionwas breathtakingly beautiful and the glaciers, chunks of ice in the lagoon, glowed eerily blue.

“You know…fun fact: I prefer my poolssansnatures very own ice cubes,” she whispered nervously to Matthew, causing him to laugh softly as he shushed her while their guide was speaking in accented English.

Stunned, Jana heard him explaining that they would be all climbing into the water near the glacier – and that they would need to wear the harnesses in case they cramped or needed to be rescued due to the temperatures.

“This does not sound remotely fun… I would like to formally lodge a protest because that hot tub was much nicer,” she whispered at his side, listening to the guide.

“Jana…” Matthew chuckled. “Darling, don’t tell me you are getting cold feet?”

“I’ve got cold everything right now – and it’s about to get much colder.”

“We can stop at one of the hot springs on the side of the road…” he tempted, leaning over to kiss the tip of her nose.

“We had better,” she grumbled, seeing everyone stand up at once, removing their robes and quickly clipping their harnesses to an anchor point on the boat.

“You go first, and I’ll take a video of you,” she hedged.

“Go with me,” he said softly, smiling at her. “Hold my hand, be by my side, and let’s do this crazy thing.”

“Crazybeing the operative word…”

---