Chapter 2
A year has passed and a lot of things have happened. Lasse finally retired from his job. Jonas, Linn and Jenny’s parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. Jenny and Jakob have been collaborating a few songs together. Jonas has gotten married to Birthe and they are expecting their first child. It is now October 20, 1999, John and Linn’s wedding day. Holly and Joan have flown in to stand in the wedding as bridesmaids for Linn. Jenny was Linn’s maid of honor. John had Jakob as his best man and Jonas and Ulf as groomsmen. Linn was in the “waiting room” at the church, getting final touches to her makeup. Finally, one of Linn’s cousins came and told them it was time to start. Everyone got in his or her places to start; the music started. John and the priest stood at the front. He looked very handsome in his tux. His medium blond hair was spiked like Ulf’s hair, minus the highlights. He had a strong resemblance to Jakob but has blue eyes, a goatee and dimples when he smiled. He was also a few centimeters taller than Jakob. Holly walked down the aisle with Ulf, they bowed at the alter and went to their places. Joan and Jonas did the same as well as Jenny and Jakob. The music then shifted to “The Wedding March.” Everyone in the church stood up to watch Linn and Göran walk down the aisle. When Linn heard the music, she looked at her father and said, “This is it Papa.” He gave her a hug and they began to walk down the aisle. Linn had a medium length veil connected to her wedding crown. Her dress had long sleeves made from chiffon-like material. Her dress had a beautiful beaded design all over. When John saw Linn, his mouth dropped open. She looked like an angel that just stepped out of heaven. When she made it to the front, John shook hands with Göran and took Linn’s arm. The priest welcomed everyone and introduced a Psalm. After the Psalm, the priest then spoke about marriage and its responsibilities. Jenny then went and did a reading. After Jenny did her reading, the priest asked John and Linn if they take and love each other for better or for worse. They both said yes. Then he took the rings and blessed and gave them to John and Linn. He had them recite their vows that went like this: I John/Malin take you Malin/John, now as my wife/husband to share happiness and sorrow with you and be faithful to you until death do us part.
The priest pronounced them married and they knelt before the altar as he read a prayer and presented them with their marriage candle. Psalm 84 was sung and they finally turned around to face everyone, married. The recessional took place, John and Linn walked down the aisle with a smile on their faces. They stood inside the doors of the church and thanked all of the guests for coming. After a few pictures and having birdseed thrown at them, John and Linn got ready to go to the restaurant for the reception. “I have a surprise for you,” said John. He whistled and a horse drawn carriage pulled up in front of the church. Linn gasped as it stopped in front of the church. The carriage was white and pulled by a white horse. When the carriage stopped, John helped Linn get into it and then got in himself. The restaurant was only a block away from the church. “I always wanted to be a princess and at this very moment I feel like one,” said Linn. John smiled and then gave her a kiss. When they arrived to the restaurant, everyone was lined up outside to welcome them. Then after John and Linn entered in, everyone followed behind. Once everyone was seated, the toasts to John and Linn began. Göran began with his toast. “Thank you all for coming to this celebration. It is always a pleasure to see two families come together for a special event like this one. I will never forget the day Malin was born; she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck and was not breathing for a few seconds. When they cut the cord from around her neck, she started to breath again, but we had to keep an eye on her to make sure she did not stop breathing. I prayed that she would keep breathing without stopping. God answered my prayer then and he has answered it now. He brought a wonderful man into her life that brought the sparkle back to her eyes. John, welcome to our family and I wish you and Malin many happy years together.” Others followed suit for twenty minutes. After the toast were said and done, the food was brought out. During that time the DJ approached John and Linn about their first dance as husband and wife. He gave them a listing of songs he had with him. They looked over it and picked a song out. When everyone finished eating what they could, the DJ announced that John and Linn were going to dance. They had picked the song ‘I Will Be Here’ by Steven Curtis Chapman. Everyone gathered around and watched them. When they started dancing, they talked a little bit about the ceremony in low tone voices. “You look so beautiful right now. I was in shock when I saw you walking down the aisle, you look like an angel,” said John. Linn just dawned her famous smile. “I was nervous walking down the aisle. It may sound funny since I’ve performed in front of a lot of people, but I still get nervous,” said Linn. When the song ended, they gave each other a kiss. Everyone clapped and whistled for the happy couple. The DJ then invited everyone to get out to the dance floor. Some people began to dance like they were at a disco, while others clapped to the beat of the music. After a few fast songs, the DJ played a slow song and a few more couples filled the dance floor. Jakob asked Jenny to dance with him. When they got on the dance floor, they began to talk to each other.
