“Hm, so, where to begin…” Klara pauses briefly before continuing. “Well, it was the summer before high school. Early one night, I go to the beach with my friends. There are a lot of people there, and most of them have brought blankets and are sitting around, talking in their groups. Some people have even built bonfires. We stand there and look around, and before long, I spot Karl.”
“Who’s Karl?”
“Karl was from Copenhagen, and he was one year older than me. He was on vacation with his family. He was going to be in town for three weeks, and he didn’t know anyone there.”
“How old are you at this time?”
“I’m almost 16.”
“Okay. Continue.”
“He caught my eye because I thought he looked very exotic.”
“Exotic?”
“Yes, he had dark hair and brown eyes. We didn’t see that much back in the day. We got to talking, and he told me that he looked the way he did because his dad was from Greece. His mom was from Copenhagen. They had met each other at the Greek embassy.”
“Was he good company?”
“Yes, he was good company,” Klara says with a smile. “I spend a lot of time looking at him that evening, and when it looks like he’s about to leave, I pluck up the courage to walk over to him: I was very nervous.” Klara looks down at her hands. “He tells me that he should be going home soon, and I tell him that I’m not allowed to be out for very long, so I need to get going too. He offers to walk me home, and even though I’m nervous, I accept the offer. We talk most of the way, and he’s very polite and incredibly interesting. He’s traveled a lot, and I’ve never traveled. We decide that I’ll be showing him around town one of the coming days, and after that we part ways.”
“Have you had a boyfriend by this point?”
“No, this is my first time.”
“So you end up dating?”
“For the summer, yes. He calls at my house after lunch the following day. My dad’s at work, but my mom’s home. She looks a little pensive, but she gives me permission to show him around.” Klara pauses. “That marks the beginning of the best three weeks of my life.”
“Does your dad know you’re seeing each other during those three weeks?”
“Yes. I introduce him to Karl halfway through his vacation. He doesn’t seem too excited, but Karl is so polite and proper, he gets permission to ask me out. On one of his last nights in town, he accompanies me to a dance.”
“What happens after those three weeks?”
“I’ve fallen deeply in love with him, but I know that we don’t have a future together. At least not immediately, because he’s moving to Greece for two years after the summer vacation.”
“He’s moving to Greece?”
“Yes, because of his dad’s work. He was moving away for at least two years, and he would be studying down there.”
“So you weren’t expecting to see him again?”
“I hoped to, and we decided to write to each other and go on as pen pals and see what happened.”
“So Karl goes back to Copenhagen, and the summer vacation is almost over. Then what happens?”
“I discover that I’m pregnant.” Klara looks back down at her hands in her lap.
“Oh wow…”
“That was how I felt too,” Klara says with a small smile. “We were together on his last day. Together in that way, I mean… I wanted to, but I’m just not prepared for the consequences at the time. I panic and think that this will significantly limit the opportunities I have in the future. I know my parents are set on me getting an education, and that’s what I want too. I don’t want to be a mom at 16.”
“Just like your mom.”
“Yes.”
“What do you do next?”
