by Melissa Hill
Ella nodded, smiled, and dabbed her eyes. She used a small pocket mirror to check the rest of her makeup and then boldly opened the door. “Colm,” she said, “are we ready?”
“‘We are sweetheart,” he said, smiling. “Are you?”
Ella dabbed her eyes one more time and straightened her dress. “Yes,” she replied, smiling through her tears.
It was time to say goodbye.
22
A few volunteers gathered to the front of the café as people began to stream in, each batting the light snow off of their shoes and coats before entering.
Ella welcomed them all with a warm hug, and Heidi passed out mince pies and glasses of mulled wine. The guests then dispersed around the room, each stopping to look at the old photos from down through the years that Ella had put on display.
Love and friendship filled the small space within minutes. It was beyond Ella’s wildest expectations. Every corner was packed with customers—friends. Everyone had kind words to say about the café—a moment or a memory they wanted to reminisce about.
When Paul tentatively arrived with Amelia a few minutes later, he spotted Heidi and waved at her from across the crowded room. She smiled back, proud that he had in the end decided to show his face, but her face quickly fell as she spotted the Lakeview Mum’s Club following closely behind.
Cynthia was in the lead (of course) and her husband towing ten steps behind as if he was dragged on a leash. Deirdre and Emer quickly followed, obviously perturbed at the lack of space in the tight room. Paul’s sister Gemma and her husband entered last, clearly looking out of place and unwilling to join in.
Heidi held in her breath as she made her way to the entrance. She gave Amelia a hug and kissed Paul. She then faced the women. “Hello ladies,” she said in the kindest tone she could muster. “Welcome to the party. Here are your tickets for the kids’ carriage ride. They have a time on them but if you need to exchange for an earlier time, feel free to swap with someone.”
To the surprise of no one—least of all Heidi—Cynthia took the opportunity to be catty. “I never took you for a horsey organiser, Heidi,” she crowed sarcastically, “but then again, I never believed you when you said you were hosting this party in the first place. Tell me, is Ella paying you for this or are you just hoping to network yourself for a job as a stable girl?” The three laughed at Cynthia’s ‘wit’ while their husbands slipped away.
Heidi ignored them. Impressing or entertaining these women was no longer on her agenda. Instead, she whispered a hello to Gemma and offered to hang her coat.
“I heard you were doing some fundraising,” Cynthia called at her as she walked away. Paul put down his drink and looked interested. “You stopped at every house but mine. I wonder why that is? Is it because you knew I wouldn’t help you, or was it because you knew that I knew exactly what you were up to?” Cynthia had been waiting for this moment, Heidi could feel it. Every word she said was calculated and said at a rate that was slow and deliberate.
“I’m sorry, what’s all this?” Paul asked, looking searchingly at Heidi.
“That’s right,” Gemma sneered. “I know that while you have been pretending to raise money for Ella, all along, you have been raising the money for your husband. If you were able to save this place, your husband’s debt on it would be paid or, or is there another scheme you are working on? Con-artists like you always seem to have something up their sleeves.”
Half of the party had now turned to watch. Christmas carols playing softly over the loudspeaker were practically the only other sounds. Heidi scanned the room for Ella, but she was nowhere to be seen. She was most likely in the back, preparing to refill the drinks bowl or gathering up more food.
“Heidi, what is going on?” Paul looked at her sternly.
She tried to explain quickly. “Honey, I was just helping Ella. I owed it to her, so I helped her out by raising money to try and pay back the arrears.”
“Raising money from this community to pay our debts? Why? Why would you do that? You know what this looks like, surely?” His anger was growing as faces burned a hole into the couple.
Taking a deep breath, Heidi took her husband’s hand and turned and faced the onlookers. “I didn’t try to do this for Paul or myself,” she told the crowd. “I tried because Ella is the one person in this village that deserves our love and respect. She doesn’t deserve to be evicted. I know what Paul did was wrong.” She faced her husband directly. “But he didn’t mean …we never meant for this to happen.” Her voice was passionate, pleading. “I never meant to swindle or deceive anyone. I just wanted what was best for Ella.”
