Christmas Forever

by Sophie Love

  Chantelle reappeared at the top of the flight of stairs.

  “He says he didn’t know he was invited.”

  “Oh,” Emily said sadly. Roman’s cocktail party was an event for the whole of Sunset Harbor, but Terry was from out of town so probably hadn’t realized. “Is he coming now?”

  Chantelle thunked down the staircase. “He says he hasn’t got anything nice to wear.”

  Emily cast an appealing gaze at Daniel. “Can you lend him something? It wouldn’t be right to leave him here on his own when the whole town is celebrating.”

  Daniel nodded and went upstairs to fetch some clothes. After a few minutes, he and Terry appeared. Terry looked uncomfortable in one of Daniel’s ever-so-slightly too tight shirts.

  Chantelle started clapping. “Oh, Uncle Terry, you look awesome!”

  The nickname was clearly not lost on Terry. He smiled widely, looking extremely touched.

  At last everyone was ready, and they headed out the inn. The family climbed into Daniel’s truck whilst everyone else got into Clyde’s, then they drove the short distance through town to Roman’s mansion.

  The roof was decorated with a million white fairy lights, and all along the driveway there were small lanterns with candles burning inside of them. There were also a row of winter trees, sprayed with fake snow and sparkling silver glitter.

  “This is so beautiful,” Chantelle gasped.

  It was still quite early but the house was already buzzing with activity. From inside, Christmas jazz music emanated. Everyone headed eagerly inside.

  Inside, the mansion was decorated just as impeccably, carrying the silver and white lights theme of the outside in. There was a long silver carpet stretching along the corridor, leading them to the kitchen-dining room area where the party was being held. They followed the carpet, feeling like film stars.

  They walked into the kitchen and saw that the room looked like winter wonderland. Huge metallic white balloons floated in all four corners of the room. Delicate glass snowflakes and icicles were strung in chains across the ceiling, twinkling as they caught the light coming from the myriad of lanterns and candelabras. It was so stunning.

  “Isn’t it fantastic?” Emily gushed to Chantelle.

  The child looked awed.

  Straight away, Chantelle spotted some of her school friends and ran off to play with them. Stu, Evan and Clyde headed immediately towards the alcohol stand. Once they reached it, they turned and beckoned Daniel over.

  “Free bar!” Stu cried across the room.

  Daniel turned a deep shade of red in his embarrassment. Emily chuckled.

  “Well go on then,” she urged him.

  He scurried after his friends, leaving Emily with just Terry.

  She turned to face him. “Let me introduce you to Roman.”

  They wended through the groups of people to where Roman was chatting in the corner with some of his management staff; fashionably dressed men and woman whom she occasionally saw wandering around town looking very out of place.

  “Emily!” Roman said, waving as she approached. “Still pregnant, I see.”

  “Four days overdue and counting,” Emily said with a nod, rubbing her stomach.

  “Well if you go into labor tonight, don’t panic. Sofia here is a doula.” He patted the shoulder of one of his entourage, a hippy looking girl covered in beaded jewellry and bangles, who reminded Emily of Bryony.

  “I don’t think she has any plans on coming soon,” Emily told him with a chuckle. She gestured to the room. “It looks fab this year. A real winter wonderland.”

  “I can’t take credit for it,” Roman said. “I have Gretta to thank for the design.”

  He gestured to a woman in the group, who was wearing a barely-there gold dress, strappy heels and matching jewellry. Her rouge-painted lips twitched into an imperceptible smile.

  “I wanted to introduce you to Terry,” Emily said. “He’s our guest at the inn this Christmas.”

  Roman shook his hand warmly. “You’re the fellow who owned the Christmas tree farm, aren’t you? I heard about the fire. You have my deepest sympathy.”

  “Thank you,” Terry said, his eyes dropping to the floor.

  Emily felt terrible for him. Every time his farm was mentioned, it seemed to cause him a fresh wave of grief, like a scab being constantly ripped off.

  “Terry’s been delighting us with his hidden talent,” Emily told Roman, trying to steer the conversation to something happier. “Singing and playing the piano.”

