Frida was sitting in her armchair reading a self-help book, she had her legs crossed while she moved them from one side to the other. Benny was working, for a change, and she was at home trying to occupy her time with things, but there was a problem, she had spent the entire morning reading and she was already feeling tired of it.
She closed the book and gave a long sigh, it had snowed a lot since the day before and she felt exhausting, she had never felt a winter as long as that one. And it is that perhaps, it had been her most inactive period in her entire life, usually, since she was little, she would be working and doing things, but that winter she was at home and without any real work plan, apart from the one she received at home from time to time to take care of her business.
Tired of being at home, she decided to take the car keys from the shelf, it even seemed like a routine, she took her coat and got out of her house. For a few days she had an idea in her head and she wanted to see if she would materialize it, that would even help her not feel so alone, although she didn't know how Benny would react to the idea either.
***
Benny was in her office locked up and sitting in front of the piano. Working so much with Chess had taken him away from his routine of composing music and he was about to regain his dedication. He, without having anything in mind, began to play some notes on the piano which he was perfecting. While he was at his maximum moment of inspiration, in which he felt that everything was going well, he heard the knock on the door and he widened his eyes, stopped for a moment, supposedly he had told everyone that he would be writing music and for him it was a sacred hour.
Benny cleared his throat and decided to ignore it, then continued playing, although now he couldn't concentrate and heard a knock again, followed by the barking of a dog. He frowned and got up from his chair somewhat irritably, going immediately to the door and yanking it open. Upon opening, Frida was there while she held the leash in her hands and tried to calm a little dog with lots of hair, which was constantly shaking, she caressing him.
"For a moment I thought you wouldn't open the door for us," she said, seeing Benny.
"I was composing music," he replied confused.
"Say hello to our new baby," she said, reaching down and stroking her new friend's hair.
"What are you talking about?" Benny asked still not taking another step.
"I adopted him," she replied and began to smile as the dog began to lick her face. "Maybe we need a dog, don't you think?" she added.
Benny cleared his throat and crouched down as well, bringing his hand to the dog. "I don't know," he muttered and took the dog in his hands, he could barely see his eyes for all the fur, in fact, he reminded them quite a bit of Zappa the only thing is that this one was a puppy yet and his breed a bearded collie. "What is his name?"
"I don't know," she replied now a little more timid and stood up again. "I thought we could pick a name together but you're busy and I think we'd better wait for you at home," she still couldn't meet his eyes, so she grabbed the leash.
Benny got up from the floor and almost forced her eyes to meet his. "Okay, just come in...I couldn't concentrate anyway," he invited her into the office, he didn't want to be rude to her either.
"Sure?" She knew how sacred the time was to compose music for him and she still interrupted him, but she was excited for him to meet the newest member of the family.
"Sure," he assured and feeling guilty for her but not having received her well, he put his hand on her waist without her expecting it and kissed her. She returned the kiss. "How did you decide we needed a dog?" he asked, going to his desk to sit on the chair.
"I was home alone without my husband, the book I had been reading all morning had already tired me out and I thought I was very lonely," she explained, pausing and looking into his eyes. "Besides, the house needs a little creature to brighten up our lives a bit," she smiled as she bent down and caressed the head of the new member of the family, who didn't hesitate to lick her hand.
Benny sighed silently, he knew that Frida was longing for something more. "I guess he needs a name," Benny said, joining her in petting the dog.
"Benny sounds like a nice dog name," Frida suggested, playfully, staring at the dog and smiling.
"Oh you say?" Benny asked offended. "I don't think you want to have two Benny's at home," he laughed.
"Or maybe yes. So I don't have to miss you so much during the day," she replied.
"Apolo sounds like a wise name," Benny said, helping her up.
Frida raised both eyebrows to think about it. "Okay, you win," she hugged him. Benny also wrapped his arms around her and Frida put her face on his neck, kissing him and feeling his warmth.
"Are you okay?" He asked stroking her back.
She nodded her head without saying anything, she looked like a little girl. "They told me you were composing but I couldn't contain the urge to introduce you to the new member," she broke away a bit. "I'm sorry," she apologized.
"Okay, no problem, Frida. I will always have time for you," he assured her, caressing her cheek.
"I know," she nodded her head in disorientation. She looked at her watch, it was around 3:30 p.m., so she understood that it was time to go back to her cave. "I'm leaving now, we won't interrupt you anymore," she took the dog's leash. "Let's go Apolo," she said softly and the pup got up off the floor to follow his new mom.
