by Lucy Knott
In addition to my original, we’ve had a total of seven original movies for the Pegasus faithful this Christmas. With only three days to go before Christmas, Madi and her team have been working around the clock to get the last few sizzle reels and trailers pumping across our channel to keep up with the demand and the excitement. Viewers have been loving this year’s ‘Countdown to Christmas’ and I have to say Madi has been doing a brilliant job with the advertisements and her suggestions for videos. Though I can tell by her slightly smudged eyeliner, and an inch of roots showing on her gorgeous head, that she is exhausted.
‘It’s great, Madi. I love it,’ I say enthusiastically and truthfully. I know how much input Madi had with this one and how difficult it had been getting it finished when everyone was already in holiday mode. While Madi herself doesn’t man the editing software, she’s the brains behind the clips, cuts and tying it all together. The advert was captivating, colourful and the teasing of specific scenes worked perfectly to make it a must watch for the viewer.
‘I was hoping you’d say that.’ She breathes with relief.
We’re the only two left in the office by the time eight-thirty in the evening rolls around. I’m determined to try and dwindle down these scripts, have a go at editing some myself while making a pile for the writing team with notes to look over and see if they can rework some and bring them to life – maybe insert some holiday magic into them, but that holiday magic is seeping into my bones right now and the lure of a cosy fireplace and catching up with tonight’s premiere on Pegasus sounds way more appealing. I also have a stack of both Pegasus novels and my general TBR pile to see to and I’m trying to remain hopeful that I will be able to accomplish such a task this Christmas.
A knock on the door draws my attention away from chewing my pen and tapping the gleaming white sheets of paper. I notice Madi tapping away on her keyboard and so jump up to unlock the office door; though she’s closer, she hasn’t heard it.
Em is stood in the doorway, bundled up in her leopard-print ski jacket carrying two big brown paper bags and wearing a beaming smile. The smell and heat emitting from the bags makes my stomach rumble to attention. I step aside to let her in.
‘What’s up, Harp? I thought you ladies might be hungry,’ she says brightly, placing the bags on the empty table by the window before bounding over to Madi, wrapping her arms around her shoulders and whispering something into her ear. Madi doesn’t take her eyes off the screen, but her cheeks glow pink as a grin creeps on to her face. I hear the familiar clicks of her saving her work and leave them to their greeting as Em swivels the chair around with a creek so Madi is facing her.
Unloading the bags, I’m drooling as the sweet scent of cinnamon wafts up to my nostrils and the smell of warmed peaches teases my taste buds. I lay the dishes out on the table but before tucking in, nip back to my desk to retrieve my phone and send a thank you text to Colt for our scrumptious dinner; no one makes waffles and peaches like Colt.
We don’t leave the office until eleven, by which point both Madi and Em have helped me whizz through two scripts, giving me suggestions for the endings. The writers on my new team clearly have talent, but the endings seem to be where they struggle if the couple of scripts I have read through are anything to go by. The dim office space has been made much more festive with the addition of the sugary perfume filling the air, but my eyelids are getting heavy and not even the agave syrup swimming around my system can keep me awake much longer.
Mum and Dad think I’m having a sleepover at Hayley’s tonight as her place isn’t far from work and by now, they are accustomed to Madi spending most nights at Em’s, so we head back to our place with no need to disturb anyone. I kiss Madi and Em goodnight and thank Em for being so thoughtful and bringing us dinner before rinsing off the day and climbing into bed.
Chapter 24
This time last year I was doing my best to hold it all together as Mariah Carey crooned ‘All I want for Christmas is you’ over the speakers. The year before that my marriage had come to a messy end and I was struggling to find the star on the top of the Christmas tree. My mind was a battlefield of self-doubt, insecurity and loss even while my family and new friends tried to breathe love, happiness and warmth into my soul. It was an internal battle I had to see to, but they gave me hope that my mind and heart would soon work together again and be at peace; now here we are.
