Sjödin, Agneta
The Heart of a Woman Copyright © 2012 Agneta Sjödin. All rights reserved. 1st edition printed in Sweden 2012, Bokförlaget Forum. Original title: En kvinnas hjärta Cover design by Anders Timrén, Islington Design. Published by Hoi Förlag, Sweden, 2013. All rights reserved. ISBN 978-91-86775-92-6 www.hoi.se 1
To my daughter Maja
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STOCKHOLM Chapter 1
The text came three minutes to eleven in the evening. It was long, horrible and rambling. I feel as if we don’t complement each other as a couple, that we are different
between us. We decided we should give it some time, and then you
in her wildest dreams had she thought that he would leave her only
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a question than a statement.
someone could hold her tight, telling her everything would be alright.
No! she had screamed, No! roared within
The only thing she wanted was to go to bed, but how would she get
she started to crawl, and there was something in the actual crawling
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he who had told her that he would never ever leave her. Maria was crying uncontrollably, leaning on her elbows and hiding
duvet, sobbing.
could not get it into her head that this was the same man who had
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had summoned everyone to a meeting to go through the holidays that
entire revelation and the energy he exuded. 8
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Chapter 2
voice.
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are nevertheless still there and I cannot remember it ever having hurt
under the covers.
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came to her that at that moment, she had seen her grandmother’s dead
heart.
still drowsy. 13
melted snow.
but they were genuine.
someone around.
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remained was rubble, and she had no idea how to carry on.
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he cancelled the very same day, the excuse being that he didn’t miss and casually mentioned that he had had dinner with his ex. Maria had
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Maria nodded.
would have been easier to hate him, but right now she just missed him so much.
Maria nodded.
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sobbed.
home.
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I’m sure. The best lies ahead. This was just a necessary lesson to get you
continued with my studies and started my own business otherwise.
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and that dream was now crushed.
do now was to lie here and stare out the window. I’ll call him in the morning, she thought. I’ll call mum and dad in the morning too.
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would laugh at him. Today she didn’t, but at least watching him made
had been down there on the street once. They had been seeing each
having returned a day early. Maria remembered his laughter on the
love, devotionally and intimately. Maria remembered having cried
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