“What did you think about the ceremony,” asked Jenny? “I thought it was very moving. You can tell John and Linn are in love with each other. It’s something you can sense when they are in the same room,” said Jakob. “Yes, you can tell they were really meant for each other.” “You want to hear something funny,” said Jenny? “Sure,” said Jakob. “When I first met John, I asked him if he had a younger brother. Well, when I saw you at the surprise engagement party, I told myself an older brother is even better.” Jakob laughed a little and said, “You’re such a flirt.” Jenny and Jakob had gotten to know each other from collaborating on song, mainly based on faith. Jacob told Jenny he kept his mother’s surname, which is Sunde. His mother never married; she had always hoped Lasse would return and they would be a happy family one day. When Jakob was 6 months old, that’s when Lasse was transferred. He offered to bring them to the States, but Linda did not want to move away from her family. Lasse honored her wishes but kept in touch with them. When Jakob was five, Lasse saw him one more time. He had come for his father’s funeral. He spent as much time with Linda and Jakob as he could. He again asked Linda to move over to the States and she still said no. He knew there was no way he would be transferred back to Göteborg. He knew in his heart this would be the last time he saw Linda and Jakob. He had to build the courage up to break the news to Jakob. On his last day there, he went to Jakob’s room so he could tell him the bad news. “Hi son,” said Lasse. “Hi Papa! I’m glad to see you.” He walked into the room and sat on Jakob’s bed. “Jakob, I need to talk to you.” Lasse patted the open spot to himself on the bed. Jakob got off the floor, crawled onto his bed and sat next to Lasse. “It will be a long time before we see each other again.” “Why?” “I have to keep working in the States and won’t be able to make visits.” “I don’t want you to go, I want you to stay here. Hey, why don’t you take me with you.” “I can’t take you. If I did that your Mama would be sad.” “I don’t want you to be sad. I want you to stay right here so you will be happy.” “I know, son, but I have no choice. Tell you what, I promise to keep in touch and call you when I can. I want you to promise me that you will listen to your Mama and you will take over being the man of the house.” “I promise to do that stuff and long as you promise to keep yours.” “That’s a deal!” Lasse shook hands with Jakob. Linda and Jakob got ready to take Lasse to the airport. When they arrived, Jakob got very sad. Lasse got his suite case and checked it in at the ticket counter. When he got his tickets, they went to the gate. Jakob latched onto Lasse leg and would not let go. Twenty minutes later, the announcement came for the flight to board. Lasse sighed and said, “That’s my call.” Jakob burst into tears and began pleading for him to stay. “I have to go now son.” He stooped down and hugged Jakob really tight. “Just remember what we talked about. I love you and I promise to keep my promise.” He got up, told Linda bye and walked to the entrance of the plane. As he walked down the ramp, he heard Jakob crying and held his tears back. When he got to his seat, Lasse looked out the window and took one more look inside the airport. He saw Linda and Jakob looking out the window. Fifteen minutes later, the plane rolled onto the runway. When it was cleared for take off, Lasse looked back at the terminal and as the plane took off, he began to cry softly. After he met Jean, got married, and John and the twins were born, Lasse lost touch with Jakob but never forgot about him.
The slow song ended and moved into a fast pace song. The reception lasted for a few more hours and then John asked the D.J. to announce he and Linn were leaving. “Okej everyone,” said the D.J., “let’s get ready to see John and Linn off.” All the guests gathered at the door to see John and Linn take off. Jonas was nice enough to let John drive off in his Corvette. As they drove off, everyone cheered and the mothers cried. They first stopped at Linn’s apartment so she could get her suitcases, then off to John’s apartment they went. John got his suitcases and then transferred Linn’s suitcases to his car. He locked up Jonas’s car and left the keys to it under his doormat. After everything was checked, they headed to the airport to fly to Florida for their honeymoon. Meanwhile, back in Göteborg, a romance was beginning to bloom between Jakob and Jenny. Jakob and Jenny were spending their free time working on some songs for a television special they were approached to do. Jenny was sitting at the piano with Jakob and making some corrections on a song. Jakob just sat there with a fixed stare on her face. When she was finished with the corrections, she put her pencil down and put the sheet music back on the piano. “Okej, let’s go with these corrections,” she said. When she said that, it startled Jakob out of his stare and he pressed a bunch of keys on the piano with his elbow. Jenny laughed and asked, “What was that about?” “Oh nothing, let’s get started,” he said. They play through the song and agreed the corrections were a good move. When they finished, Jenny got her purse and keys. “So where do you want to work tomorrow,” asked Jenny? “Your place would be fine. I’ll bring my keyboard,” said Jakob. “Okej sounds fine to me.” Before she turned to open the door, Jakob grabbed Jenny’s forearm and pulled her close to him. He gave her a soft passionate kiss on her lips. When he pulled back, Jenny had a shocked look on her face. She opened the door without saying anything and closed it, taking off to her car. When she got to her car, she sat there, thinking about what just happened. Jakob followed after her and saw her sitting in her car. He knocked on the window and she rolled it down. “I’m sorry for what I did back inside. I didn’t know it would scare you. I just acted on an impulse I was having at the moment.” Jenny smiled and said, “I enjoyed the kiss.” “So we’re still on for tomorrow,” asked Jakob? “Yes, so don’t be late. Might want to try more of that kissing before and after we rehearse.” Jakob smiled and told Jenny he would see her tomorrow. She waved to him as she drove off.
Meanwhile, in Florida, John and Linn were having a great time on their honeymoon. They rented a jet ski for an hour and rode along the coast, looking at all the tall hotels and condominiums buildings and tourists on the beach. All of the sudden, Linn tapped John on the shoulder. She pointed to a lighthouse on the shore. It was where Ace Of Base had shot the video for ‘Don’t Turn Around.’ John slowed down so they could just coast on by. A flood of memories came back to Linn. She just smiled and told John to head back to the rental place. They turned the Jet Ski back in and went back to their hotel. On the way back, John asked Linn a few questions. “What were you thinking about back there at the lighthouse, that made you smile?” “Just how much fun it was being there and making a fan’s day on the beach.” “I know we said we would never discuss the incident again, but were you still having your fling with Ulf at that time?” Linn bowed up a little and said, “Why do you want to know?” “I was just wondering.” “The answer is no. Like I told you before, it only lasted five months. It only went on while we toured Europe. Please, let’s just drop it.” “Did you sleep with him?” Linn got a shocked look on her face. She felt like she could slap John right there in the car, but did not want to cause a collision. She folded her arms and just looked out the window. When they got back to the hotel, she stormed in ahead of John. He ran after her, but she got on the elevator before he could catch her. She got to the room and went straight to the bathroom to shower. When John got in the room, he heard the water running in bathroom. He opened the door and pulled the shower curtain back. “Will you answer me,” he said? Linn was right in the middle of washing her hair and had shampoo suds streaming down her face. She never answered him and just continued to wash the shampoo out of her hair. John was determined to get her to talk to him. He stripped his clothes off and got in with her. She quickly bathed, rinsed off, got out and dried off. She wrapped her hair up in a towel and grabbed her robe off the hook of the bathroom door. John bathed real fast as well so he could talk to her. After he dried off, he wrapped the towel around his waist and walked out of the bathroom. Linn was sitting in a chair at the table and drinking a glass of white wine. “I want to talk,” said John sitting across from her. “I told you to drop the subject, but you just had to keep going.” “Will you please just answer my question?” “No, I did not sleep with Ulf. He is like another brother to me. All I ever did with him was kiss, hug and hold hands. There, are you happy now?” “Makes me feel better,” said John. “Why would you assume I would jump in bed with any guy I knew or dated? I am not the ‘All That She Wants’ type, I have a lot of respect for my body.” “I’m sorry I asked you that question. It was way out of line for me to ask that type of question. I know you would not sleep with every guy you come in contact. I just wanted to have my mind put at ease. I just never heard the whole story from you.” “Maybe later I will tell you the whole story.” Linn finished her glass of wine and was about to get dressed, until she saw John drop his towel. She wanted to jump on him right there, but she told herself she was still mad at him.