  “Another musician!” Roman beamed. “You’ll have to try out my studio. I’ve had the Sunset Harbor kids record a choir part for my Christmas charity single. Perhaps you’d like to add some piano to it?”

  Terry’s eyes widened. “That would be wonderful.”

  “Fantastic. We’re laying down some tracks tomorrow morning. Can you come by with Chantelle?”

  Terry looked at Emily, stunned. “Is that okay?”

  Emily wiggled her eyebrows at him. “Of course! I bet you’re glad you came now,” she said.

  “Great, it’s a date,” Roman said. Before anyone had a chance to reply, his attention was distracted by two people entering into the room. “Astrid! George!”

  Emily felt an instant cold chill overcome her. She looked over to where Daniel’s gorgeous ex girlfriend sashayed in wearing a gorgeous outfit that showed off her amazingly honed body. Her arm was linked with George, Harry’s handsome older brother. Thanks to some string pulling from Daniel, Astrid’s life had suddenly clicked into place. She’d been hired as Roman’s personal assistant and found herself a gorgeous boyfriend. Emily watched on, filled with petty jealousy, as Astrid air-kissed Roman’s fashionable entourage. Unlike Emily she fit right in with them all. Emily couldn’t help feeling suddenly frumpy and out of place.

  Just then the song over the stereo changed to a Christmas pop classic.

  “Let’s dance!” Roman cried from the other side of the room.

  He herded his gang of beautiful, successful young things to the dance floor. Emily hung back, not wanting to be under the spotlights. She watched on from the sidelines, berating her childish feelings of envy.

  “Come on everyone!” Roman cried.

  More people joined him under the flashing lights. Emily saw Stu, Evan and Clyde jostling Daniel over to the dancing area, and as if in horrible slow motion, she saw the moment come when they bumped into Astrid. Her stomach clenched as the five childhood friends let out cries of delight, hugging each other with the unbridled joy of long lost friends reunited. Just like he did with Chantelle, Clyde heaved Astrid up onto his shoulder and paraded her around as she squealed and kicked. Emily averted her eyes, feeling stupid.

  “Emily, are you okay?” she heard a voice say from beside her. It sounded just like Roy. But when she turned, it was Terry standing there.

  “I just don’t feel like dancing,” she said, brushing off her feelings. “And I can’t enjoy the cocktails either.”

  He chuckled. “I must admit I feel like quite the old fogey amongst all these people.”

  “Not at all!” Emily exclaimed. “Roman’s parties are for everyone. There are plenty of Sunset Harbor’s more mature folk here. Look.” She pointed through the crowds. “There’s Derek Hansen!”

  The mayor was dancing with abandon, showing off some extremely embarrassing moves.

  “And there’s Cynthia,” she added, pointing at her eccentric neon orange-haired friend. She was wearing a dress that had a huge satin bow on the front. With a chuckle, Emily added, “Dressed to impress, I see.”

  Looking around the crowds, Emily realized how silly she’d been being. Her heart was full of joy thanks to the wonderful people of Sunset Harbor, the happy kids, the merry parents, the carefree elders. Who cared about her big baby bump, or the extra pounds she’d gained during pregnancy. Tonight was about celebrating. About dancing and singing.

  She grabbed Terry’s hand.

  “Come on. Let’s join in.”

&n
bsp; He resisted at first, shaking his head and turning pink. “Oh I couldn’t. I can’t dance.”

  “Me neither,” Emily told him, and she urged him into the crowd with her. “No one’s watching. Just throw your arms in the air and enjoy yourself.”

  She finally followed her own advice, letting her hair down, allowing her silly insecurities to fall away. Terry copied her, and soon they were dancing together like crazy people.

  Suddenly, she noticed people all around her, joining in with her and Terry’s wacky dance moves. Daniel and Evan, then Stu, Clyde and Chantelle.

  Just then Roman appeared and gave Chantelle a big cuddle. Emily giggled, delighted to see Chantelle so happy.

  “How is my favorite little singer?” Roman asked her, taking her hands to dance. “Will you sing us a song tonight?”

  Chantelle blushed. “I might. But only if you sing with me.”

  Emily watched on as Roman twirled Chantelle on the spot. “Of course! My whole band is here. We’ll all perform together.”