“I believe you, Heidi.” Ruth’s voice reached over the tops of everyone’s head.
“I believe you too,” Colm chorused and Ella’s staff also followed, joining Ruth as they made their way to Heidi.
“A true Clancy woman never lets anything go without a fight.” Kim, Heidi’s sister in law, suddenly appeared from nowhere and stood beside her, along with her brother Ben and the rest of the Clancy family.
“I believe you too,” Her other sister-in-law piped in quietly. Cynthia and the girls shot Paul’s sister Gemma a look that permanently sealed her fate in the group.
Similar agreeable mumbles began to pop up around the café, as Lakeview friends and neighbours gathered around Heidi to shield her from the dreaded Mummy Martyrs.
Some shook her hand, one of her mother’s and Ella’s mutual friends gave her a bear hug, and thanked her for her efforts.
Despite herself, Heidi swelled with pride.
SEEING SOMEONE OUTSIDE, Ruth ran to the back of the room as she spotted Ella entering, party platter in hand. “Merry Christmas, everyone,” she called out huskily over the microphone. “While we know it’s not the big night just yet, I heard that a very special visitor is making his way to Lakeview a couple of days early. Let’s give a big round of applause for the man himself, Santa Claus!”
On cue, in walked a very convincing Santa Claus complete with long white beard, red velvet suit and black boots. He greeted each child as he made his way to the back of the room. Children gathered around him all ready to tell him their holiday wish lists.
Ella watched from the kitchen, smiling at the joy and happiness that came with her Santa Claus. As she put down the platter, Heidi approached her in a hurry, looking panicked.
“Ella, Ella. The carriage is here, but there’s some kind of problem. I think there’s something wrong with one of the horses.”
23
Ella looked at Heidi quizzically. She had no idea what could be wrong with the horses and if there was, what she could do about it.
Obviously Joseph was otherwise engaged in Santa duties, but if there was an issue with one of the animals, someone would have surely told him in advance.
She put down the platter and grabbed her coat and a hat from the kitchen.
“Did they say what was wrong?”
“No. But it sounded bad.”
“Of all things to go wrong, horses shouldn’t be one of them.”
As Ella made her way through the back door of the kitchen, she could hear Santa make an announcement over the speaker, yet there was no time to hear what exactly what was being said.
“Ho! Ho! Ho!” he called out jovially. “Before I begin, I have a very special present for someone here tonight. While I know it is cold and snowing, I hope you can all join me outside in the car park where my carriage awaits.”
Santa led the group of partygoers outside, each curiously following behind in clusters of families and neighbours.
Ella was already outside trying to talk to Eric, one of Joseph’s staff. “What do you mean you can’t let the kids ride in the carriages? That’s exactly what they’re for, didn’t Joseph tell you! This is for the town, Eric.” She pleaded with him, but he just smiled and shook his head. Heidi stood next to her, not a peep out of her.
“Is there a problem here?” Santa tapped Ella on her shoulder and she turned in shock to see pra
ctically the entire village, now gathered outside the café. She took a couple of steps back in shock.
“Just a little snag with the carriage rides, Jos…erm, Santa. We’ll get it sorted out in no time. How about we go back inside?” She began to walk towards the door to the kitchen, yet no one moved. Everyone just watched her, and they were smiling.
“Ella, my dear girl,” Joseph said with a wink, “How about you sit up in this carriage. Santa has a special present for you.” Ella nervously took his hand as he hoisted her up in the old-fashioned open-top carriage’s back seat, placing her walking cane in her lap. He stood on the step, elevated in front of the crowd.
“As you may have heard, this is to be our last night in Ella’s beloved Heartbreak Cafe, for it is closing soon. When I first heard this, I was extremely upset. It was my favourite place to stop on my Christmas rounds. That is when Heidi suggested she help me out. While my Elves can build toys and wrap presents, it cannot make everything in the workshop.” He grinned and Ella chuckled nervously at the crowd. Oh, so it was a going away present, how lovely. She guessed a bunch of roses or a box of chocolates or something.
