Chapter 06

Kajsa walks around the villa and comes to the back where the lawns are but also the entrance to the forest. All the villas on the street have access to the forest but it is easiest to get there from this villa and its because Monika and Bertil have built a low stone staircase that leads to the forest.

A colorful bullfinch is hopping in the snow by the kitchen window and Kajsa is amused by the bird. Bertil has hung out food for the birds and Kajsa can see that there are other birds there but she is unsure what species they are. The birds do not seem to be bothered by Kajsa. Kajsa goes to the glass door by the living room and she can clearly see the unicorn's tracks in the snow. The tracks are also visible outside the kitchen window but the birds have made new tracks over the unicorn's tracks.

Kajsa walks towards the other lawn with the low stone staircase that leads to the forest. The snow is so cold that it crunches under her feet and Kajsa think it´s a lovely sound. Kajsa walks up the small steps and comes to a high mountain. The mountain leads to the forest and Kajsa can see several tracks in the snow, not just from the unicorn but from other animals. She sees, among other things, tracks from a fox. Kajsa has entered the forest and the tall pine trees are close together, making the wind still. It is very quiet in the forest and Kajsa feels uncomfortable with the silence.

Kajsa picks up her mobile phone and starts Spotify and she thinks about which playlist she wants to listen to. Kajsa chooses to listen to a playlist with music that is popular right now. The list is based on what most people listen to so the playlist is not created by Kajsa. Kajsa puts on her headphones and presses play and the first song that plays is some remix of some famous 80s song. Kajsa remembers this song and she doesn't understand why it has been remixed. The original was good enough.

The snow has fallen unevenly in the forest and in some places there is barely any snow while in other places there is deep snow. The borrowed winter boots are stable and the ground doesn't feel slippery. Kajsa wanders through the forest and starts to relax. Kajsa spots some crows having a food fight in the forest and she is amused by the birds but they fly away when she gets closer. The cave that Kajsa is heading to is at the beginning of the forest and it´s five minutes until she´s there. The cave is behind a gigantic mountain and is only visible when she has walked around the mountain itself. The big mountain towers over Kajsa and she has always thought it looks awesome but also a little scary.

The first song ends and a new one begins and it is a quiet ballad. The singer sings in Swedish and Kajsa thinks it sounds like Albin Lee Meladu. She has never heard him sing in Swedish before. The singer's voice and words feel like soft cotton in Kajsa's ears. The chorus comes after the first four lines of the verse and it is obvious that the song is called "Mamma." When the second verse begins, Kajsa thinks it sounds as if Monika is singing through Albin. There is so much that matches, even though neither cancer nor unicorns are mentioned in the lyrics.

Kajsa presses the headphones to her ears so that she can hear every word. Kajsa is deeply moved by the lyrics. The singer sings the words that she herself cannot put into words. The singer also sings the words that Kajsa forgot to say at her mother's funeral and it is so incredibly beautiful. Kajsa feels the tears welling up in her eyes and she becomes determined

"Don't cry now. Don't cry now."

But the tears keep coming even though it's a happy and positive song. Kajsa sings along to the chorus and her voice trembles with every word. When the song is over, Kajsa feels relieved in her heart. It's like a heavy stone has fallen from her. The next song starts and Kajsa recognizes the song immediately. It's a song by the band Ghost and she sings along to the lyrics.

Kajsa has arrived at the gigantic mountain and she looks up at the place where she and Jack used to play when they were young. At that time, there were several other children who played on the mountain but now none of that can be seen. Not even the low-hanging hut is left and there is not a single toy on the snowy ground. There are no footprints in the snow and Kajsa guesses that no one visits the mountain anymore. Kajsa walks around the mountain and comes to Ertegrottan. There are lots of footprints here but they are all made by animals. Kajsa picks up her mobile phone and pauses the music. She is unsure if the unicorns like music.

