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It had surprised Holly that there had been a steady flow of people dropping in to decorate a lantern all day. During school hours, there had been the parents and grandparents of children too young to go to school relaxing with a coffee whilst decorating lanterns with their children. Of course, there had been a flurry of excited schoolchildren in straight after school, but now things had calmed down slightly and although the number of people coming and going was constant, there was no longer the excited urgency there had been earlier.
‘Huddy! Mummy, Hudson’s coming!’ Pippa followed her excited screams by jumping up from the table and rushing to the windows. Pushing her face against the glass, she waved as Wendy carried Hudson across the cobbles whilst Connor made his way on his crutches towards the bakery.
Standing up, Teresa held the door open for them. ‘Hi, you three. I bet you could hear Pippa’s excited screams from down the street.’
‘Haha, it’s lovely to see you too, Pippa.’ Wendy smiled as she turned to make sure Connor got up the step safely.
‘How are you doing, Connor?’ Diane leaned across the counter.
‘Okay, thanks. It’s still sore, but getting better each day.’ Connor grimaced. ‘It’s just frustrating not being able to do much and being ten times slower with the things I can do.’
‘Auntie Wendy, can I take Hudson over top our table and help him decorate a lantern please?’ Standing on her tiptoes, Pippa reached for Hudson’s hand.
‘Yes, of course.’ Lowering Hudson to the floor, Wendy ruffled his hair. ‘Go on then, Huddy, go and draw a picture on your lantern.’
Holly turned to the couple in front of her, who each held a decorated lantern in their hands. ‘Hi, what can I get you today?’
‘Two coffees, a cupcake and a flapjack, please?’
‘Coming right up.’ Holly smiled as she turned to the coffee machine. ‘I can bring them over if you like?’
‘Great, thanks.’ the couple turned and made their way back to the table they’d been sitting at.
Picking up the tray with the two coffees, cupcake and flapjack on, Holly weaved her way through the tables towards the counter again. Pausing, she held the tray against her chest as she watched two children skip out from Santa’s grotto gripping a present each under their arms. She smiled. Ian was a magical Santa. She’d had to do a double-take when he’d come down the stairs from the flat earlier, all donned up in his deep red Sonata suit. He’d reminded her of the Santa she’d visited as a child. Her mum had told her that since the age of three, they’d always gone to see the same Santa after finding ‘the real one’. Even when he’d moved to a different garden centre, her mum had tracked him down so they could continue their tradition of visiting just him.
Her mobile vibrated in her apron pocket, the screen lighting up against the fabric. Holding the tray in one hand, she answered. ‘Hello?’
‘Holly, it’s Mrs Hatton.’
Holly grimaced and checked the screen. She was ringing from a withheld number. She rolled her eyes, nothing like taking Holly by surprise. ‘Hello, Mrs Hatton.’
‘I think you know why I’m calling.’ It was a statement, not a question.
Holly nodded before clearing her throat. ‘Yes, I’m so sorry about the key. After locking up, I put it in my coat pocket for safekeeping just as I normally do so that it was to hand when I opened up the next day. I completely forgot that I was supposed to drop it through your letterbox.’ In Holly’s defence, Mrs Hatton hadn’t rung or even messaged her to ask her where the key was. Her boss had known Holly was travelling straight down to Cornwall after work. She could have checked where the key was. She could have reminded her. Of course, she didn’t dare utter her words of defence to her boss. It just wouldn’t be worth it.
‘I’ve lost three day’s worth of trading because of your little mistake.’ Mrs Hatton emphasised the phrase ‘little mistake’.
‘Four days? But I posted it straight away. When I got here, I posted it. it shouldn’t have taken that long to arrive.’
‘Remember, it is Christmas. Just because you no longer choose to celebrate, it doesn’t mean the rest of the world stops celebrating too.’ Her voice was low, clipped. She had known precisely what she’d been saying.
Holly opened and closed her mouth. Mrs Hatton knew why she’d stopped celebrating Christmas. That had been the only time Holly had realised she wasn’t quite as emotionless as she liked Holly and everyone else to believe. The week after the accident had been the only time Mrs Hatton had uttered more than five words to her, which didn’t involve barking orders at her. She let the tray clatter to the floor as she dragged the sleeve of her jumper across her eyes.
‘I’m assuming you are aware that I’m left with no choice but to terminate your contract without notice and without payment owed. I will be withholding this month’s wage for the loss of earnings due to being unable to open up for four days during the busiest time of the year.’ The line went dead. The conversation over.
Bending down, Holly pickedup the tray, hiding her facebehind it as a dad withthree excitable children bounded up to wait their turn to see Santa. Hurrying to the door, she slid the tray onto the bakerycounter andpulled the door open, the belltinkling to announce her departure.
‘Holly, are you okay?’ Diane’s voice faded as the doorclosed.
Pausing, she lookedaround; the street was filled with peoplecarrying their newly decorated lanterns home to get ready beforecomingback out for the parade. Knowing the lantern parade was asignSanta would soon be visiting their homestodrop offpresents, children danced excitedly around their parents asthey walked. Turning towards the steps down to the beach, she froze. Localresidents were busy readying campfires to roast marshmallows andwarm jacket potatoes on for tonight’sfestivities. Stalls werebeing laden with cups and supplies for hotchocolate and mulled wine. Shecouldn’tget away from it. Christmas was everywhere, in thefairy lightsstrung above her, thefamilies and coupleswalking hand in hand along the promenade or rushing from shop to shop, the beach crammed full of activities and food stalls for after the bay’s lantern parade.Shecouldn’t get away from it. She had nowhere to turn. Nowhere at all.
