Isak Gunnar Cederström (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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muserevival2016-09-22 11:10 am
isak_cederstrom) wrote in muserevival2016-09-22 11:10 am
Entry tags:
mr #127.2 | Quote
- "I have learned that there is more power in a good strong hug than in a thousand meaningful words."
- Ann Hood
vara där inom kort.
Isak glanced at the text from his brother, replied with a quick okej, then slipped his phone back into his pocket. He was sitting on the couch in his sister's living room, waiting for his brother to meet them so that they would be able to head over to the hospital to see their father together. None of the Cederström children dared go on his or her own; even if their father was quite possibly on his death bed, they were stronger as a cohesive unit rather than as individuals. They had all learned that at a very young age.
Elina was elsewhere in the house, doing what Isak was unsure. His anxiety was starting to rise, evident in the rapid rhythmic bouncing of his leg and the inability to sit still for long periods of time. He stood from the couch and began pacing the length of the living room, weaving his way around the coffee table.
"Elis sade att han kommer att vara här snart," he shouted, hoping his sister could hear him from wherever she was. He heard a faint ja in response from what sounded like a distant land, and then reached in to check his phone again to see if his brother had sent anything else.
Nothing.
As if on cue, he heard a knock at the door, startling him into a jump. He took a deep breath and slid his phone back into his trouser pocket before walking over to the door. He stood there for a brief moment and steadied himself, taking a deep breath. He reached out and opened it, gripping tightly on the door knob.
The man on the other side of the door looked like his brother, only different. Isak scanned the man's face, looking for traces of the little boy his brother used to be the way he had done with his sister that first night back, but he was unable to find anything. The person in front of him was hardened, weathered. He was a man who had to grow up far too soon, a man who only caught glimpses of his childhood before it had been taken away. Had Isak never really noticed all of that before? Was it because he had not seen him in so long? Or was it because of what they were all there for?
They held each other's gaze for a few seconds before immediately reaching out to embrace each other in a tight, almost suffocating hug. Isak reached out and smoothed the back of Elis' hair, feeling the familiar sting of tears as they welled in his eyes. When had he ever cried so much? He was surprised he even had anything left to cry.
"Åh, min käre bror," Isak said softly, trying to steady the soft shaking of his brother's body as the tears escaped Elis, too. "Jag är ledsen att det har varit så länge." He felt his brother shake his head as he sniffled hard, gripping at the back of Isak's shirt collar. "Nu, nu. Det är okej. Vi är tillsammans."
Elis pulled away from his brother and touched the side of his face, his eyes red as the tears streamed freely down his face. Isak mirrored his movements, curling his hand around the back of Elis' head. He smiled ever so slightly, a warm smile meant to comfort and to soothe. Elis nodded in understanding, letting Isak go to wipe away the tears from his eyes with his jacket sleeve. He let out an embarrassed laugh.
"Förlåt," Elis said. Isak shook his head in response and stepped aside to let his brother in. He shut the door behind him and let out a sigh, one of both happiness to see his brother and sadness at what had brought them together.
"I am glad to see you again," Isak said softly, reaching out to place a supportive hand on his brother's shoulder. He gave it a gentle squeeze. Elis nodded and placed his hand on his brother's outstretched forearm.
"I am glad to see you, too," Elis replied through sniffles and sighs. He glanced around at the room, then looked back to Isak curiously. "Där är vår syster?" Isak peeked over Elis' shoulder and gave a little point. Elis whipped his head around to see that Elina had been standing there, letting the brothers have their moment, waiting for her turn to jump in.
Elis sped over and wrapped his sister up in the same suffocating hug that he had shared with Isak, mumbling things that Isak could not hear. Isak wiped the tears away from his eyes at seeing his brother and sister together, memories of times long past floating through his mind. He remembered the first time they had managed to successfully arrange a meeting between the three of them after Isak had been sent off to boarding school (a failed attempt at breaking the siblings apart). That moment of seeing each other again, so many years ago, felt similar to what Isak was feeling now: the reassurance and comfort of knowing that no matter what life could possibly throw at them, they would always find each other again. They would always have each other. No matter what.
Isak blinked himself out of his memory as something moving caught his eye. As his gaze focused again, he saw that Elis was motioning for him to come over to where he and Elina were still intertwined, wanting their big brother to join in on the moment. With a smile, he walked over and put an arm around each of his siblings, and the three of them leaned their heads in to touch as they had always done. Isak closed his eyes and let out a happy sigh, which he heard quickly echoed by both Elis and Elina, one after the other.