John started getting dressed for the evening. When he got dressed, Linn started getting dressed for the evening as well. John decided at the last minute to take Linn out to a nice restaurant, to make up for the conflict he caused between them. After Linn got her hair styled and make up on, they left to go to the restaurant for a romantic evening. When they came back from eating, Linn decided she was going to tell John about her relations with Ulf. Once they got to the room, Linn asked John to sit at the table with her. “I told you I would tell you the whole story about Ulf and I later. Later is now, I don’t want to leave you in the dark. I want to clear the air on the whole thing. The relationship between Ulf and I started right before Ace Of Base broke through in the States. One night, when Ace Of Base was in Holland, Ulf noticed I was not having a good time at this disco we were in. He asked what was wrong and I told him I missed Fredrik. He said he was sorry to hear that, but I needed to cheer up. He got me out on the dance floor and he made me forget about missing Fredrik.” “So the relationship started just like that, having fun with Ulf,” asked John. “Pretty much just like that,” said Linn. “What happened after you two left the disco?” “We went back to the hotel and sat in my room the rest of the night just talking. When light started peaking through the curtains, I told him he better get back to his room before Jonas thought something was up. When he got ready to leave, he hugged me and kissed me right on my lips. I missed being able to kiss another man and in a way I was glad it was Ulf.” “So how intense would the kissing get?” “The only time it got intense was when we had gotten back from a disco in Germany. We both had a little too much to drink and Ulf helped me to my room. When I walked in, he was right behind me, to make sure I did not fall on my face before getting to the bed. I thanked him and before I knew it, we were locked in a passionate kiss. He was just about to lay me down on the bed and I came to my senses. I pushed him away and thanked him again for helping me.” “What transpired after that happened?” “We never said anything to anyone. We just hid our feelings for each other from everyone we were around. When we were at photo shoots and interviews, we were strictly professional with each other. When we were alone we would kiss, hold hands before heading out to a performance and laid in each other’s arms, for hours, when we got back to my room or his room at the hotel. When the tour was over, I was back home with Fredrik. I realized I could not go on living a lie. I felt I had hurt Fredrik without him knowing. I called Ulf and told him the relationship had to end. He said he understood but he would always have feelings for me. That is the whole story, so I hope hearing it makes you feel a lot better.” John sat there with his arms folded and his head down looking at the floor. They sat there in silence for a few minutes, and then John broke the silence. “Do you think you would ever get back with Ulf if Ace Of Base were to tour again?” “I would never do that. I was young and naïve five years ago, but now I have someone I really love and care about. I will never hurt you because I love you too much. Besides, I have a feeling Ace Of Base will not be touring after Jonas and Birthe have their child.” “How do you know that,” asked John? “I just have a gut feeling,” said Linn.
She got out of her chair and went
over to sit on John’s lap. “John, I
love you and will never hurt you,” Linn said as she sat on his lap. She put her arms around his neck and gave
him a long, passionate kiss. When she
pulled back, John had a smile on his face.
“Let’s carry this to the bed,” he told Linn. “What do you think,” asked Linn?
John picked up Linn and carried her to the bed. They made love and then fell asleep. At 2:30 a.m., the phone in their room began
to ring. John picked it up, he heard a
baby crying in the background. “Hello,”
he said. “John, it’s Jonas, you little
niece has arrived into the world.”
“Congratulations! How are Birthe
and baby doing?” “They are doing just
fine. We named her Julia Ella Brigitta Berggren.” “Sounds like a good name to me,” said John. “Is Linn where I can talk to her?” “Sure, let me get her.” John laid the phone down on the nightstand
and proceeds to wake up Linn. He shook
her shoulder and she slowly opened her eyes, trying to adjust to the moonlight
shining through the window. “Jonas is
on the phone,” said John. “Is something
wrong,” Linn asked? “No, he has some
news for you,” Linn sat up, stretched her arms and legs and rubbed her eyes, so
she could wake up. John handed her the
phone and she began her conversation in Swedish. She got a happy look when Jonas told her about Julia. She talked to Jonas for a few more minutes,
and then told him she loved him and to take care. “We have to get back to Göteborg! I want to go see our niece.”
“Okej, we will check out tomorrow so we can go see little Julia.” By 10:30 the next morning, John and Linn
checked out of the hotel and were on a plane back to Göteborg. When they arrived at Landvetter, they got their suitcases and walked to their car. Once they got their luggage in the trunk,
Linn called Jonas to find out what hospital they were located in. After she found out, they were on their way
to Göteborg General Hospital. When they
got there, Göran and Brigitta were sitting in the waiting room. They said they were giving Birthe’s parents
time to see Julia before they went to Jonas’s house to rest. “So how was your honeymoon,” asked
Brigitta? “It was very nice. We rented a jet ski one day and just came
upon the beach where ‘Don’t Turn Around’ was filmed. It brought back a lot of memories for me,” said Linn. “I’m glad you had a good time,” said
Göran.” Ten minutes after John and Linn
arrived, Jenny and Jakob showed up.