Kajsa looks into the cave but sees nothing and it is completely silent inside the cave. Kajsa clears her throat discreetly and makes a humming sound and this triggers a lot of activity inside the cave. Several snorts are heard and soon the first unicorn is visible. It comes from one of the many passages in the cave. The unicorn seems alert and it studies Kajsa. Several other unicorns come from other parts of the cave and they all look at Kajsa when they have gotten close enough.

The unicorns are different sizes and they have different colors of fur. Kajsa recognizes the sky blue unicorn but also the gray one that caused the car accident but also saved her. A giant unicorn approaches Kajsa and its fur is light brown with small white spots. Kajsa gets the impression that the large unicorn is a leader in some way and she feels deep respect for the animal and she bows. She does not want to look the animal in the eye because she knows that it could be interpreted as rudeness. The huge unicorn feels a little scary because it is so incredibly big and its head is way bigger than Kajsa's.

More unicorns come and Kajsa realizes that there must be more than 4 and she starts counting them. There seem to be a total of 11 unicorns in the cave. Kajsa guesses that they must have multiplied since Monika met them. The enormous unicorn studies Kajsa closely and it sniffs her and her face becomes warm from its breath. The enormous unicorn seems pleased and calls out to a unicorn that is standing a little hidden in the cave. Kajsa has heard this sound before when she was young but she didn't know what kind of animal it was.

The unicorn that was standing hidden in the cave walks up to Kajsa and it doesn't take long before Kajsa realizes that this must be her mother who has been reincarnated. She recognizes those eyes and its fur matches her mother's hair color well even though the fur is light. Kajsa goes completely weak when she realizes who it is and the sky blue unicorn approaches from the side as if to support her in case she faints. Kajsa doesn't know what to say but starts to speak and her voice trembles.

"Oh mom. I miss you so much. You have no idea what it's like without you. The whole family misses you. We were cleaning out the attic yesterday and we found a drawing that you had made. You had drawn some of these unicorns and Bertil told me how I came to be. I think it's strange that you didn't say anything when you were in the hospital but maybe you had forgotten. Anyway, you should know that we think about you every day. Bertil is planning to sell the villa because he thinks it's too big now that only he and Göran live there. However, I plan to visit you as much as I can even when the villa is sold. Hopefully I can get Jack and Göran and Bertil with me so that they can also visit you."

The light black unicorn walks closer to Kajsa and presses its big head against hers as if to comfort her. Kajsa and the unicorn's gazes meet and the unicorn's dark, deep eyes are like deep wells and Kajsa lets herself be drowned in its eyes. Its eyes says more than words can. When Monika was alive, Kajsa and she could communicate through their eyes. Only they could do that. Some of the other unicorns gather in a ring around Kajsa and the light black unicorn. Kajsa has no idea of ​​time but lets herself be enchanted by the deep eyes. Kajsa and the unicorn breathe at the same rate and their faces become damp from each other's breath.

Kajsa and the light black unicorn stand there for a long time but finally the unicorn wags its tail and the spell is broken. Kajsa feels very warm in her body even though it is chilly outside. The light black unicorn pulls its head away from Kajsa and walks towards the other unicorns but Kajsa remains standing.

Kajsa feels that she has been crying and it does not surprise her at all and she wipes her tears from her cheek. Kajsa remembers the song she listened to earlier and she decides to play it. Kajsa picks up her mobile phone and the unicorns immediately become alert and maybe even a little suspicious and Kajsa can sense why. Kajsa looks at the unicorns.

"You can relax. I am not going to film you. I am going to play a song about my mother."

Kajsa starts the music and changes to the previous song and she sees that she was right. It is Albin Lee Meldau who is singing. Some of the unicorns back away when the music starts while some others approach Kajsa and sniff at her mobile phone. The light black unicorn seems to be listening to the song and Kajsa turns up the volume and looks at the unicorn.

"Do you hear? The song seems to be about us."

