Christmas Forever

by Sophie Love

  “Happy Christmas everyone,” Roman said. “Will you count with me? Three!”

  Everyone joined in.

  “TWO! ONE!”

  Roman hit the big, red button. In a burst of twinkling color, the tree lit up. There was a collective gasp followed by rapturous applause.

  “It’s so pretty,” Chantelle exclaimed.

  “And so lucky they’d cut it down before the fire,” Owen added.

  Emily looked over at him, frowning. “What do you mean? What fire?”

  “Didn’t you hear?” Owen said, turning his eyes away from the beautiful tree and looking at Emily, shocked. “Terry’s Christmas Tree farm. There was a huge fire out there. Burned everything to the ground. Even his house.”

  Emily gasped. “But we were there just the other day! I don’t believe it.”

  Jason, the local firefighter, was standing a little way ahead of them and he turned then and addressed Emily in a hushed voice.

  “We got called up there,” he said. “It was that much of a blaze that they needed to call on other local crews to help. Such a tragedy. His whole business and his home destroyed right before Christmas. And you know he’s got no family in the area. Never married. No kids.”

  “Where is he staying?” Emily asked, feeling greatly saddened by the shocking news.

  Jason told her; “He’s in a hostel, I think. Temporary emergency accommodation until he can make other arrangements. What those other arrangements will be, though, I’ve no idea...”

  “We’ll have to put him up at the inn,” Emily said immediately. “We can’t leave him in a hostel for Christmas!”

  She looked to Daniel appealingly.

  “Of course,” Daniel said without missing a beat. “We have the space. The more the merrier.”

  “Do you have a way we can get in touch with him?” Emily asked Jason.

  “Of course,” Jason said. “If you call the fire department up there they should be able to put you in touch. Here.” He scribbled the number down for her.

  Emily wasted no time. She grabbed her cell phone and called the fire service division and got the number from them. Then she called the hostel where Terry was staying, and was put on hold as they went to find him.

  “Hello?” came his voice over the other end of the phone, sounding confused and tired.

  “Terry, this is Emily, the manager from the Inn at Sunset Harbor. We came and bought a tree of you just the other day.”

  “I can’t do refunds,” Terry said quickly. “My business is all up in the air at the moment and.. And…” He sounded close to tears.

  “Oh no, you misunderstood,” Emily told him, hurrying to rectify the situation. “We heard about the fire on your property and we wanted to offer you one of our rooms for the festive period.”

  There was a pause on the other end of the line. Emily wondered, suddenly, if she’d overstepped the mark. Terry lived alone with no family, after all. Perhaps he’d chosen that, in the same way her father had. By offering him a room, had she offended him by implying he was lonely?

  But then Terry spoke.

  “You’d do that?” he asked. He sounded stunned. “Really?”

  “Absolutely,” Emily said. “We have space and we love spending time with people. I mean, that’s obvious. We wouldn’t have opened an inn if we didn’t! But honestly, we’d be delighted to have another guest.”

  “I… I don’t think I’d be able to pay you anything,” Terry stammered. “I mean, the business, I don’t know what’s going to happen with the insurance and how long it will take or whether I’ll even be able to start again and…”

  “You wouldn’t have to pay a cent,” Emily told him, interrupting his nervous monologue.

  There was another long silence. Finally, in a voice that cracked with emotion, Terry replied, “I don’t know what to say.”

  “How about, ‘see you tomorrow’?” Emily suggested.

  “Yes. Yes, okay. I’ll see you tomorrow! Thank you, Emily!”

  They ended the call, and Chantelle grinned up at her mom. “This is going to be the best Christmas ever,” she said. Then suddenly a look of worry appeared on her face.

  “What is it, honey?” Emily asked, concerned.

  “Quick!” Chantelle cried, tugging on Emily’s hand. “We have to get Terry a Christmas sweater!”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Emily’s mind was still reeling from the fight with Amy when she woke the next morning. Amy had been furious, and she could only hope that in time she’d calm down, because they certainly weren’t going to ever see eye to eye on this issue. Time was the only healer in this case.