  “Speaking of performances,” Emily said. “Chantelle’s school one is tomorrow.”

  “A Seussified Christmas Carol,” Chantelle told him, shouting to be heard over the music.

  “I love Doctor Seuss,” Roman grinned. “Who are you playing?”

  “The Ghost of Christmas Past.”

  “So the best role,” Roman said with a nod. “I’d expect no less.”

  “Scrooge is the biggest part,” Chantelle said, shaking her head.

  “Maybe,” Roman replied. “But no one wants to be the bad guy! You’re much better off as the Ghost.”

  “Can you come?” Chantelle asked, blinking up at Roman with her innocent blue eyes.

  “Oh honey,” Roman said, suddenly sounding concerned. “I’m so sorry but I can’t. I’m out of town all day tomorrow. Morning TV shows.” He made a theatrical yawn gesture.

  “That’s okay,” Chantelle replied, her voice heavy with disappointment. “Papa Roy and Nana Patty are going to miss it too.”

  Emily felt a tug at her heartstrings. This was Chantelle’s big moment and so many people she cared about wouldn’t be there to see it.

  “Tell you what,” Roman told her, clearly picking up on her sadness. “If your mommy and daddy film it for me, we can sit down together in my home cinema, eat some popcorn, and have a big screening of your show. What do you say to that?”

  Chantelle grinned widely. She had only one thing to that, and it made Emily and Roman both laugh heartily; “Coooool.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  The next evening, Emily was extremely excited as she readied herself to go and see Chantelle’s play. Like the rest of her grade, the girl had stayed behind after school for the dress rehearsal, and now the time had arrived for the parents to head over to the school and take their seats in the hall.

  As she slicked on some lipstick in the mirror, Emily spoke to her bump. “No surprises tonight, please. This is Chantelle’s big day.”

  Imagine if the baby decided to arrive today, right in the middle of Chantelle’s solo!

  “You’re five days overdue, what’s another going to matter?”

  Emily laughed then, realizing she was trying to reason with her unborn child. She stood back from the vanity table and observed herself in the floor length mirror beside it. In the figure-hugging dress she’d chosen for the evening, she looked enormous! If she had to guess, she’d think she were carrying twins by the size of her!

  She heard the front door slam. Daniel, home from work.

  “Are you ready, love?” he called up the staircase.

  Emily left her bedroom. “I’m ready,” she said.

  She made it to the top step. Daniel, who had been fiddling with his phone, glanced up at her.

  “WOW!” he exclaimed. “You look stunning, my love.”

  “Why thank you,” Emily replied coyly, taking careful steps down the long flight of stairs. “I thought I looked like a whale personally.”

  She reached the bottom and Daniel enveloped her in his arms. “You look gorgeous.”

  She took her coat from the hook by the door and slipped it on, then Daniel put a protective arm around her shoulder as he led her out to the car.

  “There’s frost on the steps,” he said. “Be careful.”

  It was very dark out, and the air was freezing. “We might be in for more snow soon,” Emily commented.

  “I hope not,” Daniel said. “I’d like to have clear roads to drive you to hospital when the time comes.”

  “If it ever comes,” Emily joked.

  They reached the car and Daniel opened the passenger door for her. She had to admit, she was loving this extremely chivalrous version of Daniel that had appeared once she’d gone over her due date!

  “How are you feeling?” Daniel asked once she was safely in her seat. “Any hints that labor might be coming?”

  He clipped her seatbelt in, as Emily shook her head. “None at all. She’s very active at the moment, like she’s gearing herself up. But she doesn’t feel ready.”

  Daniel went around to his side of the car. “When are we seeing Doctor Arkwright next?” he asked.

  “Monday morning, after the weekend,” Emily told him. She looked over at him in the driver’s seat. “Why? Are you worrying?”

  “I’d be lying if I said no,” Daniel said.

  Emily noticed the frown line between his eyebrows then. It seemed to have become deeper in the five days since missing her due date.

  “It’s normal,” Emily reassured him. “I promise you. I was late. I don’t remember by how much but these things do run in families.”

  Daniel’s tense expression remained. It seemed as though she’d alleviated none of his concern whatsoever.

