running up that hill.

⸻ alicia vikander, 31, cis female, she/her // in THE DRIVE neighborhood of Vancouver, you’ll find SOFIA ZETTERLUND who’s lived there for TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS and they spend their days working as a CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST. They’ve been described as COMPASSIONATE, IMPULSIVE, PATIENT, AND ADAPTABLE by the people that know them. This is her story.

“Apparently they’re hot commodities. They didn’t buy enough for people and some don’t know how to take one or two and pass the box over. I’m pretty sure I saw someone consume the whole thing.” It probably wasn’t advised to do that but who was she to judge because she’d finished boxes of cookies or whole bags of chips before. Her head shakes and then she smiles at her. “You don’t have to do that. It’s not that important.” It was a little bit of a bummer but she wasn’t going to let it ruin her night. However, she turned in time to see the tray come towards her and she basically gasped. “A woman after my own heart. I’m just going to take three because as much as I crave these, I can’t consume a lot.”

+

     Something of a humorless snort sounded in Sofia’s throat, “how sad does someone have to be to steal marshmallows and pieces of chocolate though.” Only seconds later the therapist was stuffing her mouth with a melty, gooey campfire treat and with her mouth full, her brown eyes panned to Alice and fixed on her. “Okay, so maybe I can understand a bit more now.” It was the first bite of a s’more, a treat she hadn’t had in quite some time. “It seems pretty important now...” Smiling, Sofia then wiped the remnants of chocolate and marshmallow from her lips... and chin, then passed over the tray. “Please, help yourself. Although, I do applaud your self control. I fully give into gluttony and will happily pay the price later for this pleasure now.”

starter for @sofiazetterlund​​ at the cabin in the woods for the fall harvest carnival​

Alice wasn’t in the best mood after putting down a box of smores by her chair only to get up and get a drink to return and find that someone had taken her box. “Did you see someone come here and swipe my box of smores?” It was what she was looking forward to after realizing that her cabin didn’t have a functioning bathroom. Now that her chocolate and midnight snack was gone, she was almost ready to go back home. “Do you have some because I’m willing to wage war and spend the night hunting through everyone’s bag until I get that box back.”

+

     Surprise flooded Sofia’s soft features as her gaze rose to Alice’s return and then to the empty seat next to her. “What the fuck...” How in the hell had that happened? The brunette had been sitting there the whole time and not once had she seen someone come by. “I didn’t see anyone,” the Swede admitted, gaze panning back to Alice, “I’ve been here the whole time, too. They must’ve...” Sitting up a little, she turned in her seat and looked behind herself. “They must have snuck behind.” It was cause for her to shake her head, having expected that some spooky things and trickery may be in order considering the occasion but that felt really petty. “I’ll help you hunt the thief down but fuel up first.” Sofia offered her tray of graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows. “Go wild, I really don’t need all of that.” It looked like she was prepared for a Boy Scouts trip.

SOFIA ft danny. MONSTER BASH

@sofiazetterlund​

Despite the direction Isla’s life had gone, this was always what she had wanted- the experience of family. It wasn’t how she had imagined it would happen for her- a backward marriage and no children of her own. Still, beneath the terrible bits and pieces, it happened to be so unbelievably good that, at times, Isla couldn’t fathom how she had gotten so lucky. Straightening her witch hat at the crown of her head Isla ruffled Danny’s hair, “What are you this year?” She asked eyes scanning his costume while she fell into step next to Sofia and her son, offering some cotton candy from a large Jack-o-lantern shaped piece of cotton candy that was more art than snack.

+

     “I’m Black Panther!” The ten year old exclaimed excitedly. Ever since the Marvel movie had come out he’d idolized it and everything was decked out in Black Panther this and Black Panther that. “Do I look like T’Challa? Mom says I do.” There was a hopeful look in his innocent eyes. When Isla offered them some cotton candy he glanced up at Sofia, to which she nodded, and they both ended up taking a piece. She might regret his sugar rush later but the therapist was just happy to see her son having a good time after everything. “He’s been T’Challa every year since the movie came out,” the Swede said quietly, leaning in just for Isla to hear. There was a smile on her lips, feeling good herself, as they walked along. “What are you dressing up as this year?”

Where: Hike during Cabin in the Woods Who: @sofiazetterlund​

“I know I haven’t said it to you yet, but I really like you.” Everything had been going so well with Sofia, and yet Eva had still found herself subconsciously putting up walls. Partially because of her last failed relationship, but also as a line of defence. In her mind, things were going too well for it to be real, so that meant things eventually had to end badly for her. Didn’t it? Despite all of those hesitations, the way that the other woman fit so perfectly into her life and managed to turned her views on dating around had her happy for the first time in a while. Sure, happiness was supposed to come from within, but what harm was there in spending time and getting close with someone who brought out that happiness in you?

