The waiter arrived and Vreta ordered. “I’ll have the same.” Freyr confirmed, smiling at the waiter before he turned away to relay their order to the kitchen. She’d been well drilled in dinner etiquette by her parents and tutor in their absence, she even heard the mantras in her head: 

[i]It is best to play it safe when someone else is paying for the food and drinks, especially if you didn’t know them well. Ordering the same food as, or something less expensive than your host is a sign of respect across many cultures.[/i]

Freyr began tracing the contours on the outside of her crystal tumbler when Vreta asked about her husband. She knew that if she closed her eyes and focused, she’d be able to see him and her daughter on the back of her eyelids in an instant. But that’d make her cry properly, so she didn’t.

“David is...well he’s hopeless really. Even he’d admit that.” Freyr chuckled. “He wouldn’t say boo to a goose. Amy had him wrapped around her little finger. One time I caught them going for late night ice cream because she said she couldn’t sleep without it.” Freyr looked up at Vreta, smiling. “He’s the kindest man i’ve ever met, and that’s why i married him. In my role, you need an anchor or you’ll fly away…” 

Freyr fell silent and still, staring into the distance before reanimating after a few seconds. “What about you? It sounds like you’ve had some adventures - what were your partners like?”