talking. Among those who had found out was MIka's oldest brother, Mikko. Mikko then informed Mika's second older brother, Ari, who by then was working in the shipyards in Finland's capital, Helsinki. Rikko was also living there at the time and worked for the local newspaper. She had found out from Ari, and at first, she almost couldn't believe what Mika had managed to pull off. Neither Mikko nor Ari could believe it, either.
It was after eleven o' clock at night when Mika and Kevin entered the building, by which point the rain had let up. Rikko was already in bed by now, having had a long day working on a major story for the newspaper. She was an aspiring photojournalist who already had experience at a paper in Helsinki. But after that publication hit a major setback - and after hearing of Mika's heroic escapades up in Nome - she relocated to Detroit after hearing who Mika was going to be playing for. Kevin had been looking for a roommate to help with the rent, and Mika accepted the offer to stay. Eventually, Rikko decided to room with them as well, as was now an intern photojournalist.
Their entrance stirred Rikko slightly, and she eventually woke up. But she wasn't the first to greet Mika and Kevin. Karelia, a gray-and-white five month old Alaskan Malamute puppy, who was given to Mika as a birthday present when the Finn turned 20 back in January, was the first to greet them. He had heard the sound of the door opening and closing, and as if on cue, came bounding out bed and over to greet his owner and owner's friend. As he was sleeping in the same room as Rikko was, his getting up woke her up as well and eventually she got up as well.
"Hey, Karelia! Good to see you again," Mika said as he put his duffle bag down and picked up the pup with his one good arm. Karelia happily licked his owner's face. He clearly missed him.
Rikko entered the entry walkway just as Mika had wiped Karelia's drool off his face with the left sleeve of his jacket. Karelia was now back down on the floor.
"I'm so glad you're home," said Rikko  as she hugged her boyfriend. Mika carefully moved his bad arm off to side so he could hug her back. Because she had gone to sleep beforehand, Rikko was wearing her favorite pink pajamas and moccasin slippers.
"Yeah," Mika replied. "It's good to be back."
The two then shared a soft, brief kiss.
"I was so worried about you," Rikko said after hers and Mika's lips separated. "When I heard about what happened to you on the ice in Boston, I was in a panic." She was back to just hugging by this point.
"She hardly slept well last night," added Kevin. "That's how much of a nervous wreck she was."
"Really?" Mika asked.
"Yes," Rikko responded. "Even today at work, I was still worried about you. I almost couldn't focus on my work."
"I had to tell her a couple times myself not to worry," put in Kevin.
"It's okay, now," Mika said reassuringly. "I'm back home, now. It's okay."
"I know," Rikko put in before releasing him from her embrace.
Mika then reached down and picked up his duffle bag with his left hand and carried it to his room. After putting it on the floor near his bed, he came back out. By now, Kevin was relaxing on the couch and Rikko, having felt her stomach rumble, was in the kitchen looking for something to eat. She hadn't eaten since before she got home, and generally had trouble sleeping on an empty stomach. But this time, she was so tired that she bother eating anything. But after being woken up by Mika and Kevin arriving back home, she decided to get something to hold over until the morning.
After pouring herself a glass of milk, Rikko eventually got out a full loaf of bread, a fresh jar of creamy peanut butter, a knife, two napkins, and a plate. She then went back into the fridge and pulled out a fresh jar of concord grape jelly. After shutting the door to the fridge, she put the jelly jar next to the peanut butter jar, with the knife straddling the top of both jars and napkins on top of the bread. Rikko then proceeded to open the bread wrapper and pulled out two slices, which were then put on the plate. She then took the top slice and flipped it over onto a napkin next to the plate. Rikko then opened the peanut butter jar, pulled off the freshness seal, then reached in with the knife, scooped out a gob of peanut butter, and spread that on the bread slice on the plate. Once done there, she wiped the excess off with the other napkin, as there wasn't enough to put on the other slice. After putting the lid back on the peanut butter jar, Rikko then proceeded to open the jelly jar, scoop up some with the knife and spread almost the same amount of  jelly on the same slice of bread that had the peanut butter on it, with both spreads covering the whole slice. She did, however, have to pick up the jar and tilt it downward so that the jelly could come out. When finished with that, she wiped the knife clean, put the lid back on the jelly jar, and put all of the supplies back in their place. Once that was done, Rikko came back to the counter and flipped the remaining bread slice back over on top of the slice on the plate. She was about to take her sandwich, her lone remaining napkin, and milk to the kitchen table when she saw Mika sitting there, still looking bummed out over his shoulder injury.
