text: "Do you remember when we first met, Erik?" "Yes Alana, as if it were yesterday" They had been together now for 6 years, married for 3 and met during their towns midsommer celebration. It was Sunday, and the digital alarm clock on Erik's bedside table beeped subtly, reading 9:00pm on a bright red LED screen against the jet black background. Alana slinked her way through the ruffled duvet towards Erik, "If I remember rightly, Mr Broström, you had a mouthful of that pickled herring when you decided to introduce yourself to me, such an attractive man". She kissed him on the cheek and rested her chin on his broad shoulder. Erik was sitting in an upright position on his side of the bed, flicking through the pages of the local paper. "Well it worked didn't it pumpkin?" Erik said with a big grin on his face. "I guess it did" Alana whispered, her chin still resting on his shoulder. Erick's peripheral vision could see Alana was smiling as she kissed his cheek again before turning over and sloping out of the cosy den they'd created for themselves. "I'm looking forward to this year's midsommer celebration," Alana had gradually raised her voice as she walked away towards the bathroom to brush her teeth, "it brings such joy to our small community", Erik had acknowledged this with a grunt, still flicking through the pages of the local paper. After brushing her teeth, Alana knelt herself down by the crib positioned parallel to the bed and started singing a song her grandmother sung to her when she was younger; "Sleep well my little girl Mama is coming soon again Papa is going on a trip to buy you new shoes with Fairies on So sleep well my little girl" Right before Alana stands up, she lays a small patchwork blanket down inside the crib and whispers "goodnight beautiful" Erik flicked off the lamp and placed his paper clumsily on the bedside table, clipping the alarm clock on his way back, it glided gracefully like a figure skater competing for gold, perching itself delicately on the edge of the Ikea table top. Erik took off his thick rimmed glasses and turned his head towards Alana, his tired eyes were still adjusting to the darkness but even so, he could still see the pain Alana was feeling as she reluctantly walked towards the bed. Alana spoke softly, "she's sleeping well tonight, Erik" her eyes, fixed on her hands which were rubbing together nervously. Erik loved Alana, with all his heart in fact, so he always needed to tread delicately when talking about the miscarriage she had suffered and refused to accept. 'This has gone on for too long' he thought, 'I don't want to see her in pain anymore' Erik looked at Alana as if he wanted to say something, "what?" She said, her eyes wider than usual.