HEJ, MY LOVE

HER HUSBAND

Sierra and Jonas went for the visits. The first apartment's ceiling was so low Jonas had to lower his head during the whole tour. The second one's price was appealing, but it had a multitude of things to fix. Though Jonas loved repairing, his time was too limited for him to invest.

The couple needed somewhere where they could just unpack.

The house situated in Robertsviksvagen 15 was their last hope.

It was a thirty minutes drive from the center and their current apartment.

"Alright, here we are," Anders announced once Jonas, Sierra and Leone got out of their car. Unlike most people, Sierra met Anders was very vocal. He had a warm attitude which put one at ease. One would think the man came from the south of France with his tan and a large grin. Also, he had the same name as Jonas' father, which made Sierra believe people named Anders were kind.

"It's a stone house built in 1963. It's ideal for a young couple, a family, or a couple who wants to start one."

"How many bedrooms are there?" Sierra asked as they entered.

"Six. "

"Gosh, it's huge," Sierra said as they entered the front hall.

The white walls and high ceiling enhanced the feeling. Light streamed through everywhere.

You have 0.31 acres of exterior withㅡ," Anders made them cross the living room to enter the garden, and this, Jonas wanted Feng Shui. You can't get better than this."

They stood in front of a huge pond.

"Oh my goodness, are those koi fishes?" Sierra asked.

"Yes, certified and authentic koi fishes, but you can throw them out and build a pool if you want."

"No, they're beautiful. Leone, look, poisson [fish]."

The boy smiled and repeated, "passon."

"I hope they are included in the price," Jonas asked.

Koi fishes were particular. The average kind was fifty dollars, while others could attain up to ten thousand dollars depending on their genetic lineage. Their lifespan varied between twenty-five and thirty-five years. If the ones in the pond were certified, the fish alone represented an investment.

"Jonas, who do you think I am? Of course, they are. Shall we see the rest?" Anders asked.

The real estate agent led the way and presented every room of the three thousand eight hundred square feet house. "And last but not least, the sauna."

For the first time in forever for Jonas, he saw his wife smile.

"Do you like it?" Jonas asked.

Sierra nodded, "I love it."

"Really, because we can still wait to see if he has something else," Jonas said. He didn't want Sierra to feel pushed.

"This place is great, Jonas," Sierra knew how her husband wished for them to be elsewhere before he left. She didn't want to be fussy.

Jonas turned to Anders, "okay, let's do this."

Anders clapped, "great, I'll get the papers ready."

"Wait, how much is it?"

"Sierra, don't worryㅡ."

Jonas was a second too late as Anders unleashed, "twenty-five million kr SEK, either two million nine hundred US dollars.

"Exㅡcuse me, sirrrㅡ," Sierra exclaimed before turning to face her husband, "Jonas, no, it's ugly. I'm good; we don't need this. We can live in a caravan."

"Sierra."

"No, it's out of the question. I refuse; it's almost three million. Jonas, do you hear that? I said, thㅡree," Sierra empathized."

Anders smiled and wondered if Sierra knew how much the rest of Jonas's properties cost and what they added up to in total.

"Anders, can I speak to my wife in private?"

"Sure, I'll be by the pond with my fishy buddies."

Jonas waited for Anders to leave before speaking, "don't worry, it's not more expensive than where we are. I won't even need to top up one-third here."

"But it's sooo pricey."

"Everything in Sweden is pricey. We might not find another place we like this much. I want to know you're somewhere you appreciate. Please don't fuss about it; it's okay. Really, Sierra."

"Do you think he'll lower the price if we let go of the fishes?"

Jonas cocked a brow, but inside he laughed.

The Sierra-like comment made him feel as though he had found his wife again.

They went out to meet Anders.

"So?"

"It's a deal."

"Alright, you won't regret it. The neighborhood is calm. You have all the commodities."

Forty-eight hours was all it took to move from location A to B. Here they were in their new house, ready to spend their first night.

During the move, Sierra didn't realize what the change would bring until she sat on the bed of their new house.

Jonas finished his shower without giving bedtime much of a thought. He figured his wife would sleep in one of the spare rooms until he opened the door to their bedroom.

"Sieㅡ."

"I-I thought we could, I-Iㅡwant to sleep here. Is it okay?"

Sierra didn't think her heart would beat so fast. Every word she said almost came out like a hiccup because of it.

Jonas approached and knelt before her, "of course, it's okay, please sleep here, with me."

The man's heart burst. They had not spoken of how things would be. Never in a million years did Jonas imagine Sierra would take such a step without being prompted.

Sierra looked into his eyes, "I want to be with you."

Sierra remembered Erik's words, "we don't read minds, tell him."

"I love you, Jonas. I want us to be as we were, I-I know we can't exactly be or go back to who we were, but I want us back," Sierra lifted her hand to caress his cheek. The man closed his eyes as he let the warmth of Sierra's hand penetrate under his skin. He was about to open his eyes when he felt Sierra's other hand grasp his other cheek.

Salt.

Sierra kissed him while she cupped his face in her hands. Her tears slid and mingled between their lips. She let go, and Jonas opened his eyes. Their gazes drowned in one another.

"You're the man of my dreams, Jonas. I'm sorry for making you worry so much. I'm sorry for keeping my distances."

"Sierra, it's okay."

"No, no, I was scared. I was afraid of everything and stressed by everything. I can't lie: My employment situation, the language barrier, and the incident with the police just added oil to the fire. I didn't wish for our child to grow up in a place where racist biases thrives," Sierra lifted her eyes and pursed her lips, "I was afraid to have the baby, and when I lost him, I feared you wouldn't love me anymore. I thought you hated me."

"No, I could never," Jonas said, shaking his head to deny, "you're my world, Sierra. Youㅡ," she kissed him again. Jonas got up and made her lean back on the bed.

Sierra's body had recovered well, according to the doctor. The only thing that would be unpredictable during the months to come was her menstrual cycle. She could do whatever she wished with her body. And then all the woman desired was her husband.