The Simple Reality

The Fifth of September

"Did you know about this?" she whispered gaspingly, her eyes moving from the large screen that everyone watched and back to him. "Did you plan it?" She found him watching also and so pleased with it.

"I didn't, no," he said in amusement. "It's amazing, but now I guess we know why Tilda needed those videos."

The scenes had passed through parts of each decade, family moments and some gathered from other than Björn's pile. They were a collection and in the end they narrated their story and revealed that even through all those years, they were still bonded with one another. Agnetha felt she couldn't resist watching, she fought herself to force her eyes off the screen to see Björn again. He twirled her under his arm and pulled her back in. He was smiling at her and as much as he wanted to watch also he wouldn't miss the chance to see her this happy. He wanted to remember it for the rest of his life. Guests watched them on the squared dance floor, glad for them and others left sentimental.

The woman standing with a glass of wine in her hand had finally realized the bliss the newly weds brought to one another. She nearly stayed home, if she were honest with herself maybe it was the correct decision and she knew it, but her children had insisted and convinced her the better thought is to go. Missing the occasion would translate something poorly towards the couple and she hadn't the heart to be that person.

"You're unhappy," the man said.

"No. I guess just sentimental," she admitted. "Maybe... It's strange. I was married to him for forty years," she said. "I let him go so they could find each other again. Now look at where we are," she laughed lightly. They both watched them spin for a while and the video on the screen behind them that transitioned now from old memories to ones recently made– Agnetha recording Björn sleeping only to be startled by him in the end, Björn throwing Agnetha into the pool, both in a canoe in the lake, and it moved on to running from the sprinklers and normal family evenings.

Marc had found she was very lost in the video, the song, and the touching dance they respectfully watched. He was stuck in similar thoughts as Lena and he knew what she was thinking. This moment would become a memory for her and he didn't want it to be remembered with sadness. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Dance with me?"

"Are you crazy?" she finally turned to him. She scoffed in laughter, knowing that to do it during their first dance would be highly inappropriate, not only as a guest, but as Björn's ex-wife. She couldn't accept it. How scandalous, she thought.

"Not crazy. You should remember this moment, this song pleasantly and the look of your face was more depressing when you're watching them."

"That's not true!"

"Are you saying I am lying?"

"No... Just out of your mind," she laughed. The song had finally ended and moved over to another, with the band playing "At Last," by Etta James. It was light and sung by the young brunette woman.

"Now will you dance with me?" She had shyly rolled her eyes. His hand remained open for hers to take and obediently she placed her hand in his.

While music had lightened the hearts of everyone present, allowing a feeling of love to dispense into the air, Agnetha gently left the arms of Björn after spotting the yellow truck. Björn had seen the immediate glow in her eyes when she remembered her ice cream. They walked towards it for a treat, the first and surely not the last that night. The line, well, it was a bit packed they found.

"I told you. Ice cream was a brilliant idea," she told him, seeing all the people. They looked at the menu printed in beautiful typography on the truck. She had in mind something fruity, she craved sweet and tangy, and just before she made her order she changed her mind.