Page 5 of A Merry Little Christmas

‘I’m going to take some photos to send Dad,’ said Harley, ‘like he did for us when we were in Whistler.’

‘FaceTime him!’ said Freya excitedly, waving her mug of hot chocolate precariously. ‘Then I can tell him about the magic lights.’

Harley pulled out his phone and the two of them bent over it while he called Cole.

‘When are the property tycoons back in the country?’ Hester asked.

‘Two more sleeps,’ Merry told her.

‘Thank goodness,’ Fred said wistfully. ‘Otto misses Astrid like mad. He sits in her place on the sofa and whines all through the six-o’clock evening news.’

Merry, Nell and Hester exchanged looks. The dog wasn’t the only one pining for Astrid. They might be in their seventies, but there was no mistaking how in love Fred and Astrid were. Love knew nothing about age, thought Merry; the colour of its flame may change over time, but its power to warm hearts never did.

‘Hey, Dad,’ Harley shouted, holding the phone high above his sister’s reach. ‘Thought you’d like to see the Christmas lights.’

Merry strained to see Cole, but the image of him on Harley’s screen was too small from where she was standing. ‘Hello, darling,’ she called, waving a hand in case he could see her.

‘Let me see him!’ Freya jumped up to grab the phone. ‘Dad, the tree’s got a massive star on the top. Can we have one like that?’

‘Just wait a minute,’ Harley grumbled, blocking her with his arm.

Freya leapt up again and this time stumbled back into Merry, knocking into Merry. It didn’t hurt, but all the same, Merry’s arm flew to her stomach protectively.

‘Careful, darling,’ Hester chided. ‘You need to be gentle with Merry now, especially her tummy.’

‘Oh dear,’ said Merry as a warm sensation soaked through her maternity jeans. ‘You didn’t hurt me, but I think you just spilled your hot chocolate on me.’

‘Sorry about bumping you. But it wasn’t my drink, I’d finished it all.’ Freya looked round at her and giggled. ‘Oops. It looks like you’ve wet yourself.’

‘But you must have done …’ Merry reached a hand to the top of her legs and froze. For a second, her mind went blank, until a shudder of dread ran through her. ‘Oh no.’

Nell and Hester picked up on her reaction straight away.

‘What’s happened?’ Nell asked, grabbing her arm.

‘Could that be what I think it is?’ Hester’s eyes were wide.

Merry’s heart thudded. ‘I don’t know. Possibly?’

‘Dad!’ Freya pulled Harley’s arm towards her to get closer to his phone. ‘Merry’s weed!’

‘Stop yanking me, you idiot,’ Harley said with a scowl.

‘At the risk of stating the obvious,’ Fred cleared his throat, ‘I think your waters may have broken, my dear.’

‘I’m not even thirty-four weeks.’ Merry could feel a sob forming in her throat. ‘It’s too early.’

‘What’s happening?’ She heard Cole’s alarmed voice in the distance. ‘Merry?’

‘Harley, may I?’ Paul reached for the phone and Harley surrendered it straight away. ‘Cole, looks as if you might need to come home, pronto, mate. We’ve got a situation here.’

Merry felt hot and panicky as everyone started talking at her, asking questions, making suggestions, and her head began to spin. She gripped Nell’s hand tightly; Hester took her other arm as her knees went weak beneath her. Suddenly, Cole’s face appeared in front of her as Paul held the phone out.

‘Darling, I’ll be there as soon as I can.’ His brown eyes were huge with worry.

‘I’m scared,’ she whispered. ‘I wish you were here.’

Why was this happening now? She hadn’t had any contractions, no warning signs.