The light black unicorn tilts its head and wiggles its ears. Kajsa doesn't know what that means but she thinks that maybe mom is confused but agrees. The unicorns who backed away when the music started come forward and they seem curious about Kajsa's mobile phone. When the song ends, the light black unicorn goes to Kajsa and she can see that its eyes are emotional. Kajsa and the unicorn look at each other for a long time but finally the unicorn goes to the cave but it turns around several times and looks at Kajsa.

Kajsa would have liked to stay with the unicorns forever but she can't live in their cave. She has a job and an apartment in the city and she is going to work tomorrow. It feels tempting to take the light black unicorn to the apartment in the city but Kajsa understands that it wouldn't have worked. The unicorn needs its freedom and its herd. Kajsa decides that she will visit the cave as often as she can. Kajsa looks at the light black unicorn.

"It was wonderful to meet you but I have to go back to the others. Everyone in the family is gathered today. They miss you very much. As I said, I promise to visit as often as I can now that I know you are here. Well, I'll see you another day."

Kajsa has a hard time saying goodbye and when she has said the last words she turns around and leaves the cave and the mountain. Kajsa hears the unicorns enter the cave again but she doesn't turn around. Kajsa continues walking home and she continues listening to Spotify. When Kajsa goes down the small steps to the forest she sees that Göran is on his way back and she is surprised. Nils and he can sit and play for hours.

Kajsa goes down to the lower entrance and Göran takes out his key. Kajsa looks at him questioningly and Göran shrugs his shoulders.

"Nils and his parents were going somewhere. I think they were going to their grandmother's grave. Nils didn't want to go with them but was more or less forced. We played a little. Did you find the unicorns?"

"You didn't ask where they were going? I found the unicorns and I was going to tell them about it when the others got home."

"Huh, okay. It's hard to talk to Nils' parents. They're so...weird."

Göran unlocks the door and both he and Kajsa go in. Kajsa feels like she has to go to the bathroom so she goes there while Göran heads for the stairs that lead upstairs. Kajsa hears a surprised exclamation from Göran while she's sitting on the toilet. When Kajsa is finished, she goes upstairs and hears Göran laughing at something and she goes to the kitchen.

There's a lot of white foam all over the kitchen floor and there's a lot of foam coming from the dishwasher. Kajsa gives Göran a tired look and sighs.

"What have you done?"

"Eh, I started the dishwasher before I left home and now it's like this."

"What kind of detergent did you use?"

"The one by the sink. This one."

Göran reaches for the hand detergent and Kajsa can't help but giggle as she realizes what's happened.

"Göran, you idiot. You can't use hand detergent in a dishwasher. You have to use the dishwasher detergent in the garbage cabinet. I thought you knew that."

"No, I didn't know that. But hey, we can have fun and do slip and slide in the kitchen now that there's so much foam here. Or we can have a small foam party."

"Not a good idea. We'd better clean this up before the others get home. Bertil will be frustrated if it looks like this when he gets home. I'll get a cleaning bucket while you set the dishwasher to empty. That's the line before drying."

The dishwasher is so old that it has a twistable program knob and Göran turns the knob to empty while Kajsa gets a mop and a bucket. Kajsa also finds a smaller metal handle that might be useful and she goes to the kitchen and uses the metal handle to scoop up some of the foam and she sees that it works well. The foam is poured into the sink and then she fills the metal handle again. Kajsa has no idea what the handle is for but it is good for this. Göran opens the dishwasher door and there is a lot of foam there too. Kajsa looks at the lower basket and gets an idea.

"You know what, we take out the lower dish rack and put it in the shower and then we use this handle and empty the machine of foam."

"Sure, absolutely."

Göran and Kajsa help each other take out the lower dish rack and take it to the shower. The dish rack is heavy because there are a lot of plates but both Göran and Kajsa are strong so it's no problem. Kajsa starts to rinse the dishes while Göran takes the metal handle and goes out to the kitchen and he collects the foam in the dishwasher and pours it into the sink. When Kajsa comes back, most of the foam inside the dishwasher is gone.

"Okay. Then we'll put it on rinse so that the rest of the foam is cleaned away."