Linn hugged Jenny and Jakob, John followed suit. “So how was your honeymoon,” Jenny asked
Linn? “It was very nice. We had a lot of fun and even visited the
beach where we shot a music video.”
“Wow, so you went back to the location for ‘Don’t Turn Around?’ Was it the same?” “Yes it was, but a little more built up. The only way I recognized it was the
lighthouse.”
Jenny then pulled Linn off to the side of everyone. “You will never believe what happened to
me.” “What,” asked Linn? “One day, last week, Jakob and I were
rehearsing some songs together. After
we finished, I was getting ready to leave, and Jakob kissed me out of the
blue. It scared me at first, but I
really liked it.” “Does this mean you
two are an item?” “Not yet, but getting
close to that point.” Birthe’s parents
entered the waiting room to let the rest of the family know they could go see
Julia. They all went in to the room
where Jonas, Birthe and Julia were in.
Jonas was sitting in a chair, holding Julia, and Birthe was in the bed,
about to fall asleep. “We’re not going
to stay long, since you have had a long day,” said Brigitta. Jonas handed Julia to Brigitta, and Göran
put his arm around her. They both
looked at Julia with loving eyes and talked to her. Then Brigitta passed Julia to Linn. When Linn held Julia in her arms, she just stared at her and
smiled. John leaned over Linn’s
shoulder and looked at Julia as well.
“Isn’t she beautiful,” asked Linn?
“Yes, she is very beautiful, just like her parents,” said John. Linn held her for a few more minutes and
then passed her to Jenny. Linn then
gave Jonas a hug and told everyone else goodbye. On the way back to their apartment, Linn began thinking about
having a child. She felt such a warm
feeling inside when she held Julia.
When they got to the apartment, Linn told John she wanted to talk, after
they got their suitcases inside. When
they finished unloading the trunk, they sat down on the couch and John put his
arm around Linn. “What is it you want
to talk about,” asked John? “When I was
holding Julia, I felt like I was a whole person. What I’m trying to say is, I want to have a child.” John’s eyes lit up with happiness and he got
a smile on his face. “I could tell
that’s what you were thinking while holding her. I’d love to have a child running around the apartment.” “Let’s go try right now,” said Linn. They both jumped up off the couch and ran to
the bedroom, stripping their clothes off.
For three months, they tried to conceive. One day, Linn noticed a change in her body, when she woke
up. Her breasts were very tender. She thought she was about to start her
period. She was already a week behind;
she thought it was due to the stress of getting ready to record demos for the
next album. Linn called Birthe and
asked her what symptoms of pregnancy she experienced. “Well, I was two weeks late, my breasts were very tender and I
just felt different,” said Birthe. Linn
almost dropped the phone when she heard that.
“Why do you want to know?” “I
was just wondering,” said Linn. She
asked how Julia was doing, talked about a few other things and then told Birthe
to take care and she would talk to her again soon. Linn grabbed her keys and purse, and headed to a pharmacy. She went to go buy a home pregnancy
test. When she got back home, she went
to the bathroom, read the instructions on the box and began the test. She laid the stick on the counter and sat
outside the door. She was praying it
would turn up positive. Three minutes
later, she went back into the bathroom.
The stick showed two lines, Linn read on the box about the lines. She got excited and called John at the
studio. “Hi darling! How is work today,” she asked. “Work is work. What’s up?” “Are you
sitting down?” “Why?” “I just took a pregnancy test.” Linn got very quiet for a few seconds. “Well, what were the results?” “You going to be a father in nine months,”
said Linn! John let out a happy scream
that could be heard all over the studio.
Jonas and Ulf came running to see what was going on. “What’s going on,” asked Ulf? “Are you okej,” asked Jonas? John cupped his hand over the mouthpiece of
the phone; and told them he was fine.
Jonas and Ulf both left the production area and resumed their work. John uncapped the mouthpiece and resumed his
conversation with Linn. “I am so
excited! I screamed so loud, Jonas and
Ulf came to check on me.” Linn laughed
and said, “I hope you didn’t say anything to them.” “No, I did not.” “Good, I
want it to be a surprise.” “I’ll be
home as soon as I can. I love you,”
said John. “I love you more,” said
Linn. They both hung up at the same
time. Linn then called and set up an
appointment with a doctor. John left
from the studio after he told Jonas something had come up at home. Jonas asked him what was going on. “You’ll find out soon enough,” said John.
When he got to the apartment, Linn was just getting off the phone with
a friend. John walked over to her and
kissed her. “I am so excited for us; I
could sing a song. So who have you
called so far?” “I have called my
parents, your parents and a few of my friends.
Oh I have an appointment with a doctor tomorrow. Hope you can come with me.” “I promise I will go,” said John. “Great!
Now you can call Jonas and tell him you will be late for work
tomorrow. You can go ahead and tell him
the news.” “Me tell Jonas the
news? I don’t know about that. I think that should be your job,” said
John. “Just tell him, please.” John picked up the phone and dialed Jonas’s
home number. “Hej, Jonas speaking.” “Hej Jonas, it’s John, I’m going to be late
tomorrow.” “Is something wrong?” “Nothing is wrong. I just want to accompany Linn to an appointment.” “What type of appointment?” “How does the name Uncle Jonas sound to
you?” “Wait, you’re telling me Linn is
expecting? Congratulations to both of
you! Birthe, you’re going to be an aunt
and I’m going to be an uncle!” “I’m
glad you are excited,” said John. “See
you later tomorrow then,” said Jonas.
John hung up the phone and joined Linn again on the couch. He put his hand on her stomach and looked at
her. He then looked down at her stomach
and knew this child is what they wanted.
