Before she could say another word, I turned and somehow managed to shut the heavy front door on her.
‘Who was that?’ Aunty Bev asked as I strode back into the kitchen.
‘A door-to-door salesperson,’ I said and went to lose myself in stacking the dishwasher.
‘Dad has decided to leave his big announcement until after Christmas,’ Aunty Bev announced. ‘I think it’s for the best.’
‘Let’s get through Christmas,’ I mumbled.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-SIX
The snowstorm barrelled in at ten thirty on the evening of Christmas Eve. I felt like I had been given some much-needed respite, as Christmas Eve turned out to be lovely.
As Ben and Tom were not working, I invited them both for drinks and nibbles in the afternoon. I also invited Rosie, and Ben’s mum.
Grandpa tried to invite Dorothy, but she declined telling him that her daughter, Kay, was upset over the engagement news. I hadn’t told him about Kay turning up on the doorstep the previous day as I believed it would have upset him. To my surprise I heard him telling Dorothy to stay strong and that they would be together soon. He told her they were the eighty-something versions of Romeo and Juliet.
My proudest moment was paying for Derek to arrive by taxi and Layla rushing down the steps to hug him. It made tears spring to my eyes. We all helped Derek and his crutches into the house. I’d agreed with Layla he could stay until Boxing Day.
I made an array of nibbles from marmalade glazed pork bites, sausage rolls, chicken wings and a variety of my finest stacked turkey sandwiches to my own mince pies and Chocolate Yule log.
Layla and I set up a buffet table in the east wing and covered it with Christmas decorations. Rosie agreed to be my little helper and she served everyone a mince pie.
Aunty Bev oversaw the drinks and created her own version of a Christmas punch which didn’t look appetising as it had a gloopy consistency and was the colour of volcanic lava. When questioned Aunty Bev said she had got carried away with making a sugar syrup. She reckoned it tasted amazing and claimed she’d used a full bottle of Grand Marnier, a bottle of vodka and some ginger ale to give it what she referred to as a ‘festive thump.’
I told Grandpa not to touch a drop.
After nibbles we all played charades. Ben and I sat together, and I liked the way he draped his arm across my shoulders. We sang Christmas songs and Rosie performed a solo by the Christmas tree whilst holding little Zac’s hand.
It was one of the nicest Christmas Eves. I got so much pleasure from seeing Grandpa in fits of laughter with Tom over a sherry, Layla giggling at Zac giving Derek a squashed handful of Yule log, Ben’s mum dabbing a tear at Rosie being a grown-up waitress, Aunty Bev knocking back her Christmas punch, and Ben kissing me under the mistletoe.
For a short time, I forgot about Maddie’s unhappiness, Frank’s actions, their marriage, Grandpa’s engagement and my mother and Aunty Karen in Tenerife. Aunty Bev had made me promise that I would put fictional updates on the family WhatsApp. ‘Tell them what they want to hear,’ said Aunty Bev. ‘Say Grandpa is in a chair with a blanket over his legs and hasn’t touched a drop of booze.’ She grinned. ‘Also say I have been quiet all day and it’s been boring.’
I followed her advice and we both giggled at the number of likes. Aunty Karen replied to my update on Grandpa with:
Glad to see things have calmed down and Dad is being cared for properly.
If only she knew the truth,I thought looking up at a drunken grandfather, wearing a flashing reindeer hat, doing the hokey-cokey with a tipsy Tom and an excited Rosie.
Everyone loved the fact Aunty Bev had been quiet. Petra, Aunty Bev’s snake-breeding daughter was the only one to question why her mother was unusually quiet. Her comment was dismissed as my mother replied saying:
Petra, it’s a blessing when your mother is quiet.
If only she knew the truth,I thought looking up and seeing Layla and Ben help a drunken Aunty Bev, who was giggling to herself, back to her room.
There had been many photos shared on WhatsApp of Christmas Eve in Tenerife. Aunty Karen kept adding comments that my mother was spending most of her day in the hot tub and next to Gary’s best friend Max, along with several shocked face emojis. Aunty Bev told me she secretly fancied him.
Aunty Karen had decided to wear a pink bikini which clashed with her sunburn. She’d updated everyone to say she was not speaking to Uncle Robert, who had been more interested in Max’s twenty-something daughter, once she revealed she was a hairdresser.
Fay was clearly not doing any nursing work as she kept sending heart emojis to all my mother’s photos.
At teatime everyone left for their own Christmas Eve celebrations. I think I will always remember Ben helping a drunken Tom down the snowy drive.
Before he’d left, Ben and I had shared a kiss in the new kitchen which looked amazing. ‘Will I see you tomorrow?’ Ben asked, as we came up for air.
‘Yes, I would love to see you tomorrow.’
We had another passionate embrace, and I sent a silent prayer of thanks to Olivia for matchmaking me with such a fantastic kisser.