Göran turns the dial to rinse while Kajsa continues to use the metal handle and soon there is only a thin layer of foam on the floor and she intends to clean it off with the cleaning mop. It doesn't seem to be foaming from the dishwasher anymore and that's a positive thing. Kajsa looks out the kitchen window and when she sees all the snow she gets an idea of ​​what to do next and she looks at Göran with a funny expression but says nothing.

Kajsa's mobile phone rings and it's Bertil who is calling and he wonders if she wants to eat together today too and she would love to. Jack and Bertil are in the supermarket and they start planning dinner. Kajsa ends the call and wipes up all the foam that is left on the floor and a few minutes later it doesn't look like anything unusual has happened.

Göran and Kajsa help each other get the lower dish rack and they make sure that the dishwasher does two quick rinses before they put the lower dish rack back in. There is no more foam left in the dishwasher and Kajsa shows where the dishwasher detergent is and then Göran starts a new washing program. The kitchen looks the same as before, if not a little cleaner.

Kajsa rinses the foam off in the sink and puts the mop and metal handle back where she got them. When she comes back, Göran is standing looking out the kitchen window. Kajsa smiles at Göran

"I thought we could go out and have some fun in the snow. It's good to be outside even if it's cold and snowy"

"But come on, it's cold outside. I want to be inside in the warmth and chill."

"I can make hot chocolate and we can drink it when we're outside. I really think you should go out more than you do. We can look for the sleds and ride in them."

"Nah, I'm too old for that and you too."

"Even adults think that's fun."

Kajsa takes out a saucepan and gets milk and cocoa powder and sugar and she pours the milk into the saucepan and puts it on the stove. Göran starts the stove and gets a whisk. Göran looks for a coffee thermos and finds a suitable one and he pours in hot water so that it will retain the heat better. The milk boils and Kajsa pours the cocoa powder and whisks until everything is dissolved. Kajsa pours some sugar and lets the mixture boil again and when it is hot enough she tells Göran. Göran empties the coffee thermos and Kajsa pours in the hot chocolate and closes the lid. Göran takes out two plastic cups that they can use.

Göran and Kaja leave the kitchen and go down to the basement again and put on their jackets and winter boots. When they come out, they see the neighbor. The neighbor's name is Magnus and he is standing by the wall closest to Bertil's house. Magnus is drunk as usual and he is holding a vodka bottle and his eyes look red. He is holding the vodka bottle as if he is afraid that someone will steal it. Magnus greets Göran and Kajsa but then he stops and looks at them.

"Listen. You two who knows so much. Do you know what to do if you want to get hold of a TV or newspaper reporter or something like that?"

Göran looks surprised. Magnus is not exactly the type of person who wants to talk to reporters. Magnus slurs loudly as he speaks.

"Well, we have the local newsroom, but I'm not sure if they're there today since it's Sunday. What do you want from them?"

"I think I have a scoop."

"Really? What's it about?"

"I had trouble sleeping last night and I went out several times to smoke. The last time I was out, I saw something very interesting. Something that TV would probably be very interested in."

"Well, what then?"

Göran is irritated that Magnus can't say straight out what it's about, but takes advantage of every tension that can be given. Magnus has a clever expression as if he has a super good point to make.

"I saw an animal by your glass door and I thought it looked like a deer but I got the binoculars and looked. Then I saw that it was a unicorn. The unicorn was sky blue and it used its long horn and knocked on the glass door. After a while one of you opened the door. The unicorn was so beautiful. I've always known that they are in the forest somewhere and this time I'm going to prove it."

Göran gives Magnus a dubious look. He knows that Magnus is telling the truth but there's no chance that any reporter would believe him, especially not now that he's so drunk.

Kajsa gets worried when she hears what Magnus is saying. It's not good if the unicorns are exposed and she feels that it's important that their footprints disappear. Göran raises his eyebrows and looks at Magnus.

"You know what? That sounds interesting, but I think it's probably better if you get some sleep and think twice before calling any reporters. It could be embarrassing for you when they come and find no evidence. I don't even think they would come."