  She got out of bed and went to look out her bedroom window. As she pulled back the curtain, she discovered a world of white awaiting her. Snow must have fallen all throughout the night, covering the yard, the trees, and all their neighbor’s rooftops in a thick white blanket. Before she’d even had time to let go of the curtain, Chantelle sprung in through the bedroom door.

  “SNOW DAY!” she cried.

  Daniel sat up in bed abruptly. He’d still been sleeping. “What’s going on?” he said, sounding panicked by the abrupt wake up call.

  Chantelle leapt up on the bed. “SNOW DAY!” she cried.

  Daniel sunk back, a hand across his heart. “Oh phew. You gave me a fright.”

  Emily ushered Chantelle off the bed. “How about we have some breakfast then get dressed in our warmest clothes, then go outside and make a snowman on the front lawn?”

  Chantelle grinned and hurried away.

  Emily went over to Daniel and kissed him lightly. “Sorry for your sudden wake up alarm,” she told him.

  He chuckled. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  Emily smiled down at him. “I’ll go and put the coffee pot on.”

  She wrapped herself up in her nightgown and headed down the steps. Baby Charlotte was awake and she could feel her moving around, kicking her right in the ribs. Emily could feel her moving more and more every day now. She was also growing every day, by the looks of her continuously expanding belly! Surely it couldn’t get any bigger?

  When Emily entered the kitchen, she discovered that Stu, Evan and Clyde were there as well as Chantelle. Stu was making waffles, Evan was brewing coffee, and Clyde was patiently watching Chantelle as she explained her fiddly clock making.

  “Good morning!” Stu cried, looking over his shoulder at Emily. “You’re just in time for my special snow day waffles.”

  “And what are those?” Emily asked, smiling as she took a seat at the table.

  “Cinnamon and blueberry,” Stuart said. “Sound good?”

  “Sounds amazing,” Emily replied, licking her lips. Charlotte wriggled as if in agreement.

  Clyde looked across the table. “Is it okay that we’re not on the island today?” he asked. “With the weather and everything.”

  “Of course it’s okay!” Emily cried. “It wouldn’t be safe on the water today.”

  She thought suddenly of Terry. He was supposed to be heading to the inn today. She hoped the roads were clear and that he’d still be able to make it and not get stuck in that hostel because of the snow. Another night there would certainly be one night too many.

  Chantelle glanced up from her clock then. “Besides, you have to help me make a snowman,” she told Clyde. “It has to be the tallest snowman in the world and I won’t be able to reach without you.”

  Emily chuckled as she thought of all the times Clyde had picked Chantelle up over his head. Now it was payback time!

  Daniel came into the kitchen at last, ready to begin his day. Stu finished up the waffles and everyone came and sat at the kitchen table to eat.

  “These are amazing!” Emily cried, tasting the delicious flavors, slathered in maple syrup. “I’ll have to pass your recipe onto Matthew.”

  “Mmm, snow day waffles,” Daniel said aloud. “I haven’t eaten these for at least a decade!”

  Everyone finished eating then went to get themselves ready
for the day, washing, drying and dressing in several layers of warm clothing. Then they all congregated in the foyer.

  Emily opened the door. A gust of icy air whirled in as the sight of crisp, white snow, at least a two foot deep, sparkled before their eyes. It was dazzling, the clear sky reflecting off the white surface like sunshine on glass.

  “Wow,” everyone murmured in awed appreciation.

  The dogs hurried past Emily’s legs, scurrying across the lawn and leaving pawprints across the otherwise unblemished surface. Chantelle went next, stomping and jumping around so she could make perfect foot prints.

  Emily shoved her hands deep inside her pockets and stepped out onto the snowy porch. Her footsteps crunched as she took slow, careful steps.

  From the other side of the lawn, Chantelle waved back at her.

  “This is the perfect spot for our snowman!” she yelled. “We need as much snow here as possible.”

  “I’m on it,” Stu cried, hurrying off to collect armfuls of snow for her. The other two joined suit.

  Soon, Chantelle had an enormous pile of snow at her feet. Together, they molded and shaped it until the body of the snowman began to form.