  “Daniel,” she said firmly but without malice. “Why don’t you come to the appointment on Monday? Doctor Arkwright will put your mind at ease, I’m sure.”

  “I’m hoping it won’t come to that,” he told her. “Hopefully Charlotte will come over the weekend.”

  “We’ll see,” Emily replied, feeling quietly confident that she would not.

  They drove the short distance to the school. Daniel kept the car at an extremely slow speed, which he put down to the ice, but Emily thought was at least fifty percent because of his anxiety over her continued pregnancy. She couldn’t help but wish he’d trust her on this. She knew her body better than he did.

  The parking lot at the school was already half full of cars. There were parents filing through the playground and up the steps. Daniel parked up and he and Emily hopped out, then joined the masses.

  Yvonne appeared behind them. “I’m so excited!” she cried. “Doctor Seuss is the best.” She added in a stage whisper behind her hand. “I also cannot wait to see Laverne Kingsley as Ebenezer Scrooge. She was born for the part, don’t you think?”

  Emily stifled her chuckle at her friends characteristically cutting wit!

  They herd of people ahead of them took another collective step forward, and Emily dutifully inched forward as well. The parents and siblings ahead of them were all wrapped in their winter coats, hats and scarves, but the school’s janitor had clearly had the good idea to turn the heating on full blast because they shed them hurriedly the moment they were through the doors. Emily watched in amusement as gloves and hats went flying in a sudden frenzy.

  At last they made it inside and discarded their own winter clothes as the blast of heat hit them. The school hall was quite dark when they reached it, with only dim lights to follow to their seats. It was as loud as any town meeting, with all the parents and siblings chatting away happily. In the corner beside the piano, Emily saw a huge Christmas tree covered messily in decorations that the school children had evidently made themselves. A large hand painted sign was stuck to the stage curtain proclaiming; A Seussified Christmas Carol.

  Emily slipped into her seat beside Daniel. It was much harder to fit in the plastic chairs than it had been at Chantelle’s Christmas play last year, Emily real
ized! It was if Baby Charlotte was stretching to touch the seat in front of her!

  Emily took her cell from her purse and nudged Daniel.

  “You be on filming duty,” she said. “I’m going to try and get my mom and dad on a video call.”

  Even in the darkness she could tell Daniel’s eyebrows had shot a mile up his forehead.

  “Is that a good idea?” he said. “Both of them? In the same call?”

  “It’s fine, Amy showed me how to do it. She has video conference calls all the time for her job and…”

  Daniel cut her off. “I don’t mean that. I mean, isn’t it a recipe for disaster having both your parents in the same space at the same time? Even if that space is virtual.”

  Maybe once it would have been, for these days Emily felt confident her family had turned a corner. It was quite extraordinary, she thought, to be able to now inhabit that headspace after dozens of years believing her parents would never be in the same place ever again.

  “I think it will be fine,” she said. “Neither of them know enough about technology to work out what’s going on anyway.”

  She made the call to Patricia first. To her delight, her mom answered as if she’d been ready and waiting for the call.

  “Mom,” Emily said with a warning tone in her voice. “You’ll have to be completely silent throughout, okay. No talking. You’re in the audience.”

  “Yes, yes,” Patricia said, impatiently. “I‘m not an imbecile. I know how it works”

  “Okay. And if the call drops DON’T ring back. Daniel is filming it all and we’ll send you that.”

  “Alright,” Patricia replied, absorbing the rules with a slight pout on her lips.

  “And one more thing,” Emily added. “I’m going to try to get dad to watch too.”

  Patricia looked startled. “Isn’t it the evening in Greece? Won’t he be in bed?”

  “You’re right,” Emily confirmed, consulting her clock and adding on the seven hour time difference. “It will be after midnight.” She hesitated, thinking of all the calls and messages she’d sent Roy that had thus far gone unanswered. One more certainly wouldn’t hurt. Maybe catching him at a strange hour of the day would be just the thing to make him pick up. She had no idea what kind of routine he kept these days anyway. And she knew Roy would love the chance to see Chantelle on stage. “I still think it’s worth a shot, though.”