Chapter 1 Expectations
Introduction
The main characters in this story are the married couple Lena and John Hendriksen. Lena is 27 years old and a homemaker. John is 31 years old and works as a teacher. They have been married for 5 years and have no children.
Lena became seriously ill during the pandemic and had to stop working. One of the consequences of her illness is that there is little chance she can become pregnant. This has made her afraid. John might leave her for a woman who can contribute financially. More importantly, give him children.
Lena fills her days trying to create the perfect home. Even though their finances are very tight. She also runs every day to maintain her fit body. By nature, she is shy and somewhat reserved. Except in one place: the dance floor. She loves to dance.
She has a very small network and feels vulnerable because of it. John comes from a large family with many siblings, so he is very relaxed about having his own children. Lena struggles to fully trust John when he says this. She constantly worries that his desire for children will become too strong one day.
As a teacher, John had long summer vacations with Lena. But their finances meant they hadn't taken many trips. Not until now, when someone in John's family surprised them with a small 5-day mini-cruise. The boat was departing from their hometown, so they didn't need any additional travel to reach it.
The boat was quite small, with room for about 1000 passengers, cars, and cargo. This didn't dampen Lena's excitement for the trip; she was ecstatic with joy. Finally, they were getting away together.
The day of departure arrived, and the couple boarded the boat with great expectations. To Lena's disappointment, their cabin was below the car deck. The cabin had two single beds that could be folded up and a very small bathroom. In the cabin there where no windows.
John reassured Lena that they would only be sleeping there. They would spend most of their time on the upper decks. Or onshore at the two stops the boat would make. Lena felt somewhat comforted by John's reassuring words.