  “It needs to be bigger,” Chantelle said, when it reached her height.

  They kept going, piling more and more snow onto the body of the snowman. Emily’s hands began to sting from the cold.

  “Bigger!” Chantelle cried when it was as tall as Daniel.

  “I don’t know if we can go bigger,” he said.

  “Of course we can,” Stu grinned. “We just need to get the ladder.”

  Chantelle laughed, clearly delighted that someone was joining in with her mischievous adventurousness. Stu ducked inside, then came back out with the ladder they’d used when decorated the tree. They’d be able to at least get eight feet with the help of the ladder, Emily thought.

  Daniel held it steady while Chantelle climbed the ladder, then Stu, Evan and Clyde helped hand up snow for Chantelle to dump on the top. Meanwhile, Emily worked on the base, patting it down and making sure it was wide enough to support the additional weight going on the top.

  When Chantelle could stretch no further she climbed down the ladder.

  “Time to make the head,” she announced.

  She bent down and made a small snowball, then started rolling it across the ground, picking up fresh snow as she went. The ball started growing bigger. Daniel went to help her, providing some extra muscle. Chantelle laughed with delight as they pushed the snowball around, making it grow bigger and bigger and bigger. Then Stu joined them, followed by Clyde, and finally Evan. Emily watched, chuckling to herself, as they all ran around like children.

  “I think that’s big enough now,” Chantelle finally announced. “Who’s putting it on the top?”

  “You are,” Stu said.

  Chantelle shook her head. “I can’t. I already had to stretch my arms to get to the shoulders. Someone taller than me has to go.” She looked at Daniel. “Daddy?”

  Stu, Evan and Clyde began chanting, “Danny Boy! Danny Boy! Danny Boy!”

  “This was way more than I bargained for,” Daniel replied with resignation.

  He climbed to the top of the ladder, Stu and Evan keeping it steady. Then Clyde lifted the large snowman head and handed it up to him. Daniel took it in his arms, clumsily, his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth with concentration. Then very, very slowly, he guided it up, rolling it across the body of the snowman until he could give it a final push onto the top. Then he patted it to make sure it wasn’t going to roll straight off again.

  “Done!” Daniel proclaimed.

  Everyone clapped, proud of their achievement.

  Daniel started climbing down the ladder when Chantelle cried, “Wait, daddy! We need to get things for the face.”

  She hurried off, then came back a little bit later with some pebbles for eyes and sticks to make a mouth. She passed them up to Daniel, who was waiting patiently, shivering, at the top of the ladder.

  Daniel arranged the items into a cute, smiling face. Then finally, their handiwork was complete and he climbed back down, making it back to solid ground once more.

  Emily stood back and admired their creation. It was a ten foot tall snowman, with the cutest, smiliest face imaginable.

  “We need a picture for the website!” she exclaimed.

  “Let me take it,” Stu said. “Just the family.”

  Emily, Daniel and Chantelle stood beside the snowman and smiled as Stu took pictures on Emily’s phone. Then he showed them the pictures.

  “Our snowman looks amazing!” Chantelle cried, beaming from ear to ear.

  “I’ll email this to Bryony,” Emily said. “Get her to put it on the website with a Christmas message from us all.”

  She typed a quick message and attached the photo then sent it off to Bryony. No sooner had the message sent, but her phone began to ring.

  “It’s Yvonne,” she announced, and picked up the call.

  But it wasn’t Yvonne’s voice on the other end. It was Bailey’s.

  “Hi Emily. Are you going to come ice skating with us?” Bailey asked, speaking at her usual mile a minute speed. “A bunch of us from school are going. My mom will be there, and Suzanna and Holly. Can you come?”

  Emily smiled to herself. Bailey, like Chantelle, was one of life’s natural leaders.

  “We’d love to come,” she said, although she wasn’t sure she should be skating with her big whale belly. “We’ll be there after lunch.”

  She hung up and looked at Chantelle and Daniel.

  “We have a play date,” she said. “At the ice rink.”

  Chantelle punched the air. “YES! I LOVE skating.”