"So you haven't seen anything unusual?"

"You mean a unicorn? No, really not. They only exist in the imagination."

"But I know what I saw."

"Well, sure. I would have too if I had been that drunk."

"Aren't you being a little rude. Well, hmm. Has Bertil finish the vodka he got from me at Christmas?"

"Did he get vodka from you?"

"Yep, just before Christmas Eve. He seemed to need alcohol."

"I have no idea if he finished it or not."

"Okay, just wondering."

Magnus hears a knocking sound and turns to look at his wife standing in the kitchen window. It looks as if she wants him to come in. Magnus turns to Göran again.

"Sorry, my wife wants something but I thought I'd come over to you later and ask some more questions. It's been a long time since Bertil and I played chess"

"Not a good idea. You're just making a fool of yourself. The chess game is unfortunately ruined."

Magnus makes an irritated face and goes to the front door of the villa. Kajsa turns to Göran and she looks impressed.

"You solved that well. But we have to hurry up and destroy the evidence."

"Huh? Who would believe an alcoholic? Everyone in the area knows that he's an alcoholic and doesn't even have his own newspaper but borrows other people's newspapers. He would just make a fool of himself."

Göran and Kajsa go up to the back of the villa and Göran unlocks the front door so they can go in there later. Kajsa puts the coffee thermos by the stairs and goes to the door by the living room. Kajsa bends down and picks up some snow and shapes it into a ball. The snow makes a lovely noise as she shapes it. When the snow is shaped into a ball, she bends down again and shapes another ball and she makes sure to use the snow where the unicorn's footprints are visible. Göran starts walking towards Kajsa and she throws the first snowball and it hits Göran's jacket. Kajsa laughs and Göran looks very surprised.

"Sorry, couldn't resist but we can have a snowball fight if you want. So far it's 1-0. Use the snow where the unicorn has walked"

"Yeah. Sounds fun."

"Definitely better than slip and slide in the kitchen. We don't even have to clean up after ourselves."

"That's true."

Göran bends down and gathers some snow that is outside the kitchen window and he shapes it into a ball and throws it at Kajsa. The snowball hits Kajsa's jacket and she laughs heartily. Snow splashes at the top of the jacket and her skin gets cold but it doesn't matter.

Kajsa throws another snowball at Göran and she makes sure to throw it nicely so that it doesn't feel hard for him. Göran throws another snowball and he also throws it in a neat way. Both of their jackets are now covered in snow but they continue to throw snowballs at each other

Kajsa feels incredibly light in her body. It's like all the heaviness has disappeared and she laughs in a lighthearted way. She almost feels like a playful child as she has a snowball fight with Göran. The last few days there have been a lot of negative emotions and Kajsa has almost drowned in them. That's why it feels fun to do this so that there are positive emotions too.

Kajsa and Göran take a break from the snowball fight and fill each plastic cup with hot chocolate and they think it's delicious. Kajsa thinks about last year when she and Monika went to the ski slope and had sleds with them. It was in the middle of February and there was a lot of snow and they went sledding and thought it was great fun. Monika brought hot chocolate and they sat in the heated cabin and drank when they took a break. This happened a year ago and now Monika is in her grave. Kajsa thinks that an incredible amount happened last year and this year will probably also be eventful considering that Bertil is going to sell the villa.

When the chocolate is finished, they continue with their snowball fight and they have fun. Suddenly, Göran notices that someone is standing behind him and he turns around in surprise and sees both Jack and Bertil right behind him. Both Jack and Bertil look amused and they each have a plastic bag filled with food. Bertil opens the front door and sets down the plastic bag, and then he stands in the doorway and clears his throat discreetly.

"There will be a Sunday roast with roasted vegetables and ice cream and meringue for dessert."

Everyone looks positive.

"That sounds delicious."