He had almost forgotten how sharp the pain was in his heart whenever they were apart, and he was quickly reminded how strong the urge was to come back home. He did not want to be apart from them anymore. Moments like these reminded him of how much he deeply loved them both and how important they were to him in his life. He remembered the silent oath he made as a child that he would do anything in his power to protect them and keep them safe. And he had, for as long as he could. He realized he still needed to speak to Elis about the guilt he had carried since he left, but he felt more confident that he could after the conversation with Elina had gone so well.
But that was not the time to be thinking those things. What mattered was that they were together again, The Three Dogs of their favorite folktale, told to them by Emilia many times over. Isak remembered that how they had each assigned themselves a particular dog: Isak was "Riva" (Tear), Elis was "Ta Tag" (Take Hold), and Elina was "Lyssna" (Hark). With a bright smile, Isak opened his eyes again and stood up straight. He looked at each of them in turn, a hand on each of their shoulders.
"Riva, Lyssna, och Ta Tag ... tillsammans igen." Like a flash of light had gone off, Isak watched as the memory hit each of them instantaneously.
"Ja, tillsammans igen. För alltid," Elina said with a nod.
"För alltid," Elis repeated. There was a shared moment between the three of them, and Isak knew that they were all feeling and thinking the same thing he was. They were The Three Dogs, and they would be forever. There was a bit of silence before Elis added, "But I am hungry. Can we eat now?"
The three of them laughed, dropping their hands from the others' shoulders.
"Ja, ja. Let's go," Isak said, walking to open the front door.
As they exited Elina's house, Isak felt a hand reach around and land on his shoulder. He glanced to his side and saw that it was Elis, who was smiling more brightly than Isak had seen in a long, long while.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Nothing. It is just good to see you ... Riva." Elis replied, removing his hand to give his brother a playful punch on the shoulder. He ran off to reach Elina's car first so he could have the front seat, and Isak could not help but laugh. Considering everything that was happening, his heart finally felt light. It felt free. He knew that he would be able to handle whatever came his way, as long as he had his fellow Dogs. Together, they could conquer anything.
Even their father.
Word Count | 1448
- Ann Hood
vara där inom kort.
Isak glanced at the text from his brother, replied with a quick okej, then slipped his phone back into his pocket. He was sitting on the couch in his sister's living room, waiting for his brother to meet them so that they would be able to head over to the hospital to see their father together. None of the Cederström children dared go on his or her own; even if their father was quite possibly on his death bed, they were stronger as a cohesive unit rather than as individuals. They had all learned that at a very young age.
Elina was elsewhere in the house, doing what Isak was unsure. His anxiety was starting to rise, evident in the rapid rhythmic bouncing of his leg and the inability to sit still for long periods of time. He stood from the couch and began pacing the length of the living room, weaving his way around the coffee table.
"Elis sade att han kommer att vara här snart," he shouted, hoping his sister could hear him from wherever she was. He heard a faint ja in response from what sounded like a distant land, and then reached in to check his phone again to see if his brother had sent anything else.
Nothing.
As if on cue, he heard a knock at the door, startling him into a jump. He took a deep breath and slid his phone back into his trouser pocket before walking over to the door. He stood there for a brief moment and steadied himself, taking a deep breath. He reached out and opened it, gripping tightly on the door knob.
The man on the other side of the door looked like his brother, only different. Isak scanned the man's face, looking for traces of the little boy his brother used to be the way he had done with his sister that first night back, but he was unable to find anything. The person in front of him was hardened, weathered. He was a man who had to grow up far too soon, a man who only caught glimpses of his childhood before it had been taken away. Had Isak never really noticed all of that before? Was it because he had not seen him in so long? Or was it because of what they were all there for?
They held each other's gaze for a few seconds before immediately reaching out to embrace each other in a tight, almost suffocating hug. Isak reached out and smoothed the back of Elis' hair, feeling the familiar sting of tears as they welled in his eyes. When had he ever cried so much? He was surprised he even had anything left to cry.