I’m currently putting the final touches on my homemade Christmas cake. The house smells of roasted vegetables, hot sourdough and citrus when the doorbell rings. Bella rushes enthusiastically through the kitchen to the front door to let my parents in. This year with Dad having to take it easy with his shoulder and being on the slow road to recovery, I suggested we do Christmas at ‘Bella’s house’. Having never been to Bella’s house before Mum and Dad are none the wiser about Madi’s and my plan; a plan that has been in the making for over four months.
Madi is making sure the table settings are in place, with Em overseeing this difficult task, while Jake adds more logs to the fire in the living room, under instruction from Ariana and Hayley. The house is part open-plan. I can see into all the rooms from the kitchen, but there are sliding doors should I want privacy, or should I want to keep the entire house from smelling of garlic.
Bella bounds back into the kitchen as I’m placing the cake on the window ledge out of the way until later.
‘False alarm, it was just this one,’ she says with a giggle. She hasn’t even had a mimosa yet.
‘Hi, Colt. It’s great to see you,’ I say, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. ‘Now, no chefs in my kitchen please. I can’t cook under scrutinizing eyes.’ I shove him playfully on the chest towards the living room and then watch as Bella ushers him out with her hands around his waist. My heart does a somersault seeing Bella so loved up. It took her a minute to get there. Colt has liked Bella for years, but Bella wanted to take it slow. He asked her out last Christmas and she only answered him back over the summer regarding the date. They talked and hung out around friends, but I remember her messaging after the first date where it was just the two of them and she couldn’t stop laughing at how long it had taken her to agree to a date. Needless to say, she’d had a fantastic time and Colt has fitted in to our group seamlessly, getting on with each of us, kids included. Watching the two of them now I adore how Colt looks at Bella, a look of sheer pride and wonder in his eyes. It’s beautiful.
Speaking of beautiful, Hayley walks into the kitchen, her bright blue eyes wearing a hint of glitter, her sandy blonde hair out of its usual ponytail. She’s wearing black jeans and a slouchy white tee. She’s a knockout in her snowsuit but now she just takes the cake.
‘Can I help with anything, Harp?’ she asks, putting her hands suspiciously close to the bread bowl.
I laugh. Hayley is always hungry. ‘You can take the bread to the table,’ I tease, giving her a mock serious glare.
‘You know that’s not going to happen without me devouring half of it,’ she mock threatens back.
‘Help yourself – my parents should be here soon. When is your dad getting here?’ I ask, pulling a veggie lasagne from the oven to check on it.
‘He said he’d be around this evening. He’ll finish up lunch at his girlfriend’s first, if that’s OK?’ Hayley says, heeding my offer of helping herself and nibbling on a bread roll. Hayley hasn’t divulged much more about her family life; I only know that her mom and sister live out in LA and it’s just her and her dad here. I don’t want to pry and am here when and if she wants to open up.
‘Of course, there’s no rush and there’ll be plenty of leftovers and I’ve got food for tonight too,’ I say, feeling so at home and excited to cook for my friends and family.
‘They’re here,’ I hear Madi shout from the living room. I pop the lasagne back in the oven. It should be ready once we’ve indulged in the starters.
I make my way to the front door where everyone is gathered making a fuss over my parents, well except Hayley, who claps my da
d on the back of his good shoulder and says, ‘I need you back on the slopes soon, Jer, the competition is only two days away.’ My dad responds with a hearty laugh. I don’t want to interrupt their snowboarding talk and so move to say hello to my mum, who is fawning over how marvellous Bella’s house is and how it has such a positive aura about it.
I nod in agreement and wonder how I’m supposed to get through lunch without busting at the seams from holding in mine and Madi’s secret for so long. Maybe we can tell them once everyone is seated at the table? That way I can relax and enjoy the wine and the food without any pressure. I mosey into the living room to ask Madi and walk in on her and Em making out under the mistletoe.
‘You do realize what you’ve got yourself into living with these two?’ Jake says, swigging a beer. I do, I think, smiling from ear to ear. We’ve had plenty of secret sleepovers over the past four months while decorating the house, though Madi has stayed at Em’s a lot too, and no amount of steamy make-out sessions would make me regret living with Madi and Em.
