Hope draws on Norse mythology for this story, although to the non-expert on Norse mythology, as there are no hammer-wielding blonde-tressed Vikings in the story, this is rather opaque.
Instead we have a suburban drama, as a widower, Heldig, struggling to look after himself, and even the dog bought to keep him company after his wife died, finds solace in the arms of a woman, who offers her services, and her bed, to gentlemen such as him. Except that little happens on the bed, except a warm embrace. I’m not sure if the woman’s name, Maggie May, is a deliberate reference to the Rod Stewart character, but it’s a bit jarring, as is the fac that his son and daughter in law have names that are a) rhyming (Barry and Carrie) and b) more British than Norwegian.
Storywise Maggie May’s cat has a say in the matter, scratching Heldig, and through this the story unfoalds.
BTW that last word isn’t a typo, but you’ll have to read the story to understand why so.