He knew it would make them very happy and feel complete as a
couple. The next morning, John and Linn
drove to the doctor’s office. Before
they saw the doctor, the nurse asked Linn for a urine sample, so they could
check her key tone levels and check for the pregnancy hormone. When Linn finished, the nurse then led them
to an exam room. The nurse told Linn to
get undressed from the waist down, and to cover herself with the sheet on the
exam table. Ten minutes later, the
doctor came in the room. “Hello, I’m Dr.
Sjöberg. How are you two doing this morning?”
“Doing great,” replied Linn.
“That is good to know. Your urine
test came back positive with the pregnancy hormone, and your key tone levels
are good. I am going to examine you,
and then the nurse will check the fetal heart rate.” Linn laid down on the exam table, put her feet into the stirrups
and let Dr. Sjöberg examine her. She
checked her cervix and then told the nurse to check the heart rate. Linn flinched a little when the warm gel was
applied to her stomach. The nurse moved
the fetal doppler attachment around on Linn’s stomach, and got a heart rate from
the fetus. “A strong 160 bpm,” said the
nurse. She then wiped the gel off
Linn’s stomach and told her she could get dressed. The doctor came back in to discuss details with John and
Linn. “Okej, this is how I work. Right now, I will see you every four
weeks. In your second trimester, I will
see you every two weeks. Then when you
are close to your due date, I will see you once a week. So I will see you in another four
weeks.” “Thank you Dr. Sjöberg,” said
John. Linn made her appointment and
then John drove her back home. “You
take it easy,” said John. “You know I
will,” said Linn. John headed to the
studio and Linn went to the bedroom to lie down. She wanted to take an hour nap.
When she laid down, her mind began spinning with thoughts. Names for the baby, buying furniture for the
baby’s room, the sex of the baby and its health. The thoughts turned to the album Ace Of Base was recording songs
for. The affect the stress would have
on her, the promotions once again, television appearances and interviews. So many thoughts, so little time to get
through them. She finally drifted off
to sleep. Linn’s hour nap turned into
an all day nap. She did not wake up
until she heard the phone ring. She
quickly grabbed it off the base and answered in a sleepy voice.
“Hej, Linn speaking.” “Hej,
Linn, it’s your little syster, checking on you.” “Glad you called, I did not want to sleep past an hour. There is so much I need to do.” “What time did you lie down,” asked
Jenny? “At eleven this morning,” said
Linn. “Oh wow.” “Why do you say that,” asked Linn? “It is now 17:00.” “What!” Linn looked at
the clock and sure enough it read 17:00.
“I must have been pretty tired.”
“How did your appointment go today?”
“It went very well. The doctor
told me how many times she would see me.
Oh Jenny, I ma so happy, but nervous at the same time. How am I going to handle the changes in my
body, the stress from recording and still do all the things I enjoy?” “You can handle it all. Don’t worry about it sys. If God brings you to it, he will get you
through it. That’s what Jakob has told
me plenty of times. I have faith in
you.” “Thanks for the
encouragement. You always seem to have
the right words to say.” “I’m glad
everything went well for you this morning.
Hope to see you tomorrow at work.”
“I will be there bright and early, I promise.” “Love you sys, take care,” said Jenny. “I love you too. Take
care and see you tomorrow.” Linn sat up
in the bed and stretched her body. She
threw the covers back and headed to the kitchen. It was her turn to cook dinner.
She was going to cook pan-fried salmon, creamed potatoes and a green
salad. When she unwrapped the salmon,
the smell from it hit her in the face.
She dropped it on the counter, put her hand over her mouth and ran to
the bathroom. She leaned over the sink
and vomited. She then ran cold water and splashed it on her face. She grabbed a washrag, wet it down with cold
water and wrapped it around the back of her neck. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw how pale she had
gotten quickly, in the face. John
entered the apartment, but did not see Linn.
He started looking for her around the apartment, and found her in the
bathroom. He saw her standing over the
sink with her head down. John walked to
her and put his hands on her shoulders.
“Can I get anything for you,” he asked?
“Help me to the couch, please.”
John wrapped one arm around Linn’s waist and then put her arm around his
neck, and helped her to the couch. He
got her there and laid her down. “I’ll
cook dinner, you just relax.” John
kissed Linn on the forehead and covered her up with the throw on the
couch. He went to the kitchen and found
the salmon on the counter. He found a
pan to cook it in, turned the stove on, seasoned the salmon and then put it in
the pan. It did not take long for the
smell to reach the family room. When
Linn smelled the salmon cooking, she bolted up from the couch and ran back to
the bathroom. This time she vomited in
the toilet. The smell of the salmon was
filling up the whole apartment, and causing Linn to vomit more. John heard her and ran into the
bathroom. Linn was now lying on the
floor and curled up in the fetal position.
He ran back to the kitchen and turned the stove off. He then ran back to the bathroom and picked
Linn up. He carried her to the bedroom
and then laid her on the bed. He then
picked up the phone and called Brigitta.
He told her what was going on with Linn. “Oh my goodness! She
needs some crackers and ginger ale to settle her stomach. Open a window to get rid of the smell. She is getting sensitive to the smell of
different things. Just keep a watch on
her. If it gets worse, you will have to
call the doctor.” John thanked her for
the advice and hung up. He want back to
the kitchen, got some crackers and poured up some ginger ale. He went back to the bedroom and sat Linn
up. He gave her a cracker and set the
glass of ginger ale on the nightstand.
He then cracked the bedroom window, to let fresh air in. “Are you feeling better?” “Yes, thank you.” “I’ll go throw the salmon out and eat a bowl of cereal. You just take it easy.” John kissed Linn on the forehead and went to
go pour a bowl of cereal and throw the salmon away.