I adore them both, though I can’t help but tease, ‘I’m hoping Madi will be so busy running the creative team at the Pegasus office and Em will be so swamped with yoga classes that they’ll rarely be here, to be honest. That or I’ll just scare them away with a bunch of kids running around,’ I joke loud enough that I know Madi will hear me. Jake lets out a laugh.
‘I heard that,’ Madi says coming up for air and pouncing on me, wrapping her arms around my neck in an affectionate, love-drunk hug. ‘Let’s go tell Joan and Jerry now. I can’t wait until after,’ she adds skipping off hand in hand with Em and reading my mind.
My heart feels fit to burst when I see everyone sat around the table. It’s been a year since we all met, but when Madi and I got back in August, it was like everything fell into place, almost like we had never left – only we had, and a lot of things had changed. I no longer have a husband or a house in London. I have a new tattoo. I’ve had my first original screenplay brought to life. I took the leap into fostering, about which I am thrilled. Bella and Colt are an item. Madi and Em are officially together and I feel as though I’ve been given this brand-new opportunity to seize each moment and go after my wildest dreams.
Madi jingles her knife against her glass, pulling me away from my reflection. She gives me a short nod, her red plump lips curve into a huge smile, she looks at my mum and dad and then back to me. I clear my throat.
‘Mum, Dad?’ I say brightly. They both turn to me. My dad’s jaw is relaxed but a few wrinkles pop up on his forehead, indicating he’s slightly anxious about what I’m going to say. Last time I was here I wasn’t exactly one hundred per cent myself, the light inside me not shining so bright, and I knew it bothered him that he hadn’t been able to protect me where Scott was concerned. Mum’s sweet face on the other hand is crinkled with adoration. The wrinkles around her mouth are there because she is smiling at me with a sparkle in her eyes. No matter what I say she believes in me, believes that I am strong enough to get through it and that I’m capable of figuring out what the universe is trying to tell me. ‘Madi and I bought a house together.’ My dad visibly lets out a huge breath and pats me on the elbow. Mum reaches across to both Madi and I and touches our hands.
‘That’s wonderful news, sweethearts,’ Mum says. Reading the wrinkles around her eyes I can see she’s torn between letting me go and wanting to hold tight.
‘That’s great, my love,’ Dad says, his smile not reaching his eyes. His hand gives a slight gesture to the food as though he’s not ready for me to start talking about heading back to London yet. Madi and I have been here for the past four and a half months aiding him in his recuperation while nipping back and forth to this house to work on it. It has required many a white lie about sleepovers with the gang to get us through. We wanted everything to be a little more set in stone and for Dad to be in good health before we told them the news. I hope my parents will forgive the secrecy and lies once they know why.
‘It’s this one. You’re in it right now,’ Madi blurts out, which causes me to burst out laughing and break the silence in the room. All our friends have been sitting so patiently with kind smiles on their faces watching the exchange. My mum bursts into tears. My dad remains solid, but his eyes are wet. Madi leaps up to hug them both and I simply sit back and observe for a moment. My best friend looks delightfully content in giving my mum and dad such happy news. I know it means a lot to Madi too; to feel like people care about her; that they are ecstatic to have her around the corner, when her own birth parents didn’t bat a single eyelid about her moving across the world and being so far away from home. It hadn’t been the most joyful conversation to overhear; Madi on the phone to her mother and father thrilled about finding love and taking a leap into the unknown and travelling across the world, to receive no ‘we’re proud of you’ or ‘congratulations honey’. No, there had been none of that, just an airy silence as if they couldn’t be bothered to even pretend to invest in their only daughter’s dreams.
Madi always put on a brave face after these calls. When she put the phone down, she put it down on her parents’ world, shut them out until the next time she attempted to connect with them, putting herself through the rigmarole all over again. Of course, I could see past the bravado. Her eyes would dim, and her aura would shy in on itself for a few hours, sometimes even a day, before she moved on and was back to being her vibrant self. It wasn’t that she was burying her emotions. We talk about her parents, it is never off limits and she doesn’t get mad at me if it’s me who brings them up in conversation; however, she much prefers to focus on the happier things in life and the people who actually love her.