Bertil nods happily and closes the front door and a few minutes later he looks out the kitchen window. Jack goes in with the plastic bag but goes out again. He knows that Bertil likes to be alone in the kitchen when he is preparing food and he respects that. Jack stands looking at Kajsa's and Göran's jackets that are completely covered in snow and he grins broadly.

"I see you are having fun. Can I join your snowball fight?"

"Of course. We are in the process of removing the footprints of our nocturnal visitor."

"You mean the unicorn."

"Of course I do. Magnus apparently saw it and he wants to call TV"

"Was he drunk as usual?"

"Of course. Apparently he was the one who gave Bertil the bottle of vodka. The one he drank in the basement."

"I see. Bertil hasn't told me how he got it, but then again, I didn't ask."

Jack shrugs his shoulders and bends down to form a snowball and the snowball fight continues. None of them are counting points, they are just having fun and soon it is no longer noticeable that a unicorn has been here. There is some hot chocolate left and Jack drinks the very last of it when they take a break. There are no clouds in the sky and the sun is shining and warming it so that it becomes warmer. Now it is almost zero degrees instead of minus degrees. The birds dare to eat even though both Jack and Göran are close to the bird feeder.

It is starting to smell good food and everyone feels hungry. Jack wants to go inside and put on dry clothes and the others follow. Göran and Jack discuss whether the wet clothes should be put in the dryer or hung in the warm boiler room and Jack wins. The clothes will be hung in the warm boiler room. Kajsa's pants are wet from all the snow and she has to borrow a pair of cozy pants from Bertil. They are almost the right size. Jack takes all the wet clothes and hangs them in the boiler room while Kajsa and Göran go out into the spacious living room and sit on the couch. Göran takes out his cell phone but regrets it and sits down next to Kajsa.

"You know what? I saw "Sleepless in Seattle" the other day when it was aired on TV. It was my mother's favorite movie. She knew it almost by heart."

"I know. We watched it often when she was in the hospital."

"I thought it was so strange. At the beginning of the movie, you learn that Tom Hanks' character has lost his wife and is having trouble sleeping. His wife recently died."

"I remember the story."

"Don't you think that reflects our current situation?"

"No, I don't agree. Bertil still works and from what I've heard, he sleeps well at night. He's probably too old to find a new wife and he accepts it."

"But do you think he's happy?"

"It's hard to answer that question, but I hope so. He doesn't seem to suffer from depression and that's the most important thing."

"I would have liked to have a new mother because I miss Monika."

"That's probably not as easy as you think."

"Have you found someone you want to live with?"

"No, not yet, but then again, I haven't been actively looking."

Bertil shouts that it's time to eat and Jack comes up from the cellar and they go into the kitchen. Bertil has brought out non-alcoholic cider and has set the table very nicely. Bertil has brought out a beer but he is the only one who wants beer. They all sit down at the kitchen table and fill their plates with food. The Sunday roast is wonderfully soft and delicious and the young baked vegetables are also delicious. The gathered family talks about light things while they eat.

Kajsa says that Magnus saw the sky blue unicorn but that the traces of it are completely gone now so Magnus can't prove anything. Bertil is surprised that Magnus was awake so early. That happened in the middle of the night and that's when most people are usually asleep. Kajsa also says that she found out that Bertil got a bottle of vodka from Magnus at Christmas and he nods quietly. Bertil hung out with Magnus for a while around Christmas and he regrets visiting him because it didn't bring any positive things, but the opposite.

When everyone has finished eating, they stay at the kitchen table and continue talking to each other. Jack tells some funny stories and everyone starts laughing. Bertil gets up and starts clearing the table. It's too early to eat dessert yet. Jack offers to drive Kajsa home but she wants to stay a little longer. She has a plan. Kajsa didn't go through what she had in the room that she had when she lived at home and since the villa is going to be sold, it's a good idea to check if she wants to save what's left.