For the next three months, Linn battled morning sickness. Jonas was patient with her. He understood, since Birthe experienced the
same thing. In her fourth month, Linn
started showing a little and the morning sickness passed. One morning, Linn work up and felt better
than ever. John was in the kitchen,
waiting for her. “Good morning dear,”
said John. “Good morning my love,” said
Linn. “Are you ready to do some more
recording?” “Sure! I feel 100% better today.” “Good!
Let’s get going, so maybe we can leave early today.” They left the apartment and headed to the
studio, to start another day of work.
Jonas, Ulf and Jenny were already working on some songs. They saw the flashing light over the
doorway, to the recording area, was going off.
They knew John and Linn had shown up.
Jenny took her headphones off and left out to go see them. “Hej Linn and John,” she said as she
followed them up the stairs. They both
turned around, when they reached the top, greeted Jenny and hugged her. “How are you two doing this morning,” asked
Jenny? “We’re great,” they said at the
same time. Jenny said she was glad to
her that and proceeded to walk back down the stairs. All of the sudden, Linn was getting sharp pains in her stomach. John saw the pain shoot into her eyes. “What’s wrong?” “My stomach is killing me.”
John pulled a chair out from the table and sat Linn in it. The pain had left, but was coming back
again, stronger. She let out a scream
of pain and doubled over onto the floor, holding her stomach. “Help,” John screamed! “Jenny, Jonas, Ulf, anyone, help!” Jenny had not quite made it down the hall
when she heard John screaming for help.
She ran to get Jonas and Ulf from the recording area. “Jonas!
Ulf! Something is wrong, John is screaming for help.” They all ran up the stairs. When they got to John and Linn, they were
shocked what they found. There was
blood on the floor where Linn was lying.
“What the hell is going on,” asked Jonas? “She’s losing the baby!
Help me get her down to the car.
Damn it, damn it, damn it, not now!” He bent down and picked Linn
up. “Hold on baby, I’m going to get you
to the hospital.” “I’m going to grab
some towels to lay on the back seat,” said Jenny. Jonas and Ulf helped John get Linn to the car. Jenny had already laid the towels out on the
back seat. The pain was getting more
and more intense. When they laid her in
the backseat, Linn curled up into the fetal position, screaming. Ulf grabbed her hand and whispered something
in her ear that seemed to make the pain ease up. He let her hand go, shut the door to the back and motioned for
John to go. John put his flashers on
and sped really fast to Göteborg. When
he pulled into the emergency room entrance, a nurse ran out with a
wheelchair. “What is that matter
sir?” “My wife, she losing our
baby. Help her, please,” John said with
tears in his eyes. The nurse motioned
for an attendant to help her get Linn into a wheelchair. When they got inside, the attending
physician began working on Linn. The
nurse asked John the name of the doctor Lin was seeing. She called Dr. Sjöberg to inform her Linn
was in the emergency room. John sat in
the waiting room, praying. “God, I know
I don’t ask you for much, but please, save our child. Help Linn get better and give the doctor the knowledge to help
her and the baby.” A few hours later,
the attending and Dr. Sjöberg walked into the waiting room. John stood up and expected the worst. “Mr. Ericsson, your wife is in recovery now. We were able to stop the bleeding and save
the baby. She will be here for a few
days, and when she is released, she will be on strict bed rest,” said the
attending doctor. “When Linn checks
out, you need to bring her directly over to my office. I will examine her before she goes
home. Now strict bed rest means no
getting out of the bed except to use the bathroom and not leaving home, except
for checkups with me,” said Dr. Sjöberg.
John was so happy about the good news; he hugged both doctors and
thanked them for what they had done.
“Can I go see her,” asked John?
“Yes you can,” said the attending doctor.
Dr. Sjöberg took John to recovery to see Linn. When they got there, a nurse told John they
were getting ready to move Linn into a private room. When he saw her, she had IV lines running into her right arm and
was under sedation, so that she could rest a bit more peacefully. John walked over to her bed, as Dr. Sjöberg
and the nurse engaged in conversation.
Linn looked like an angel sleeping, peacefully, and unaware of what was
going on at the moment. Soon, Linn had
a room ready and she was moved into it, after being in recovery for a few
hours. After she was settled in, John
pulled up a chair, and sat next to the bedside. He gently grabbed Linn’s hand and held onto it. Soon he fell asleep, still holding her
hand. The next morning, Linn woke up
and felt John’s hand holding hers. She
gently squeezed his hand to wake him up.
John slowly opened his eyes and saw Linn looking and smiling at him. He smiled back, got up out of the chair and
kissed her on her forehead. “Hej
darling,” he said, “everything is fine.
They saved the baby.” Linn
smiled a sleepy smile and John smiled back at her. The doctor on call came to see Linn. He looked over her chart and entered the room. “Hallo, I am Dr. Svensson. How are you feeling today Mrs. Ericsson?” “Still a little sleepy, but glad the pain in
my stomach is gone.” Dr. Svensson
chuckled a bit when Linn said that and then began to explain the medications
being pumped into her. “The sedative
that you were on will work itself out of your system shortly. The medication that is in one IV bag is
helping to keep your unborn child alive.
In the other IV bag, are electrolytes to keep you from getting
dehydrated. When you get out of here,
you will be on strict bed rest.” He
then examined Linn, to make sure the medication was doing its job. After he examined her, he then made a
compliment about John. “You should be
very proud of your husband for reacting so fast.” Linn looked over at John, smiled and said, “I am very proud of
him.” John blushed a bit and smiled
back at Linn. After Dr. Svensson left,
Linn received breakfast, and John went down to the cafeteria to get breakfast
for himself. When he came back, Linn
was sitting up in the bed, eating her meal.
John sat back down in the chair and began eating as well. At one point, he stopped eating and sat
looking at Linn, smiling. “I have
something to tell you,” he said. “What
is it,” asked Linn? “I am proud of you
as well, for being so strong. When I
was in the waiting room, I began praying.