This brings me to the scene before me; my parents squeezing Madi tight, hugging Em too. My dad is playfully wagging his broad fingers at Em telling her to look after Madi because she is a daddy’s girl and he won’t stand to see her hurt. Em is smiling, taking it all in her stride. She’s a feisty one but she shows my dad great respect; listening to his every word not the least bit offended by being put on the spot. No one can predict the future or say for certain if a relationship will last but hurt can be avoided somewhat if we communicate and treat our partner with respect, kindness and truth; I’ve learnt that much.
Em leans down and puts her arms around my dad’s shoulders gently. ‘I promise to look after her,’ she whispers in his ear. I see tears start to pool in my dad’s eyes. He’s never been afraid of his emotions, one of the many reasons my mum loves him, but he can be private with them, saving all of himself for my mum and me. But the tears start to roll when Madi kisses him on the cheek and he catches my eye.
I wave my hands over the table and gesture to the food. ‘Everyone, please dig in,’ I say before it’s my turn to lavish my parents with kisses and cuddles on this jubilant Christmas Day. A clatter erupts from the table as everyone starts passing plates to each other, serving up the dishes and chatting away. It’s music to my ears.
I squat in between my parents’ seats and they each put a hand on my shoulder. ‘I love this,’ I say. ‘I love being here with you.’ Then I kiss each of their cheeks.
‘Harper bee, this is the most precious Christmas present I could ever have wished for,’ Mum says, cupping my face and kissing my nose.
‘Well, besides that time you made us your own perfume from the pond water and pigeon feathers you had found in the garden.’ My dad chuckles, kissing my forehead before I move around the table and take my seat once more. Madi squawks out a laugh as she piles my plate high with bread rolls and prawn cocktail.
‘We did that,’ Madi cries, passing the bread rolls to my mum, tears of laughter in her eyes. ‘I still don’t know why you didn’t let us make our own range of perfume for the shop.’
My dad winks in our direction and helps himself to a seeded bun.
The food is wonderful; the company even more so. Right here, right now, I feel fit to burst with the love that surrounds me.
*
‘Scoot over!’ Madi
cries. I can’t say for certain if it’s merely Em she is buzzed on or the wine that has been flowing, but her energy is contagious as she drops herself practically in my lap. We’ve moved from the dining room to the living room where everyone has made themselves comfy sprawled out across our chunky cream sofa and armchairs. My movie is due to premiere in two minutes. Strangely enough I don’t feel nervous. This movie looks at the love between friends, family and yourself and to appreciate and nurture that love with the same time and energy we put into our romantic bonds. It feels humbling to be surrounded by the people who helped me see that.
‘Before it starts, I just wanted to say how insanely proud I am of my very best friend in the world. You are my heart and soul, Harper, and “romance writer of the year” for Pegasus Entertainment.’ Madi lets out a holler. ‘Have I mentioned that before?’ she adds with a shrug and a knowing giggle. She told the postman yesterday and I’m pretty certain everyone at the ski resort – staff and tourists alike – has heard about my recent accolade in the week since we found out. I kiss her shoulder as she’s half sat on my thigh squashed up on the couch with Em next to her and Hayley at the end.
‘I couldn’t have done it without you.’ I say softly.
‘We’re so proud of you too, honey,’ Mum says echoing Madi’s sentiment, raising the glass of elderflower she has been nursing. My dad clinks his beer bottle to the glass.
‘Congratulations, kid,’ my dad says to a round of applause and more clinking bottles.
‘Thank you,’ I respond as the credits start to roll and the room descends in silence. It’s not a bad way to celebrate Christmas.
Chapter 25
This afternoon the mountains are enchanting. There is a light drizzle of snow falling refilling the trodden footsteps along the slopes. The wind carries laughter and joy, whipping around my eardrums, squeezing my heart tight.