"I wish there was something I could do to cheer him up," Rikko thought to herself.
After a few seconds of thought, Rikko put the plate that held her peanut butter and jelly sandwich back down on the kitchen counter, with her milk glass right next to it. She then brought everything she just used back out and proceeded to make another PB&J exactly like the one she made for herself right down to putting both spreads on the same slice of bread in the same order and not cutting the sandwich in half or cutting the crusts off. Rikko hoped it would cheer Mika up. Normally, Mika - who was right-handed - would be making it himself. But with the pain in his right shoulder being so great that the slightest movement would result in excruciating pain - and with it already encased in a plaster cast - Rikko decided to make it herself and spare him the pain. He had been through enough already.
After finishing up at the counter, Rikko first grabbed the plate with her sandwich on it and her glass of milk and put them on the kitchen table before going back for Mika's. Mika didn't know what to think at first. He looked at her, thinking, "What?"
"I thought maybe you could a little pick-me-up," said Rikko as she put her right hand on the back of his head and ran her fingers through his hair.
"You made that for me?" Mika asked, sounding a little surprised.
Rikko nodded and replied with a light "Yep."
With the top of bread as it would appear in the loaf facing toward her on the plate, Rikko picked up her sandwich with both hands and took a bite out of it right at dead center along the split top of the bread. As she bit into it, she closed her eyes, sighed contently, and after pulling the sandwich back from her lips, said, "Mmm, so good." Mika then smiled and shook his head in amusement before picking up his sandwich with his left hand. He then took a bite in the same place Rikko did with hers.
"Mmm, this is good," said Mika, who waited until after swallowing before speaking.
"I know," added Rikko, who had never had peanut butter or jelly until after coming to America. Initially, her first experiences with either one was having them separately, whether it was jelly on toast or a biscuit with breakfast or just a peanut butter sandwich - which was becoming increasingly common by now, being especially popular with children - for lunch or a snack. Rikko immediately took a liking to creamy peanut butter, even though she tried the crunchy variety, only to have problems with the peanuts in it getting stuck between her teeth and almost chipping a tooth trying to chomp down on a fairly large nut. But after having the peanut butter stick to the roof of her mouth numerous times - including one time where her tongue got stuck to the roof of her mouth - even with milk handy - she began looking for something to combine with the peanut butter to make it more palatable for her. After trying different things, usually in some other way, she decided that jelly worked best for her, and that her favorite flavor was concord grape. This came after trying other flavors as well. Sure enough, when Rikko first put the two together in a sandwich, she absolutely loved the taste. She would eventually declare peanut butter and jelly to be her absolute favorite sandwich, often taking one to work for lunch and at least two each whenever she and Mika went on picnics, weather permitting. Mika would even admit that PB&J made Rikko's lips taste good. However, the idea of this now iconic lunch item wouldn't really catch on until after World War II, when sales of the two spreads climbed dramatically.
By now, Kevin had fallen asleep on the couch, lying down the full length of the couch with his shoes off.
Mika and Rikko would spend the next twenty or so minutes at the table talking, eating, and occasionally kissing in between bites. Karelia, meanwhile, sat on the floor positioned behind and between them, waiting to nab any scraps that might fall from the table. Much to his dismay, it never happened. When he finished eating, however, Mika did have a slight drop of peanut butter stuck to the outside of his left cheek. Karelia was allowed to lick it off.
Feeling full after the meal, Mika and Rikko decided to turn in for the night, as it was past midnight. Mika did need help changing clothes, so Kevin, who