I asked God to save the baby and to help you. Seeing how He answered my prayer, it has renewed my faith in
God.” Linn smiled, grabbed John’s hand
and squeezed it. Close to lunchtime,
Göran and Brigitta arrived to see Linn and John. Brigitta gave John a hug and walked over to the bed to see
Linn. Göran shook John’s hand, “Thank
you for reacting so quickly. You have a
good head on your shoulders.” A few
minutes later, Lasse and Jean showed up.
They saw John, standing in the doorway of the room, talking to Göran. Out of the corner of his eye, John saw his
parents walking down the hallway. “Hej
Mama and Papa,” John said. Lasse hugged
John and shook Göran’s hand. “How is
Linn doing,” asked Jean? “She is doing
better. The doctor said she is on
strict bed rest once she gets home. So
the only time she can get up is to go to the bathroom and to go to doctor
appointments. I wonder if I can take
some time off to help Linn,” said John?
“Well, I could go over and help her during the day,” said Jean. “Maybe between you and Brigitta, you two can
take turns helping,” said Göran. “We
will discuss that in a few days,” said John.
The Ericssons, along with Göran walked in to the room to see Linn. After a few hours, the Berggrens and
Ericssons left, so Linn could get some rest.
At 16:30, Dr. Svensson came back to check on Linn. “Hallo Mr. and Mrs. Ericsson, how are you
doing this evening?” “Doing just fine,”
said Linn. “Same here,” said John. Dr. Svensson checked Linn over again. “Do you two have any questions,” asked the
doctor? “What could have triggered the
near miscarriage,” asked John? “Many
things; stress, the body rejecting the pregnancy, neglect in taking care of the
body during the first few months. In
Linn’s case, I suspect it had to be stress.
So now that the fetus is doing better, as well as Linn, the stress needs
to be reduced. That means strict bed
rest for the rest of the pregnancy.
Now, I know that Linn is in a band, but she needs to take a break from
it all. I know the other members will
understand. The most important thing
right now is Linn and the baby.” “I
know my band mates will understand, because they are my family,” said Linn. “That is good to know. Now you get some more rest, and before you
two know it, you will be back at home.”
John and Linn thanked the doctor as he left the room.
“I guess there will be a delay on the album,” said Linn. “Why do you say that,” asked John? “I only sang one song on that last
album. I know the fans want to see me
back up front, but I want Jenny to stay in the lead. She is doing such a better job handling the spotlight. I hate the spotlight at the moment.” “Why do you hate the attention now,” asked
John? “I loved the attention in the
beginning. When we broke out in Europe,
I thought that was as far as we would go.
The pressure just got to be too much, when we broke out all over the
world. I could only take it for so
long, and I got overloaded. I wanted
out but did not want the rumors to come true.
So I just stepped back and let the spotlight go to Jenny.” John laughed a little, “I think you got more
attention when you stepped back, than when you were in the lead.” Linn laughed as well and said, “Come to
think of it, you’re right.” It was
close to 21:00, and visiting hours were almost over. Linn was just about to doze off, when Jenny and Jakob showed
up. “Hej sys, we will not stay too
long. We just came to check on you and
see how you are doing.” John got out of
his chair, shook Jakob’s hand and hugged Jenny. John let Jenny sit in his chair and he and Jakob walked outside
the room. “I’m so glad you and the baby
are okej. Mama called and told me
everything she knew. I was so scared we
were going to lose you, after seeing all that blood. Jonas was pacing the floors at home, waiting to hear
something. He was relieved when I
called him and Birthe,” said Jenny.
“Like the doctor said, if John would not have reacted as fast as he did,
our child would not still be growing inside of me.” “You are very lucky to have a husband like John. I am so glad you two met; I have never seen
you so happy.” “Me too,” said
Linn. Jakob and John stepped back into
the room. Jakob walked over to the
bedside and asked Linn if he could say a little prayer with her. She agreed, grabbed his hand and Jakob began
praying with her. After the prayer,
Jenny and Jakob left, so Linn could rest.
The next morning, before the doctor came and Linn woke up, John slipped
out. He went home to take a shower and
get Linn some clean clothes. After he
got out the shower, he decided to call Jonas, and asked him to bring Linn’s
clothes to her. He wanted to get the
apartment ready for Linn’s return. Back
at the hospital, the doctor on call came back to check on Linn. “Everything looks good. You should be out of here in a few more
hours. I’ll have the nurse call Dr.
Sjöberg’s office and get you an appointment, so you can see her after you’re
discharged.” He told Linn to take care
and to tell John best of luck. After
the doctor left, Jonas and Birthe came to visit Linn. “Hej sys,” said Jonas.
“Hallo Linn,” said Birthe.
“Where is Julia,” asked Linn?
“We left her with you and Jonas’s mother, so we could come visit you,”
said Birthe. “Oh, we brought you some
clean clothes. John called earlier this
morning and asked us to bring them to you,” said Jonas. “Thank you!
I am ready to get out of this hospital gown.” “So, what did the doctor say could have triggered the
miscarriage,” asked Jonas. “Stress,”
said Linn. “Stress,” replied
Jonas? “Yes, stress. Stress from puking my guts up for three
months and working non stop on the new album.”
“So how far is this going to put us behind?” “I will be on permanent bed rest until the baby is born. Jonas, you know Jenny can handle all the
vocals. She has been in the spotlight
since ‘Flowers’ and is doing a great job.
I have done a lot of backing vocals for the songs, so I have done all I
can.” “What do you think the fans will
say when Jenny is in front and you are in the back once again?” “They will just have to accept it. All I want to do is be in the background for
a while, and then I will step back up to the front with Jenny. Jonas, do not even think I am quitting,
because I am not quitting the band.”