Eva’s hand found Sofia’s, interlocking their fingers while she gazed over at the woman who she happened to find much more interesting to pay attention to than spooky hiking stories. “Sorry for all of the dramatics with the blindfold to get you here. I just wanted it to actually work as a surprise, and I’ve never been good at those.” Leaning in so that her lips were close to Sofia’s ear, she stopped in her tracks, whispering before continuing on with the group. “We might be able to make use of that blindfold later.”

+

     Warmth spread throughout Sofia at the confession and she felt the heat rise to her cheeks as she bashfully smiled. It had been a long time since she’d genuinely felt care and adoration from another, and thus far the Swede had been taking things slower than she actually wanted to with Eva due the sad fact that she was starved of affection. She didn’t want to make the same mistakes as she had in the past. “I really like you, too,” the therapist said back in her own time so that the sentiment didn’t come across as a reflex. “I’ve never felt this good with someone,” Sofia gushed and chuckled as she tacked on, “thank fuck I took that pottery class.”

     The whole thing had been fun. There were no regrets on how they got there even if surprises made Sofia a little nervous. Ever since the nuclear bomb her ex-husband had dropped on her she’d kept waiting for more. “Please... don’t apologize. You’re so cute,” Sofia leaned in and planted a quick kiss on Eva, “this has been so fun. I’m just sorry you’ve wasted all your money on this ghost and spooky stuff because something else has had my attention the entire time.” If the beautiful Eva wasn’t sure what she had been referring too, her gaze dipped down the woman in indication. Brow lifted at the tasty morsel dropped for her, Sofis leaned in as well, “you mean when everyone’s busy around the campfire making s’mores? Because I think that might is a definite.”

tuesday, october 25th, 2022 ; late afternoon.  → at fall harvest carnival, stanley park.  for: @sofiazetterlund​ & danny.

“Have you decided on a costume yet for yourself,” Sydney asked as they walked through the park, glancing at her friend at her side while the boy she considered her nephew was bouncing around just ahead of them. “That’s if you’re dressing up when you take him trick-or-treating. Which, I think you should.” From what she had heard lately, Danny hadn’t been having the best time and had been sticking very close to and being protective of his mother Sofia. With that knowledge it was nice to see the boy smiling.

“You didn’t ask but I’m thinking sexy cat burglar for you.” The way Sofia seemed freer these days, Sydney was sure that her friend might actually go for that. Or something like it at least.

+

     “I don’t know... how do you dress up as happiness and freedom?” A wide grin spread across her face. As heartbreaking as it was, the things she discovered in divorce, was actually for the best in the long run. “I mean, I’m not knocking on doors for candy,” the brunette laughed, “why do I have to dress up?” Mostly, she was being silly, Sofia had fun with the whole Halloween costume thing. She just wanted to know why Sydney thought it was important. “What about you though... what are you dressing up as? You should make Australia and wear it,” the therapist laughed. “A sexy cat burglar? I dig it but I don’t think anyone would get it on the walk. Even though we’re not a couple, I was thinking of asking Eva if she wanted to do a couple’s costume.” A smile immediately formed at the mention of the woman she’d been seeing and had already fully filled Sydney in about.

who : @sofiazetterlund​

where : Thrill-o-ween!

Sloane took Matilda to find a bathroom, leaving Lila twiddling her thumbs in the middle of the crowd. No where felt out of the way. As she turned to look for a place to sit and wait, she bumped right into a  boy. “Oh my god.” Her eyes bounced from him to his mother back down to him. “I’m so sorry, buddy. You okay?” She asked, still not entirely confident on the whole talking to kids thing. Her eyes flickered back up to his mom to make sure he was okay. “He’s so cute.” She whispered to the woman not wanting to embarrass him.

+

     Danny had just picked up speed and was looking back over his shoulder at his mom, asking her if they can go win prizes now when he collided with someone. The therapist winced for her son, having just warned him he needed to slow down and watch where he was going with so many people about. When the Swede reached them, she put her hand on Danny’s shoulder and smiled warmly at the other woman. Her son was in the midst of smiling up at her, apologizing, and letting her know that he’s ok. The whole thing, his little schpeel made Sofia smile. It was so good to see him have fun and his spirits lifted. “Thank you,” the once ballerina appreciated the compliment. “Sorry about that, by the way, I was just telling him to be aware of his surroundings and splat.” Sofia smashed her hands together for effect. “You’re alright? He didn’t get you right in the gut or anything?”

