Høsten hadde farget fjellene i en gyllen glød da Astrid og Lars nådde familiens hytte.

Autumn had painted the mountains in a golden glow as Astrid and Lars reached the family cabin.

Den lille tømmerhytta, omgitt av høye furutrær, lå badet i solskinnet fra den fallende ettermiddagssolen.

The small log cabin, surrounded by tall pine trees, was bathed in the sunlight of the fading afternoon.

Den krispige, kjølige luften bar med seg lukten av røyken fra peisovnen.

The crisp, cool air carried the scent of smoke from the fireplace.

Inne i hytta var det varmt og koselig, en trygg kontrast til kulden utenfor.

Inside the cabin, it was warm and cozy, a safe contrast to the cold outside.

Astrid betraktet broren sin mens han snakket i vei om jobben sin, prestasjonene sine, og hvor godt alt gikk for ham.

Astrid observed her brother as he chatted away about his job, his accomplishments, and how well everything was going for him.

Han var selvsikker og velmenende, men veldig opptatt av sitt eget liv.

He was confident and well-meaning, but very absorbed in his own life.

Astrid kjente på en kjent følelse av usynlighet, som om hun bare var en skygge ved hans side.

Astrid felt a familiar sense of invisibility, as if she were just a shadow by his side.

De siste gangene familien hadde samlet seg, hadde Astrid alltid følt seg oversett.

The last few times the family had gathered, Astrid had always felt overlooked.

Lars hadde ubevisst alltid vært midtpunktet.

Lars had unknowingly always been the center of attention.

Nå, her i fjellene, hadde Astrid bestemt seg for å endre det.

Now, here in the mountains, Astrid had decided to change that.

Hun måtte snakke med ham, fortelle ham hvordan hun følte seg.

She needed to talk to him, to tell him how she felt.

Det var en tid for forandring.

It was time for a change.

Senere den kvelden, etter at middagstaket var ryddet bort, samlet de to søsknene seg foran peisen.

Later that evening, after the dinner table had been cleared, the two siblings gathered in front of the fireplace.

Røyken svevde mykt opp gjennom pipen, og flammene kastet varme skygger i rommet.

The smoke drifted softly up through the chimney, and the flames cast warm shadows in the room.

Lars snakket fortsatt, men Astrid tok en dyp pust.

Lars was still talking, but Astrid took a deep breath.

"Lars, kan vi snakke?"

"Lars, can we talk?"

spurte hun, stemmen hennes rolig men fast.

she asked, her voice calm but firm.

Han så på henne, kanskje for første gang noensinne, med et litt overrasket blikk.

He looked at her, perhaps for the first time ever, with a slightly surprised expression.

"Jeg vil at du skal vite hvordan jeg har følt," fortsatte hun, "og hvor mye ditt fravær har påvirket meg."

"I want you to know how I've been feeling," she continued, "and how much your absence has affected me."

Lars hevet et øyenbryn, men sa ingenting.

Lars raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Astrid fortsatte.

Astrid continued.

Hun fortalte om følelsen av å bli oversett, om hvordan hun alltid så opp til ham, men også skjulte en dyp sorg.

She spoke about the feeling of being overlooked, about how she always looked up to him but also harbored a deep sorrow.

Ordene fløt, ærlige og rå.

The words flowed, honest and raw.

Det var som om årevis med tilbaketrukket skygge endelig ble fjernet.

It was as if years of retreating into the shadows were finally being lifted.

Diskusjonen ble opphetet, gamle uenigheter kom tilbake, men Astrid sto på sitt.

The discussion became heated, and old disagreements resurfaced, but Astrid stood her ground.

Lars lyttet, sakte men sikkert, til hennes betroelser.

Lars listened, slowly but surely, to her confessions.

Hun så forandring i øynene hans, en ny forståelse.

She saw change in his eyes, a new understanding.

Stiltid fulgte, en sterk stillhet som fylte rommet med noe nådig og uventet.

Silence followed, a powerful silence that filled the room with something graceful and unexpected.

I den varme firkanten av ildlys, innså Lars hvor mye han hadde oversett.

In the warm square of firelight, Lars realized how much he had overlooked.

Han beklaget seg.

He apologized.

For første gang virkelig sa han hvor mye han satte pris på henne og hvor viktig hun var.

For the first time, he truly told her how much he appreciated her and how important she was.

Han ville være en bedre bror, en som så og lyttet.

He wanted to be a better brother, one who saw and listened.

Astrid kjente lettelse vaske over seg.

Astrid felt relief wash over her.

Som flammene i peisen, følte hun styrken vokse i henne.

Like the flames in the fireplace, she felt strength growing within her.

Herfra fremover ville ting være annerledes.

From here on, things would be different.

Hun var ikke lenger bare en skygge ved siden av broren sin.

She was no longer just a shadow beside her brother.

De satt sammen lenge etterpå, snakket i en mild stemning, og delte historier.

They sat together long afterward, talking in a gentle tone, sharing stories.

Den kalde høstkvelden ble til natt, mens både Astrid og Lars fant en ny forståelse seg imellom.

The cold autumn evening turned into night, as both Astrid and Lars found a new understanding between them.

Det var en ny begynnelse, i skogens rolige fang.

It was a new beginning, in the forest’s tranquil embrace.

Familien, som bladene utenfor, hadde endelig funnet sin rettmessige plass.

The family, like the leaves outside, had finally found their rightful place.