  “Then let’s warm up inside by the fire,” Emily said. “I don’t know about you guys but my fingers are frozen stiff.”

  Everyone laughed and headed back inside, leaving their giant snowman standing guard at the front of the inn.

  *

  The ice rink had been set up in the center of town and it looked absolutely stunning, surrounded by fairy lights and fake winter trees. Daniel pulled up into the lot. It was very busy, as if every single person in Sunset Harbor had decided this was the best way to make the most of the snow day.

  “There’s Yvonne,” Emily said, pointing to where a group of parents were standing beside the perimeter of the rink, wrapped up in woolly clothes, holding a thermos and little cups that sent steam spiralling upwards. She noticed amongst them a white-blond haired, elegant woman. Realizing who it was, Emily added, “Oh, she’s with Raven.”

  Daniel parked, and everyone got out the truck. They headed straight towards the group of parents. Yvonne must have noticed them approaching because she looked over and broke into a wide grin.

  “Happy snow day!” she exclaimed, accepting the hug Chantelle gave her. Then she looked down at the girl. “Bailey and Laverne are already on the rink. Just over there.”

  She pointed to where the two girls were whizzing around, Bailey in her usual clumsy manner, Laverne looking like a pro-skater.

  Chantelle looked extremely eager to join them. “Come on, Daddy. Can you help me get my boots on?”

  Daniel took her by the hand and bade farewell to the group of moms, then he and Chantelle headed off towards the small kiosk where shoes could be exchanged for skates.

  “How is everyone today?” Emily asked, looking back at the small group of parents. She was pleased to see Holly in attendance. She’d not been around as much since her tragic miscarriage on Halloween.

  “Great,” Yvonne said. “Here, have some hot chocolate.”

  She poured a small cup from the thermos and handed it to Emily. Emily accepted it gratefully. The warmth seeped through her gloves into her hands. Shame there was nothing she could use to warm her nose! It was stinging from the cold.

  “Yvonne, I was hoping to ask you a favor,” Emily said to her friend. “Daniel and I were thinking of going on a babymoon weekend trip. Chantelle said she would
n’t mind if she could have a sleep over at yours. Could we do that?”

  “Of course!” Yvonne said. “You know we love having her over. Just tell me when.”

  Emily was so grateful for Yvonne’s support. The babymoon really could go ahead now.

  Raven turned to Emily then. “Thanks so much for what you did at the meeting,” she said. “I really wasn’t expecting you to stand up for me.”

  Emily blushed, and squirmed uncomfortably on the spot. She knew Raven wasn’t the sort of woman who readily offered gratitude, so she nodded in affirmation.

  “It wouldn’t be fair otherwise,” Emily said. “This town gave me a chance to make it. I’d be a real Scrooge if I didn’t pass that goodwill on.”

  “Speaking of Scrooge,” Yvonne said. “Who’s looking forward to the Christmas show this year?”

  “I can’t wait,” Holly said. “Dr Seuss is one of my childhood favorites. I’ve read all the books to Levi about a million times. He’s just thrilled and can’t wait to do his thing as Solicitor Number Two.”

  Everyone chuckled.

  “Bailey is Sally Cratchit,” Yvonne said, looking a little sullen. “I don’t think she’s too happy. What did Chantelle get?”

  “She’s the Ghost of Christmas Past,” Emily said. “I think it’s quite a big role. She showed me the script and songs the other day. It’s pretty thick. I don’t know when we’re going to get the time to learn it all! But Owen said he’d do some extra lessons with her. Who’s playing Scrooge?”

  The mom’s all looked from one face to the next. Finally, Raven spoke.

  “It went to Laverne.”

  “Oh!” Emily exclaimed, thinking of the sullen little girl, who was always serious and rarely cracked a smile. Never had there been a more fitting casting. Quickly, she added, “It’s the main part. Congratulations to Laverne.”

  Raven pursed her lips as if she was well aware of what they were all thinking.

  Just then, Emily noticed that Chantelle and Daniel had made it onto the rink. They started skating around the perimeter, hand in hand, until they reached where the small group of parents were standing on the other side.