AllFreeNovel
Share Us
To distract herself, she pulled her phone out of her bag and looked at her shopping list. She had a few things to get and she hoped she’d be able to pick them up in London today. Unfortunately, she had no idea what she was going to get for Leo, but she had to get him something. After all, he deserved a lovely gift waiting for him underneath the Christmas tree.
Chapter21
Leo
When they got to London, they headed for Covent Garden first, keen to get a look at the Christmas decorations. This year, there was a much-anticipated Christmas installation inspired by golden bells. There were lights to admire with gigantic golden bells with red bows, giant glittery baubles and spinning mirror balls all displayed in the iconic Market Building.
‘I want my photo taken in the sleigh, Paul,’ Angelina said as they approached the 1884 carriage at the West Piazza. It was traditionally decorated in red and gold and behind it were beautifully adorned Christmas trees. They took their place in the queue and waited, watching as couples and families posed for photos to share with family and friends. Soon enough, it was their turn. Paul and Angelina went first, him placing a protective arm around her shoulders and they smiled at Cain as he snapped away on his phone. Then Cain, Robyn and Zara squeezed in and Erin took photographs of them.
‘Do you want to go in with Zara or your parents or… uhhh… with me?’ Leo asked.
‘With you, of course! Come on.’ Erin took his hand and led him to the sleigh and they climbed up then smiled as Zara took photographs of them. It was a bittersweet moment for Leo because it was lovely to be there with Erin, smiling at her family, but he’d also done this years ago with Shelley. It meant that the ghosts of Christmas past danced around the edges of his awareness, reminding him of what he’d lost even as he was trying to appreciate what he’d gained. What he could still gain if luck was on his side.
When they got down from the sleigh, Zara said, ‘Where next?’
‘Why don’t we just wander around and enjoy it?’ Cain said and they all agreed.
They gazed in awe at the 60-foot Christmas tree in the main piazza decorated with over 30,000 lights and wrapped up with a large red bow. Leo thought it was magnificent and a spark of excitement shot through him, reminding him of how he’d felt about Christmas as a child. Back then it had been a good time filled with fun and laughter, with gifts under the tree and rituals like putting out a mince pie and a sherry for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. Then he would stay awake for as long as he could as he tried to listen for Santa parking the sleigh on the roof of his childhood home. It was so unusual to experience such a moment of unadulterated joy that tears sprang into his eyes and he closed them for a few seconds to clear his vision.
‘I don’t know about the rest of you but I’m peckish,’ Cain said, making his wife laugh.
‘You’re always peckish, darling,’ she said.
They walked around and found a pop-up stall selling Christmas sandwiches filled with turkey, cranberry and stuffing then bought mulled punch to wash them down, except for Angelina who had a hot chocolate. Leo noticed how she kept removing her glove so she could admire the diamond ring on her left hand. It was sweet how taken she was with it and what it meant to her, especially when Paul took her hand and pressed a kiss on the ring as if to seal the deal. Leo hoped that they would be happy together and that the future held years of wonderful times for them.
‘That was delicious,’ Leo said, wiping his mouth with a festive napkin.
‘It was,’ Erin agreed. ‘And the punch was quite strong.’
He smiled at her, admiring her flushed cheeks and the shine in her eyes. She looked happy and relaxed and it was nice to see. She was so beautiful that his heart squeezed and he had to stop himself reaching for her to kiss her and find out if he could taste the mulled punch on her soft lips.
After wandering around the shops for a bit, they made some purchases then they went to Oxford Street. They went straight to Selfridges to look at the window displays, and Leo was as impressed as he was every year by the variety on offer. This year there was a mixture of traditional and modern scenes, all beautifully festive with plenty of shades of red, gold, green and lots of fake snow. Standing next to Erin as she gazed in each window, Leo found himself wanting to take her hand. He held back but he felt so drawn to her, more and more each day, and he was longing to kiss her again. He had never thought to desire Erin like this, had never thought he’d ever want to be with anyone again after losing Shelley, but this year, he found that something inside him was changing. Losing his mum too had been hard and he was wary of his feelings because he knew he was vulnerable, and yet, he suspected that what he felt for Erin was more than just a whim. He’d known her a long time, had seen her grow up, and now they were no longer children or teenagers but adults with jobs and pasts, with needs and wants and hopes and dreams.
‘Erin?’ he said softly. ‘What are your dreams?’
She looked up at him, confusion in her eyes before her lips turned upwards into a smile. ‘My dreams? That’s a deep question.’
He nodded. ‘Blame the punch.’
She chuckled. ‘To be healthy and happy.’
‘And what makes you happy?’
‘Honesty. Integrity. Respect.’
‘All good things to have in a partner.’
‘I’d like to have a special someone, to have a future to look forward to with them and to have a family of my own. I know that’s traditional but it’s what I want. I always thought I’d want it one day but after last year… Well… it feels even more important to me. I’d like my partner to be someone who gets on with my family, who likes and respects them and who loves mefor me. Who doesn’t dislike things about me so much that he can’t bear to be around me. But…’ She chewed at her bottom lip.
‘What is it?’
‘Perhaps I’m asking too much.’
‘I don’t think so,’ he said. ‘Not at all. You should never settle for less than you want. And your partner should adore you for who you are and realise how bloody lucky he is to be with you. Plus… You are entitled to your dreams.’
‘Thank you, Leo. You’re such a kind man.’
He looked around them and saw that her family were further along the street so he removed his glove and gently brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek. She exhaled shakily and her pupils dilated. He couldn’t help himself; he leant forwards and kissed her pretty pink lips. When he leant back, she was smiling up at him and he knew he’d done the right thing.