"Wait," Benny tried to stop her. "Would you wait for me half an hour? And so we leave together," he asked her, perhaps the right thing to do was to do that and not let her go home alone again.
"I could, yes," she agreed. "I'll be with Görel for a bit," she instructed and left the office, followed by Apolo.
Frida entered Görel's office, who was under a stack of papers that she was reading and organizing. "Busy?" Frida asked.
Görel looked up immediately at the voice and her eyes lit up. "I was, but not anymore," she smiled, dropping the papers on the desk and getting up from her chair.
Frida had a bit of difficulty getting Apolo to enter the office but he did after giving him a few pushes. "We came to visit," she commented, looking at her new dog.
"Who is this little one?" Görel asked, bending down to pet the puppy.
"His name is Apolo, he is a new member of the Andersson Lyngstad family," she smiled. "I just adopted him today and came to introduce him to Benny," she added.
"Hello, Apolo," Görel let him lick her cheek, he was very attached and affectionate. "Benny was writing music all day and he didn't want to be bothered, he didn't even go out to eat. Did you see him?" She commented, somewhat dismayed.
"I saw him," Frida agreed. "He stopped for a moment when we got there and then he told me to wait another half hour for him," she explained.
"I tried to get him to eat something but he wouldn't," Görel said and then got up again to go to the shelf that was attached to the wall near the window. "By the way, it's good that you're here, you have some mail that Benny hasn't brought you and I don't want it to accumulate," she said, taking a stack of papers that had Frida's name on it. Since she now had no office, everything came to Mono Music, that is, fan letters, requests from producers, musical offers, businesses and their branches.
"Thanks, at least I'll have something to entertain myself with for the next few days," she half smiled and took the papers.
***
An hour later, Görel was preparing to leave, as were many of the employees. Frida knocked on the door of Benny's office, a considerable time had passed and he didn't come out, so she decided to come back. "Come in," she heard him order from the other side of the door.
Frida walked in, to find Benny sitting at his grand piano. "Are we leaving yet?" She asked.
"I'll need five more minutes," he requested. He saw Frida make a gesture of disgust with her face, but anyway she entered the office followed by Apolo, both going to the armchair by the window to wait for Benny. Frida put the stack of papers aside and Apolo lay down on the floor and made himself comfortable. His sensor told him that they would wait there for a while longer.
Benny looked at her, she had left the door open and that threw him off track. He cleared his throat and stood up tense, then went to close the door. Frida looked at him and noticed his discomfort, it seemed absurd to her. When Benny was back in her chair, Frida got up and went to him, sitting on his lap without fear of success. Benny gasped at the sudden contact of their bodies and she stared at him. "I need to finish here," he commented.
"I know," Frida replied, leaning in closer and without another word, she placed a kiss on his lips. "Are you stressed about something?" She brought their foreheads together and caressed his cheek, then kissed him again.
"I'm trying to finish up so we can go home," he whispered, breaking the kiss.
"We could spend a while longer here, just if..." when she said this, they were interrupted by a knock on the door, but Frida didn't stop.
Benny removed his hand from her waist and tried to stand up but she loaded all of her weight onto him and wouldn't let him. "It's okay, I'm sure it's nothing important," she whispered against his lips and kissed him again, feeling the heat run through her body.
Apolo, hearing the door again, opened his eyes and got up from the floor, going to the door and barking. "Frida stop," Benny frowned and now spoke with a bit more authority and irritation. "I'll open," he added.
Frida raised an eyebrow and got up from his lap, trying to fix her skirt. Benny opened the door a little and waited for Apolo to lean back a little to open it all the way. "Hey Benny!" Said Max, the engineer who was in charge of mixing in the studio. "I wanted to update the controls and tell you that I'm leaving , in case you need anything else," the boy said.
Frida waited for him to finish speaking so as not to seem reckless and she took Apolo by the leash, "let's go boy," she caressed him and Apolo followed her.
"Frida!" Benny tried to call her but she didn't listen.
***
Later that night, Benny came home a little late, all the lights were off. He went straight up to the bedroom and there was a light on from the lamp, which at least and in a dimmed way, gave clarity in the place. The scene to enter was the following: Frida sleeping soundly lying on her back and on her side of the bed, while Apolo was next to her, also curled up and snuggled close to her, likewise with his eyes closed and apparently sleeping. The funny thing is that Apolo was occupying Benny's bed space.