So delicious Bet you want a taste

margot : sorry i've been mia

margot : im not even gonna make up an excuse

margot : how's the hot gf?

margot : how is the baby boy?

sofia: no apology or excuse needed. life happens

sofia: you ok though?

sofia: she's not my gf... yet. we've only been... dating. but it's been really great and a breath of fresh air

dec: i'm going through my phone... not sure whose number this is

dec: this isn't the uber eats guy who softball tossed me my takeout last month is it?

sofia: it might be

Pink splashed across Nesrin’s cheeks the instant she glanced down to connect the dots between Sofia’s comment and the raven gown draping her frame. The same dress Tali and Margot had to practically force her into before the events kicked off. With a sheepish chuckle and downcast eyes she deflected, “Oh, no! This isn’t— it’s not even mine.” At least in the sense that she had no intention of keeping it beyond that night. 

The tags were safely tucked between the luxurious fabric and her back, ready and waiting for the moment she could return the far-too-expensive number to the boutique she’d found it in downtown. “Between you and me it feels a little bit… much.” All night she kept worrying she’d spill out of the damn thing in front of half of the city. “If not for a few friends, and Selvi’s insistence, I probably would’ve shown up in my best blouse and nicest jeans.”

Splurging in general, let alone on herself, wasn’t something Nes was used to. 

“It is nice getting out, though. Sometimes I forget what it’s like to be anything but a mom.” And sure, maybe she’d stuck to the sidelines most of the evening, but she was still having a great time. “I’ve only had one dance so far—” heat licked over her face again at the mere thought of being out on the ballroom floor with Matt— “and nobody else has even come close to asking. Pretty safe to say I have all the time in the world for you, Sof.”

Almost as an aside, she added cheekily, “Just so long as you promise I’ll still have a job when you realize how rusty I am. I don’t think I need to tell you how long it’s actually been since I’ve done anything like this.”

+

     “It doesn’t matter who’s it is,” Sofia chuckled and shook her head, the humility had been found to be endearing, “you look phenomenal. I’d say it’s made for you.” It wasn’t something the therapist was saying just to be complimentary or to blow smoke. Any fool could see what a beautiful woman Nesrin was, and that was difficult when understanding just how deflective and unknowing her secretary was in regards to that fact. Sofia had to do her best not to think too hard about it or pry where she shouldn’t. As much as she easily welcomed Nesrin as a new friend upon hire, she also had to keep in mind that she was an employee. There were boundaries.

     “I’m sure it was nice for Selvi to see you all glamorous. She’s got homecoming, winter dance, and prom all coming up this year, right? Has to be good inspo for her.” The Swede could relate to Nesrin in that her son, Danny,  had also been encouraging for his mom to go out and get dressed up. With the divorce and his father moving out to go live with his mistress, it had been hard on him. He’d also been super mature beyond his years and worried about Sofia’s state as she’d waded through her heartbreak. “My son was pushing me out the door and also happy to see me not wearing mom clothes or work clothes.” Again, Sofia chuckled.

     Oh boy could the therapist relate to her friend’s words. Her life was being a mother and working. There were no complaints about that. Of course she wished she got more sleep or there was more time in the day but Danny was a great kid. She’d gotten lucky with him. “I feel that sometimes too. It’s important to remember though that you’re someone too. You have thoughts and feelings and wants and desires, don’t lose yourself or make your whole identity being a mother.” Mostly, that advice was due to the fact that she thought Nesrin should start preparing for Selvi leaving the nest very soon. 

     “Is that so?” With a lopsided grin, Sofia stepped closer to her friend and held her hand out. “Won’t you dance with me?” At Nesrin’s warnings, the brunette was still smiling, but also shaking her head. “Just let go, sweetie, and have fun.”

Sawyer could recognize therapist speak when she heard it, and she had learned to read between the lines. Her pot was shit, but she appreciated the other trying to soften the blow by putting it in gentler terms. Her head tilted as she examined her work held in the other woman’s hands, doing her best to see it the way it was being described, as something with character and to be proud of, but all she could think was that it was really fucking ugly, and why did she think pottery classes were a good idea? “I think I’ll just stick to painting pre-made pottery.” Even that she’d never really been talented at, but it felt more manageable than building something from scratch. She laughed anyways as she accepted the pot back, examining it closer. “I mean, it’s already started one conversation, I guess.”