"Åh, min käre bror," Isak said softly, trying to steady the soft shaking of his brother's body as the tears escaped Elis, too. "Jag är ledsen att det har varit så länge." He felt his brother shake his head as he sniffled hard, gripping at the back of Isak's shirt collar. "Nu, nu. Det är okej. Vi är tillsammans."
Elis pulled away from his brother and touched the side of his face, his eyes red as the tears streamed freely down his face. Isak mirrored his movements, curling his hand around the back of Elis' head. He smiled ever so slightly, a warm smile meant to comfort and to soothe. Elis nodded in understanding, letting Isak go to wipe away the tears from his eyes with his jacket sleeve. He let out an embarrassed laugh.
"Förlåt," Elis said. Isak shook his head in response and stepped aside to let his brother in. He shut the door behind him and let out a sigh, one of both happiness to see his brother and sadness at what had brought them together.
"I am glad to see you again," Isak said softly, reaching out to place a supportive hand on his brother's shoulder. He gave it a gentle squeeze. Elis nodded and placed his hand on his brother's outstretched forearm.
"I am glad to see you, too," Elis replied through sniffles and sighs. He glanced around at the room, then looked back to Isak curiously. "Där är vår syster?" Isak peeked over Elis' shoulder and gave a little point. Elis whipped his head around to see that Elina had been standing there, letting the brothers have their moment, waiting for her turn to jump in.
Elis sped over and wrapped his sister up in the same suffocating hug that he had shared with Isak, mumbling things that Isak could not hear. Isak wiped the tears away from his eyes at seeing his brother and sister together, memories of times long past floating through his mind. He remembered the first time they had managed to successfully arrange a meeting between the three of them after Isak had been sent off to boarding school (a failed attempt at breaking the siblings apart). That moment of seeing each other again, so many years ago, felt similar to what Isak was feeling now: the reassurance and comfort of knowing that no matter what life could possibly throw at them, they would always find each other again. They would always have each other. No matter what.
Isak blinked himself out of his memory as something moving caught his eye. As his gaze focused again, he saw that Elis was motioning for him to come over to where he and Elina were still intertwined, wanting their big brother to join in on the moment. With a smile, he walked over and put an arm around each of his siblings, and the three of them leaned their heads in to touch as they had always done. Isak closed his eyes and let out a happy sigh, which he heard quickly echoed by both Elis and Elina, one after the other.
He had almost forgotten how sharp the pain was in his heart whenever they were apart, and he was quickly reminded how strong the urge was to come back home. He did not want to be apart from them anymore. Moments like these reminded him of how much he deeply loved them both and how important they were to him in his life. He remembered the silent oath he made as a child that he would do anything in his power to protect them and keep them safe. And he had, for as long as he could. He realized he still needed to speak to Elis about the guilt he had carried since he left, but he felt more confident that he could after the conversation with Elina had gone so well.
But that was not the time to be thinking those things. What mattered was that they were together again, The Three Dogs of their favorite folktale, told to them by Emilia many times over. Isak remembered that how they had each assigned themselves a particular dog: Isak was "Riva" (Tear), Elis was "Ta Tag" (Take Hold), and Elina was "Lyssna" (Hark). With a bright smile, Isak opened his eyes again and stood up straight. He looked at each of them in turn, a hand on each of their shoulders.
"Riva, Lyssna, och Ta Tag ... tillsammans igen." Like a flash of light had gone off, Isak watched as the memory hit each of them instantaneously.
"Ja, tillsammans igen. För alltid," Elina said with a nod.
"För alltid," Elis repeated. There was a shared moment between the three of them, and Isak knew that they were all feeling and thinking the same thing he was. They were The Three Dogs, and they would be forever. There was a bit of silence before Elis added, "But I am hungry. Can we eat now?"
The three of them laughed, dropping their hands from the others' shoulders.
"Ja, ja. Let's go," Isak said, walking to open the front door.
As they exited Elina's house, Isak felt a hand reach around and land on his shoulder. He glanced to his side and saw that it was Elis, who was smiling more brightly than Isak had seen in a long, long while.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Nothing. It is just good to see you ... Riva." Elis replied, removing his hand to give his brother a playful punch on the shoulder. He ran off to reach Elina's car first so he could have the front seat, and Isak could not help but laugh. Considering everything that was happening, his heart finally felt light. It felt free. He knew that he would be able to handle whatever came his way, as long as he had his fellow Dogs. Together, they could conquer anything.
Even their father.
Word Count | 1448