“See, Santa knows that Ella hasn’t been a good girl exactly. She told a little white lie to make us all feel better about her departure. It seems as though she didn’t really want to retire, but had to because of reasons beyond her control. So with a little bit of Christmas magic and a whole lot of help from almost everyone in Lakeview, let me present Ella with a very special Christmas gift. Heidi?”
He moved out of the way as Heidi hopped into the carriage in the seat across from Ella. She quietly handed her an envelope and Ella’s hands shook as she opened it.
Heidi’s eyes were wet. “We couldn’t bear to let you leave, Ella. We love you. The whole community loves you.”
As she perused the envelope’s contents, Ella’s breath hitched audibly. Her jaw dropped and tears began to stream down her cheeks and onto her coat. Inside was another letter from the estate agent, this time announcing that the repossession order on the building had been lifted, and she was free to continue trading.
“How? When?” Her voice was shaking.
“Everyone chipped in to help pay off the arrears. Some gave a couple of euro, some gave hundreds. But we did it, Ella. We saved the café.”
Heidi had too begun to cry and laugh all at the same time as Ella flung herself towards her for a huge, grateful hug.
How on earth? And Heidi Clancy of all people….
24
A fter several overwhelming minutes, she turned to face the crowd, “This is too much. How will I ever repay you all?”
“More muffins! Free coffee!” a voice in the crowd cried, as laughter erupted.
Ella stood up, balancing herself on Heidi’s arm. She felt that she did need to say more. Her gratitude was overflowing.
“When I first met my husband and his family all those years ago, I was just another Lakeview girl. I loved this village. Every bit of it. From the neighbours who always had a kind word to say, to the way that the hair salon always knew when you were due for a trim. But my favourite place in the world was this café. It was where I met my husband Gregory, where we shared our first kiss, and where I last said goodbye to him the night he passed on from a heart attack.” She looked down at her hands, choking back tears, and then ploughed on. “It’s the place where all of our kids took their first steps, where they learned to talk, and definitely where they picked up a sweet tooth!” She looked up and waved at her smiling eldest son Dan, near the front.
“When I was left alone to run this café, I wasn’t sure I could do it. I wasn’t sure I could keep retain the same environment that you have all grown to love. But every day, customers would arrive. Every day, you ordered your cups of tea, your Irish breakfasts, your ham sandwiches. And even when it was so hard to just get through another day alone, there was always someone there with a smile and a friendly hello. One night, I swore to myself and to my family’s memory that I would keep this place alive in their spirit. I would make it the place they had dreamed it to be. Thanks to devoted staff members like Colm, Nina and the gang, it has been. But still, I never knew how much this place meant to me until I thought I was going to have to leave it. Today, you have given me back my home, my family, and my heart. There is no better Christmas gift than that. Thank you all. Thank you so much.”
The crowd clapped as whistles and hollers were cried out. Ella sat down, waving at the friendly and familiar faces that blew her kisses and nodded happily.
Heidi stood again to speak, her voice shaking from the emotion of the moment. “Now, I think it is time for the first carriage ride around the lake! You all have your tickets, so be sure to meet here or miss out. Ella and Santa, will you do the honour of leading the first group?”
Joseph laughed as he got in the carriage next to Ella. He pulled the blanket up to his lap and waved at the crowd as he shouted his promises to the children to be back shortly for visits.
Heidi stepped out of the carriage as Ella grabbed her hand, “You, my dear, are something else.”
Heidi smiled at her, more grateful for a friend than ever. She leaned over and whispered into Ella’s ear. As Heidi caught her up, she looked at in shock. Heidi continued giving her more and more details on the situation. When she was finished, Ella smiled brightly and turned to Santa, her hand grasping his.
“Eric,” Heidi called to the driver of the carriage, “I think we’re ready now!”
