Chapter 5: The Following Years

Stef and Anette started spending more time with their father.

After divorcing Heidi four years earlier, William had moved away from Rindum. He thought the children would be better off with her. He was shocked when Heidi suddenly died while he was out sailing. At first, he didn’t know how to react. He couldn’t have the children with him as he was away sailing for three months at a time.

After the funeral, he returned to his ship, but the realisation that he was now Anette and Stef’s only parent began to weigh on him. They needed him. During his next period of leave, he moved back to Rindum to be closer to them.

He stayed in touch with Helene and Mikkel to find out how Anette and Stef were doing, and consulted with them about how often he could visit the children without disrupting their new daily routine. To start with, they agreed on monthly visits during the six months of the year he was home.

Anette was cold towards William because she remembered when he lived with them and still felt abandoned by him. Her attitude also affected Stef. The first visits took place at Helene and Mikkel’s house while they were there too. A year later, the children had warmed to William somewhat and they started going on day trips together. William also started visiting every other week during the six months he was home, following an agreement with Helene, Mikkel, and the two children.

Two years after Heidi’s death, William’s efforts to regain his children’s trust were rewarded when Anette asked if they could visit him. William lived in a one-bedroom apartment, but when Anette expressed interest in visiting, he spoke with his landlord. A larger apartment, with space for two children’s rooms, would be available a month later. William accepted the offer, but didn’t have time to move before he had to return to his ship. However, three months later, Anette and Stef were on their first weekend visit to William, and this soon became a regular occurrence six times a year.