“I know you are not quitting; I’m just worried the fans and media will
rip into you, again, since you are staying in the background and not promoting
with Jenny, Ulf and I. I mean, I have
been chatting with the Acers online, and they constantly ask when you are going
to be up front with Jenny again, if you are singing more leads and so on. I try to answer them in the best way I can,
but the answers do not seem to satisfy them enough.” “A true fan of our music will understand that you do not have all
the answers, and appreciate the answers you can give them.” “You are right about that, a true fan will
understand. I’m sorry I thought about
the album first. You and the baby are
more important right now, than worrying about that.” Jonas then leaned over and gave Linn a big, brotherly hug. Jonas and Birthe decided to stay until Linn
was discharged. The telephone in the
room began to ring; Linn reached over and answered it. John was calling to let her know he was on
his way to the hospital. She told him
that Jonas and Birthe were still there visiting, and they decided to stay until
she was discharged. John said that was
nice of them to stay and he would seem them shortly. When John got to the hospital, Linn was just finishing up her
lunch and enjoying her visit with Jonas and Birthe. He shook Jonas’s hand and gave Birthe a hug, and stood next to
Linn. After Linn finished her lunch,
the head nurse came in and began taking out the IV line from Linn’s arm. She then told Linn she could take a shower
and get ready to be discharged. After
Linn had bathed and dressed, the nurse came back in and had the discharge
papers for John to sign. Thirty minutes
later, John pulled his car around to the front of the hospital. Jonas and Birthe came down with Linn, and
Jonas helped Linn get into the car.
John then asked Jonas to follow him to Dr. Sjöberg’s office. The doctor checked Linn over good and told
her to come back the following week for a checkup. John helped Linn off the exam table and the nurse helped her into
the wheelchair. Jonas and Birthe were
in the waiting room, and waited with Linn while John got the car. When he pulled up, Jonas helped Linn get
into the front seat. Jonas then
followed John and Linn back to their apartment. When they arrived, John and Jonas helped Linn into the apartment
and led her to the couch. John pulled
the coffee table close to the couch, and sat on top of it. He grabbed Linn’s hand and kissed the top of
it. “I am so glad to have you home,” he
said. “We have to be going now,” said
Jonas, “we need to get Julia picked up from Mama and Papa’s home.” “Thank you so much for helping us today,”
said John, “it means a lot to us.”
“Thank you my dear brother and Birthe,” said Linn. “It was our pleasure,” said Birthe. Jonas gave Linn a big hug and shook John’s
hand, as he got ready to leave. Birthe waved
goodbye to Linn and gave John a hug, as she followed Jonas to the door. After they left, John helped Linn get to the
bedroom, so she could be more comfortable.
She lay down in the bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. “Can I get you anything,” asked John? “Just a glass of water for now,” said
Linn. Before John went to go get the
glass of water, he leaned over and gave Linn a passionate kiss, and said, “We
are going to get through this.”
For the next five months, the Berggrens and Ericssons pulled together to help John and Linn. Brigitta and Jean took turns staying with Linn during the day, while John went to work each morning. The day had arrived for Linn to find out if she could finally get out of bed, and resume somewhat of a normal routine. Right before Linn’s appointment, John told her he had a surprise. “What kind of surprise,” asked Linn? “You will just have to see for yourself. Now, close your eyes and no peeking!” Linn closed her eyes and John led her across the hall to the spare bedroom. He opened the door and led her to the center of the room. Before she opened her eyes, Linn could smell the smell of fresh paint and new fabric. “Okay, open your eyes,” said John! When Linn opened her eyes, she almost burst into tears. The spare bedroom had been turned into a nursery. The walls had been painted a light mint green color and the theme for the room consisted of teddy bears. The crib was set up on one side of the room with a teddy bear print sheet on the mattress, and a comforter to match. On another side of the room was a brand new glider rocking chair; it sat right next to the bassinet. Linn turned to John and gave him a big hug and passionate kiss. “I love it! Thank you so much,” said Linn! John smiled and put his arm around her shoulder. “I’m so glad you love it! Jenny, Jakob and I worked hard on this.” “All of you did a wonderful job.” John looked down at his watch and noticed it was time to leave. “Let’s go find out if you can stay out of the bed,” said John. Just as they were leaving out of the nursery, Linn felt a burst of fluid go down her legs. “Oh my God, my water just broke!” John looked down and saw a large puddle of water under Linn. “This is it! I’ll get the suitcase and call the doctor on the way,” said John. He helped Linn to the car, got the suitcase and called Dr. Sjöberg’s office. He put on his flashers and drove to the hospital as fast as he could. As soon as they arrived, a nurse met them outside, and rushed Linn up to the OB floor. John began filling out the paperwork and called every family member. After he finished, he was taken up the OB floor, and into the birthing room with Linn. Ten minutes later, Göran and Brigitta arrived at the hospital. They asked to see Linn and John, but were told to wait in the waiting room on the OB floor. Soon after Göran and Brigitta arrived, Jenny, Jakob, Jonas and Birthe all arrived in the waiting room. Everyone paced the floors for hours, waiting for John to announce the baby was born. Finally, John came out to the waiting room. He had a very big smile on his face. Just as he was about to make his announcement, Lasse and Jean arrived. John gave his parents a hug, and then announced the baby was born and it is a girl. Everyone expressed their joy in a low tone, and asked when they could see Linn and baby. “Give them another few hours alone, and you all can come in two by two. Linn did great in the birthing room; she was a shining star! I will come back and get you all, when Linn is ready.” Three hours later, John came back to the waiting room, and brought Göran and Brigitta to see Linn and the baby. An hour later, Lasse and Jean took Göran and Brigitta’s place in the room. Four hours later, everyone had seen John and Linn’s beautiful baby girl. When everyone was gone, John put his arm around Linn as she held their daughter, and they smiled at each other. Their little gift was finally here, after almost been taken away. Their sad beginning had a happy ending.