Kajsa goes into the room she had when she lived at home and she starts to empty the old bookcase by the wardrobes. There is not much that she wants to save, but she finds some nice unicorn figurines and she wants to save them now that she knows her mother's little secret. Plus, they are very cute. Kajsa puts the unicorns in the metal coffin and asks for a garbage bag so she can throw away the other things she doesn't want anymore. Bertil gets a garbage bag and she fills it with the older horse books that she had when she was younger. They no longer mean anything to her. She saves a book with unicorns. The book has very nice illustrations and she remembers that she often read this book.

When the bookshelf is empty, she starts to go through what is in the drawers of the older bench that she got when she was 15. Kajsa didn't have room for the bench in her first apartment, but it is possible that it will fit where she lives now. There is nothing interesting in the first box, but in the second box she finds her secret diary. Kajsa puts the diary in the metal chest and opens the next box. There is a painting set that she got when she turned 20. Kajsa takes out the painting set and sees that there is a note on one side of the painting set and she removes the note and reads it. It is Monika who has written the note because Kajsa recognizes the special writing style.

"My beloved child. Now that you have turned 20, I want to give you a little piece of myself and I sincerely hope that you will like this gift. When I was 20, I started painting and at first I mostly did portraits, but then I started painting animals and other things. Among other things, I have painted the large painting that hangs in the recreation room. It is the painting that depicts a lonely tiger in a cage. I saw the tiger when I visited a zoo and I felt so sorry for it that I had to paint it. I have several paintings that are in the attic and in a folder in the recreation room and if you want, I can go through them with me. I can tell you the stories behind the paintings if you want. It will be fun, right?"

Kajsa regrets not reading this note when she got the painting set. She probably put it in the box and it has been there ever since. Kajsa wonders, who was she 15 years ago? She honestly can't answer that question. She remembers that she often went out partying and came home very drunk and she thought it was strange that both Bertil and Monika accepted it. She also remembers that she rebelled against helping at home and Monika reacted to that.

Kajsa would have liked to listen when Monika explained her paintings, but now it is too late because she is dead. It must have meant something to Monika when she gave this gift. Kajsa hopes that Monika was not disappointed when she did not ask about the paintings. Maybe she herself forgot about them after a while.

Kajsa is surprised that Monika has done the painting with the tiger. She has always thought that it was done by some famous painter. Kajsa goes down to the recreation room and finds the painting with the tiger and when she looks closer, she sees her mother's signature in the bottom left corner. It says ML, which means that Monika must have made the painting before she married Bertil. The painting has as many details as her other paintings and there is a depth in the image, which makes it look like it is in 3D. Kajsa goes upstairs and gets the rest of the family. She shows the note from Monika and they go down to the recreation room.

It turns out that not even Bertil knew that Monika has made the painting with the tiger. She had it with her when they moved in together and he guessed that it was a purchased painting. Kajsa looks at the other paintings hanging in the recreation room and she finds more paintings made by Monika. That colorful painting with the big green meadow was made by her, but also the one with the deer in the moonlight. All the paintings are signed ML. Göran is also fascinated by Monika's paintings. She could have become a famous artist if she had wanted to.

Kajsa starts looking for the folder that should be in the recreation room but she can't find any. Jack and Bertil also help search but they find nothing apart from the paintings hanging on the walls. Maybe some of the paintings that were in the folder in the attic have been in the recreation room or they have disappeared. Jack finds several board games behind the bar and he wonders how long they have been there. He remembers some but some are new to him and it looks like they have never been played. Jack takes out the board games and shows them to Bertil and he remembers some of them but he suspects that some belong to Jesper. Jesper is no longer alive. He died over 12 years ago. Bertil is unsure whether he wants to keep the games or whether they should be donated to a second-hand store and Jack puts them in the room with the stuff that is to be donated.

Kajsa and the others leave the recreation room and go upstairs again. Kajsa decides to save the painting set and she puts it in the metal coffin. There are several empty painting sheets under the painting set and she puts them in the metal coffin. Kajsa decides that she will start painting in her free time. She has never thought about such a thing before but she has been inspired by Monika's paintings. Kajsa thinks that maybe she can be as good as her mother.