+

     “Do you always give up on something after the first try if you’re not immediately successful at it?” It didn’t seem the blonde read into what she was saying as much as she’d hoped. The therapist had been absolute shit when she first started doing pottery as well. In a way, looking back on the horrific pieces Sofia had made it felt good to see how far she’d come. Maybe the Swede had to realize she was only sounding like a mother to the younger woman. Which was fine. “You know, you also could’ve started out with something a little easier. Like a plate,” Sofia smiled a bit. “See, there’s finding a positive.” The smile morphed into a grin, the brunette was only being silly at that point. It was always hard for her to restrain her humor and sarcasm. “What brought you to pottery?”

Margot felt giddy. She hated seeing Sof so torn up over since the divorce. Seriously, she wanted to ring Nolan’s neck for what he left in his wake. It had been a very long time since she’d seen her dear friend smile like that. Margot listened intently to the other talk about the new woman in her life. “Oh, I don’t think this is a rebound, sweetie.” She let out a small laugh. It was written on her face. No rebound could produce a smile like that. “I’m proud of you, babe. I think you’re being brave.” It was hard to open up after people hurt you. She was excited to see what came of this. “So tell me about her.” Margot insisted with a wiggle of her eyebrow. “And when do I get to meet her?”

+

     “Good,” Sofia agreed with a firm nod of her head, “because it doesn’t feel like one to me either.” Something she’d learned through life and her profession was that people needed support and encouragement. It wasn’t so much that the therapist was unsure of her feelings for Eva and what she was on the precipice of with the new romance in her life, the assurance from a close friend like Margot just gave her the needed confidence boost. The Swede wouldn’t openly admit it to many people but her divorce and her ex’s infidelity and the way he’d treated everything following had shaken her confidence. To understand that you’d been used for more than a decade and were never loved by the person you gave everything to was shattering. To see how easily and cockily he’d moved on had left her bitter. Especially since he and the mistress had been doing a good job of miraculously painting her as the bad guy in it all. Even going as far as to hurt her son in the process. Soulless people they were. “Thank you,” the brunette blushed a little and dipped her head, feeling a rush of emotion in how Margot had always been strong at her side. “Oh gosh, we should do some night out where we all go dancing or something. You’ll love her, she’s gorgeous and so hot... but she’s also really funny and playful. An adventurer at heart. Her name’s Eva.” Letting her throat rest from words for a moment, Sofia sipped her drink. “What’s been going on in your life? Anything exciting?”

Eva took a few steps forward, closing the space between her and Sofia, the distance between them feeling like a slight annoyance.  Her right hand lifted to move a few strands of hair over Sofia’s shoulder, her head dipping to trace her lips across her jawline. “Fine, but I’m going to need you to watch from a little bit closer…”. A soft kiss was pressed to the other woman’s lips before she returned her attention to the meal she was preparing. “Perfection? Seems like we’ve both got each other on a pedestal, huh?” Eva’s confidence had surprisingly taken a hit in the last few years of her marriage, but she found Sofia often reminding her that she had plenty to offer. She could only hope she did the same for her. “Ah, so planning is the qualifier? And here I thought this was our third date.”  

+

     Goosebumps covered Sofia’s lightly tanned skin at Eva’s touch and lips moving across her jaw. Moments like this made the therapist more aware of what a loveless and passionless relationship she’d been in, her ex had never treated her in such a way or evoked such a response. Before Eva could move away, the Swede quickly returned the kiss pressed to her lips and tried to blink the stars from her eyes as she admired the other woman. “You’re something else,” Sofia couldn’t resist commenting, “I could attach myself to your hip...” Which, since the moment they’d met in that ceramics class, the therapist had desired to do. Following the request made, she moved closer to the adventurous woman. “Can I help you with anything?” All Sofia could do was smile though the pedestal comment, mostly because she couldn’t deny it. The sun seemed to rise and set on Eva. “So, a third date makes things official? How do you figure that? I’m sure we’re well past third date...”

❝ sail under the stars with @sofiazetterlund —

“Business casual really does not do you enough credit.” The crowd that evening was almost overwhelming (at least for someone like Nes who’d grown far too used to her own solitude) but she’d spied Sofia through the teeming masses with ease. She likely wasn’t the only one, either. 

“You look breathtaking tonight in that dress.” Warmth exploded through the smile on her face, even if it remained characteristically small. “Are you having a nice time?”

+

     “You’re one to talk,” Sofia countered quickly, taking in her receptionist in the stunning black dress with the plunging neckline. “But thank you,” the therapist replied genuinely. “It’s kind of nice, honestly, to get dressed up and not be in work mode or mom mode for a few hours.” It was easy to say that but Sofia nearly brought her son as her date. Being apart from her heart and soul was tough and her free time had always been reserved for Danny, he was happy to spend the night with his grandparents however and urged her to have a fun night. Sometimes she had to wonder how she even deserved that boy as a son.