After Frida left the office without saying a word, Benny decided not to go home, but to go out to a bar and have dinner, anyway he knew that another drama was coming and he needed to clear his mind.
Once he took off all his clothes and ready to sleep, he went to bed and tried to remove the covers to get in too, but Apolo was occupying his side and when he tried to do something, he opened his eyes and growled. "Hey it's me!" He tried to calm him down. "You're on my side of the bed," Benny explained quietly. Apolo, who was really peaceful, ignored him and lowered his head again, lying down complaining and knowing that he had Frida next to him. "Good!" Benny murmured upon seeing that action. "Apolo, come here," he spoke to him now with a bit more authority, inviting him to the floor.
Apolo, this time stood on top of the bed and turned around, then laid his head on Frida's belly and closed his eyes again. Frida, who was a light sleeper, was already feeling the movements and murmurs, so she decided to wake up. When she opened her eyes, Benny was in front of her fighting Apolo, and her cub on top of her. Frida caressed his head and gently sat down, so as not to disturb her new baby. "What's happening?" She asked.
"He's taking my place," Benny complained. "I need to sleep."
"There are so many beds in this house, you don't really need to be here," Frida commented irritably and took Apolo into her arms. Now that his space was free, Benny decided to ignore that comment and shook the bed in case there were hairs and got into the sheet, and Frida got up caressing her new doggy son and kissing him goodnight. "Stay here tonight, tomorrow we'll go shopping for your new bed," she whispered to him, tucking him into a pile of makeshift quilts and cushions she'd made for him to sleep on that night.
Apolo obediently to his mother, lowered his head and laid comfortably. Frida got up again and went back to bed. "Stop irritating my baby!" She complained as she frowned.
"I wasn't irritating him," Benny replied. "I was just trying for him to make space for all but he wasn't going to give in," he made clear and then paused. "And now that we are claiming things, why did you walk out like that without saying anything?" Benny intercepted her but she didn't respond. "Do you think ignoring me will solve all your problems?" He said irritated.
"Maybe, or at least avoid them for a while," she commented, pulling the sheet over herself.
"I'm starting to get tired, Frida!" Benny raised his voice to her. "You've been acting very strangely for the past few months."
Saying this, Frida was paralyzed and her mind began to scheme, he was getting tired, her greatest fear... Apolo raised his head feeling the couple's tension. "If you get tired, you know what to do," Frida replied, in a rigid tone of voice.
"I don't know anything and that's why I'm confused," Benny replied, trying to get her to talk more, but Frida was closed off. "If you would only explain to me..."
"I don't know why you ask me for explanations..." she raised her voice. "You are absent and then you don't want my attitude to be different, receiving rejection after rejection from you."
"What are you talking about?" Benny frowned. "It's just that you can't pretend that if you provoke me sexually in public places I can go along with it," he got upset. "Now we are in another position."
"But it's not just that..." she replied irritably. "It's not just that, it's everything..." She sighed aggressively. "We agreed that it would be just you and me in this world, but lately it's been more me than you. You never been..."
"Because I do work?" He answered. "I can't quit my job, I love working and I can't come home to do anything." At that moment, Apolo got up from his bed and began to bark, but went to Benny's bedside, claiming him. Apolo tried to get on the bed but he was still very small, while furiously he kept barking at him.
Benny then understood that he should lower his voice, the dog had sensed the tension and anger that reigned in the conversation. "Come Apolo," Frida got up a little and called him. "Go back to bed boy," she pointed at him. "He won't hurt me..." Frida added.
Benny felt his heart break into pieces, especially with that last statement, of course he wouldn't hurt her. He and Frida made eye contact, but neither of them said anything else. She pulled the sheets tight and tried to close her eyes to sleep, but she couldn't concentrate because she felt the pressure of her husband's gaze that wouldn't let up. "I'm sorry if I did or said anything that might hurt your feelings," Benny relented, like most of the time, and leaned into her for a hug, placing his hand on her belly under the covers. Frida was paralyzed without saying anything yet, then she felt him place a kiss on the corner of her lips. "We'll talk tomorrow," he told her, caressing her.
Benny then took his space of the bed and lay on his side, Frida did not resist and without saying a word she hugged him from behind, smelling his natural perfume, then she kissed his neck and squeezed him tight. Benny held her hand that was on his chest and caressed it, both of them later falling asleep.