Det var en stille vinterdag, og snøen dalte varsomt fra himmelen.

It was a quiet winter day, and snow gently fell from the sky.

Lars sto utenfor en liten hytte i fjellene ved Sognefjorden.

Lars stood outside a small cabin in the mountains by the Sognefjorden.

Det var lenge siden han hadde vært hjemme, og han følte sommerfugler i magen.

It had been a long time since he had been home, and he felt butterflies in his stomach.

Skogens høye grantrær var dekket av snø, og foran hytten lå den frosne fjorden, rolig og uberørt.

The forest's tall spruce trees were covered in snow, and in front of the cabin lay the frozen fjord, calm and untouched.

Innenfor hyttens lune vegger, kastet peisen et varmt lys som danset over treverket.

Within the cabin's cozy walls, the fireplace cast a warm light that danced over the wood.

Der inne satt Sigrid, Lars' barndomsvenn.

There sat Sigrid, Lars' childhood friend.

Hun hadde holdt hytta i stand for ham, alltid klar for hans tilbakekomst.

She had kept the cabin in order for him, always ready for his return.

Da han trådte innenfor, møtte hun ham med et stort smil og en varm klem.

When he stepped inside, she greeted him with a big smile and a warm hug.

"Velkommen hjem, Lars," sa hun mykt.

"Welcome home, Lars," she said softly.

Lars kjente seg litt nervøs, men glad for det vennlige velkomnet.

Lars felt a bit nervous but glad for the friendly welcome.

Dagene som fulgte var fylt med samtaler og stille refleksjon.

The days that followed were filled with conversations and quiet reflection.

Lars var fortsatt reservert, men Sigrid kjente ham godt nok til å lese ansiktet hans.

Lars was still reserved, but Sigrid knew him well enough to read his face.

De pratet om gamle dager, om sommerferier og lange vinternetter.

They talked about the old days, about summer vacations and long winter nights.

Likevel hang det en skygge over Lars.

Yet, a shadow hung over Lars.

En kveld blåste en kraftig snøstorm opp.

One evening, a strong snowstorm blew up.

Vinden skrek utenfor, og snøen la seg tungt mot vinduene.

The wind screamed outside, and the snow settled heavily against the windows.

I ly for stormen, satt de nær ildstedet med varme ulltepper rundt seg.

Sheltered from the storm, they sat near the fireplace with warm wool blankets around them.

Det var da Lars bestemte seg.

It was then that Lars decided.

Han måtte åpne seg.

He needed to open up.

"Sigrid," begynte han nølende, "jeg vil fortelle deg hvorfor jeg dro.

"Sigrid," he began hesitantly, "I want to tell you why I left."

" Sigrid lyttet stille, medfølende.

Sigrid listened quietly, compassionately.

Lars fortalte om usikkerheten, ønsket om å finne mening et annet sted, og frykten som hadde fulgt ham selv når han var borte.

Lars spoke about the uncertainty, the desire to find meaning elsewhere, and the fear that had followed him even when he was away.

Da Lars var ferdig, tok Sigrid hendene hans.

When Lars had finished, Sigrid took his hands.

"Lars, du har alltid en plass her.

"Lars, you always have a place here.

Venner forlater ikke hverandre," sa hun.

Friends don’t leave each other," she said.

Ordene hennes ga Lars en følelse av lettelse.

Her words gave Lars a feeling of relief.

Han innså at han ikke lenger trengte å bære tyngden alene.

He realized that he no longer needed to carry the burden alone.

Utenfor raste snøstormen videre, men innenfor var det ro.

Outside, the snowstorm raged on, but inside there was calm.

Sigrid hentet hjemmelaget suppe fra gryten over ilden.

Sigrid fetched homemade soup from the pot over the fire.

De spiste sammen, latet som om stormen var en fjern melodi i bakgrunnen.

They ate together, pretending the storm was a distant melody in the background.

Sammen planla de å gjenoppbygge vennskapet, begynne på nytt fra der de slapp.

Together, they planned to rebuild their friendship, to start anew from where they had left off.

Når stormen roet seg, kjente Lars en ny ro inni seg.

When the storm subsided, Lars felt a new calm within himself.

Han visste at han alltid kunne stole på Sigrids urokkelige støtte.

He knew he could always rely on Sigrid's unwavering support.

Det var denne følelsen av tilhørighet han hadde savnet.

It was this feeling of belonging he had missed.

Nå var den funnet igjen, der i den lille hytta ved Sognefjorden.

Now it was found again, there in the little cabin by the Sognefjorden.