Solen kastet sitt varme lys over Vigelandsparken i Oslo.

The sun cast its warm light over Vigelandsparken in Oslo.

Det var sensommer, og blomster bedene lyste i alle farger.

It was late summer, and the flower beds shone in all colors.

Sindre ruslet langs de vakre skulpturene og kjente en uro i magen.

Sindre strolled along the beautiful sculptures, feeling a restlessness in his stomach.

Sommerfestivalen for innhøsting nærmet seg, og den minnet alltid om gamle minner.

The summer harvest festival was approaching, and it always reminded him of old memories.

Mens han gikk, falt blikket hans tilfeldigvis på en benk ved siden av en fontene.

As he walked, his gaze happened to fall on a bench next to a fountain.

Der lå en gammel, gulnet lapp.

There lay an old, yellowed note.

Hjertet hans hoppet over et slag.

His heart skipped a beat.

Det var lappen fra mange år tilbake, den Maren hadde skrevet.

It was the note from many years ago, the one Maren had written.

Lappen han aldri hadde lest.

The note he had never read.

Sindre holdt lappen med skjelvende hender.

Sindre held the note with trembling hands.

Et notat han hadde trodd tapt for alltid.

A note he had thought lost forever.

Fra den gangen de hadde vært så nære, før alt ble komplisert.

From those times they had been so close before everything became complicated.

Nostalgi blandet med uro fylte ham.

Nostalgia mixed with unease filled him.

Maren kom gående mot ham.

Maren came walking towards him.

Hun så avslappet ut i den milde brisen, men da hun møtte blikket hans, stivnet smilet hennes.

She looked relaxed in the gentle breeze, but when she met his gaze, her smile froze.

"Sindre," begynte hun, men tok så et dypt pust.

"Sindre," she began, but then took a deep breath.

"Hva har du der?

"What do you have there?"

"Han strakte lappen mot henne.

He stretched the note toward her.

"Jeg fant dette.

"I found this.

Vi må snakke om det.

We need to talk about it.

Vær så snill.

Please."

"Maren ble stille, øynene beveget seg urolig mellom notatet og ansiktet hans.

Maren became quiet, her eyes moving nervously between the note and his face.

"Jeg var redd du ville finne det," sa hun til slutt.

"I was afraid you would find it," she finally said.

"Jeg vet ikke om jeg er klar til å åpne det kapitlet igjen.

"I don't know if I'm ready to open that chapter again."

"Men Sindre var bestemt.

But Sindre was determined.

"Jeg trenger å forstå.

"I need to understand.

Jeg har levd med spørsmål så lenge.

I've lived with questions for so long."

"Det var stillhet.

There was silence.

Så fulgte Maren ham til en av de stille steder i parken, bort fra de lekende barna og feststemningen.

Then Maren followed him to one of the quiet places in the park, away from the playing children and festive atmosphere.

Sindre la merke til hvordan hun langsomt brettet opp lappen og begynte å lese høyt.

Sindre noticed how she slowly unfolded the note and began to read aloud.

"Jeg kunne ikke si det da," sa Maren, "fordi jeg var redd for å miste det vennskapet vi hadde.

"I couldn't say it then," said Maren, "because I was afraid of losing the friendship we had.

Jeg følte noe, Sindre.

I felt something, Sindre.

Men jeg turde ikke.

But I didn’t dare."

"Tårene trillet ned Marens kinn.

Tears streamed down Maren's cheeks.

Sindre kjente en bølge av lettelse.

Sindre felt a wave of relief.

Endelig visste han sannheten.

Finally, he knew the truth.

"Jeg forstår," svarte han.

"I understand," he replied.

"Vi var unge.

"We were young.

Jeg ønsket det samme, men turde ikke spørre.

I wanted the same but didn’t dare ask."

"Maren strakk seg mot ham, og de klemte hverandre lenge.

Maren reached out to him, and they hugged each other for a long time.

Det var ingen ord i verden som trengtes akkurat da.

There were no words in the world needed at that moment.

De visste hva de begge hadde gått glipp av, men også hva de hadde funnet.

They knew what they both had missed, but also what they had found.

På vei ut av parken, under solen som holdt på å gå ned, innså Sindre at han kunne slippe fortiden.

On the way out of the park, under the sun that was about to set, Sindre realized he could let go of the past.

Han kunne la sommerdagen, fylt med kunst og skjønnhet, være begynnelsen på en ny forståelse.

He could let the summer day, filled with art and beauty, be the beginning of a new understanding.

De bestemte seg for å møtes til festivalen.

They decided to meet at the festival.

Sindre smilte over tanken.

Sindre smiled at the thought.

Maren, ved siden av ham, smilte også.

Maren, next to him, smiled too.

For første gang på lenge så de begge fremover i stedet for bakover.

For the first time in a long time, they both looked forward instead of backward.

Det var en ny begynnelse.

It was a new beginning.