The carriage sped off as Heidi stayed behind. She organised the next group by having them line up in families or groups of six. As they boarded, she took their ticket and waved them off, their sleds and horses making tracks in the snow. Kim was right. She was a good organiser.
The rest of the crowd began to disperse back inside. Heidi could hear Ruth and the pianist begin to perform.
“I am so proud of you.” Paul wrapped his arms around her. She spun around to face him. His face was bright and cheery for the first time in weeks.
“I am so sorry I didn’t tell you. I wanted to, but I didn’t know how you would react.”
“It’s okay. It really is.”
“No it isn’t. I should have told you. I shouldn’t have risked your reputation like that. You’re my husband and you deserved to know and at least have a say in what I was doing. I am finished with lying. From now on, I am going to be one hundred percent honest with you, no matter what.” She waited for him to begin scolding her, to agree with what she was saying.
“What you did here tonight and this week was amazing. While I am not happy that you lied, I am more thrilled that you are who you are, and that I am married to you. This is a side of you I have never seen. It’s like falling in love with a completely new person.” He laughed.
“Merry Christmas, honey,” she whispered .
“Merry Christmas to you too sweetheart. Now let’s go inside! I’m freezing, and Amelia is being watched by Kim. We’d better go and save her before her aunt starts giving her mulled wine.”
Paul winked at Heidi, took her hand, and led her back into the party.
25
I nside the café, Ruth was just getting started. She was leading the entire crowd in carols and old Christmas favourites that everyone knew or could catch on to. Children excitedly ran through the gathering as the adults joined arms and sang along with neighbours and loved ones.
The music and jubilant atmosphere was infectious.
Ruth looked out at the crowd as she crooned into the microphone. It seemed like everyone was here in this tiny space—everyone but Charlie and Scarlett. She’d hoped she had missed them, that they were perhaps hiding in the kitchen waiting for her set to finish or maybe running behind in hopes of missing the crowd. But as time passed, the only member of her family that remained in the room was Ita.
It was hard not to spot her. Out of all the happy faces, hers was the most solemn. Dressed head to toe in mourning black, she sat at the front table just staring at Ruth. That fight they had
earlier obviously wasn’t done. And as Ruth’s first set neared its break, she tried to plan an exit strategy to avoid any and all contact with this woman.
As the last song played, Ruth gave her, “We’ll be back shortly! Enjoy the mulled wine responsibly” joke and turned to face Nicky, pretending to converse in order to avoid speaking with anyone else. While she did this, she grabbed her phone and sent a text message:
“Charlie! Where are you? What is going on? My first set just ended and your mother is here. Please come soon with Scarlett.”
As she hit send, Ita, now sloppily drunk, approached her. “Weshoultak,” she said, slurring.
“Excuse me?” Ruth said, an eyebrow raised.
Ita composed herself and tried again. “We should talk,” she responded.
“I’m just gonna go grab a bottle of water,” Ruth explained, “and then we can talk if I have time before I go on again.”
“No!” Ita shouted loudly at the back of Ruth’s head as she walked away. “I want to talk to you now.”
Ruth spun on her heel and walked off towards the kitchen, Ita on her heels. Cornered in the kitchen, Ruth had no choice but to confront her mother-in-law. “What do you want, Ita?” Ruth whispered low but stern hoping that she wouldn’t draw anymore attention.
“You couldn’t stay away, could you?” Ita said loudly. “I knew from the moment he met you—I knew that you were going to be trouble for the both of us. But then, you left and everything was back to normal. He got on with his life and got over you. But that wasn’t good enough for you, was it? You had to come crawling back.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Yes you do! Stop lying! This was your plan all along. But I never imagined that you would be so trashy as to bring a baby into this mess. Was this your plan? Get knocked up from some random, rich actor for guaranteed payouts and then trap good old Charlie for extra support?”
“You nutcase!” Ruth exploded “How dare you! Yes, it was a mistake—getting pregnant, I mean—but Scarlett was never part of any plot. I love my daughter, and because of that I have never taken a single red cent from her father.”