Kajsa opens the fourth box and finds several love letters that she received from one of the students at her school. The student's name was Claes and he was extremely in love with Kajsa and she liked him but he wrote too many letters and in the end just felt demanding. Kajsa still remembers how happy she was when she received the first letter. She was in fourth grade at the time. Claes wrote several letters every year until he and Kajsa finished ninth grade. After that, she hasn't heard from him except when they met at a class reunion five years ago. But Claes didn't seem to like Kajsa anymore and he behaved rudely to her and she chose to ignore him for the rest of the party. Kajsa takes out all the letters and throws them in the trash bag.

Kajsa opens the fifth and last drawer and there is only an A4 sheet of paper there, but when she removes it, she finds some earrings that she has hidden under the paper. The earrings look unused and are on a paper poster. The earrings are shaped like a drop of water and are light blue. Kajsa looks at the earrings. What are they doing in this drawer? The only explanation she can think of is that she has stolen them from a store and hidden them at home, but she has no memory of stealing any earrings. She stole soda and candy at some point, but nothing else. Kajsa decides to save the earrings and puts them in the metal coffin. Now the drawers in the older bench are completely empty, and Kajsa is thinking about whether she wants to take the bench to the city. It would probably fit best in the hall between the bedroom and the kitchen, in that case.

Kajsa opens the two wardrobes and there are mostly duvet covers and sheets that belong to Bertil or Monika, but Kajsa finds some clothes that belong to her and she takes them out and thinks about whether she wants to save them or not. The red silk dress still looks very nice so she might be able to save it but it is difficult to wash. The pink dress's colors feel too loud so she doesn't want it and neither the dark green one. She never liked the dark green dress and it was mostly because of the color. Kajsa decides to donate the pink and the dark green dress and she takes them to the basement. When she comes back to the room, she puts the red silk dress in the metal coffin.

Now there are only a few idol posters hanging on the wall that belong to her. They are of handsome guys from the 1980s and Kajsa decides to throw the posters away. They are too old and she has nice paintings in the city. Kajsa pulls the posters off and throws them in the garbage bag. Now the room is empty of her things except for the metal coffin and the older bench, but she will take them with her when she goes home.

Kajsa knows that this might be the last time she is in this villa and room and she feels a certain sense of loss. This is where she grew up and she has many memories of both the villa and this room. Kajsa is not usually nostalgic but there is something special about this room because she grew up here.

The damage to the right wall is still there and Kajsa remembers how it happened. She cut the wall with a knife and the reason was that she was not allowed to go with some friends who were going to Denmark. The reason was that Monika did not trust them and wanted to protect Kajsa but she did not understand it at the time and was furious that she was not allowed to go with them. But most of the memories she has from this room are happy

Kajsa wonders what memories the new people will have when they move in here. Hopefully they will like the villa and the rooms. Maybe they will change the wallpaper and also renovate the room. Kajsa hopes that the new owners will not turn the room into a boring white room that is so popular these days. The charm of the room would disappear completely.

Bertil calls from the kitchen. It is time for dessert and Kajsa goes out into the kitchen. Jack and Göran are already there and they are discussing things they have found on the internet. Göran has his mobile phone in front of him and when Kajsa sits down, Göran puts his mobile phone in front of Kajsa.

"I am absolutely sure that you are this user. Isn't that so?"

"Eh, that is secret. All users have the right to be anonymous on that internet forum."

"This user has part of your name and writes like you."

"Sorry, can't comment on that."

Bertil wonders what they are talking about and Jack gives a quick explanation. Bertil has no interest in internet forums and he doesn't understand how Göran can take the time to guess who is behind a user. He thinks it's silly to even think about such things and Kajsa agrees with him.

Kajsa takes some ice cream and meringues and chocolate sauce. This is such a simple but childishly delicious dessert. The ice cream is so cold that it freezes her teeth but Kajsa likes it when the ice cream is this cold. The others also takes ice cream and meringues. The ice cream is especially delicious when mixed with the hot coffee.