Clara's Last Christmas (Clara Andrews Series - Book 9)

by Lacey London

  ‘Because we are having such a small, non-traditional service, we have decided that we aren’t going to have any bridesmaids.’ Dawn winces as her cheeks colour up guiltily. ‘You know that I would have you guys as my bridesmaids in a heartbeat, it’s just that…’

  Eve kicks me discreetly and I clear my throat. ‘Dawn? I think I am speaking on behalf of both of us here when I say that we would love to not be bridesmaids!’

  Dawn looks between the two of us with a confused expression on her face. ‘You would?’ She whispers suspiciously.

  ‘Yes!’ We yell in unison, before erupting into giggles.

  ‘Why?’ Her brow creases into a frown as she folds her arms and takes a step towards us.

  ‘No ugly dresses, no matching hairstyles, no cringeworthy photographs…’ My voice is shrill with excitement at the thought of escaping the dreaded bridesmaid duties.

  ‘Well, I can’t promise anything about the photographs.’ Dawn laughs and runs her fingers through her auburn hair. ‘You know I love a good selfie.’

  I let out a squeal and embrace both of them warmly. An intimate Christmas wedding sounds too perfect for words and being able to attend it as a regular guest is just the cherry on the cake. My own wedding day was organised entirely by Oliver. Everything from my bouquet to wedding dress was a complete surprise and I wouldn’t change it for the world, but if I could have my time all over again, a winter wonderland wedding is exactly what I would go for.

  Gently pushing me out of the way, Eve reaches over the counter and pops a couple of olives into her mouth. ‘Do you want one?’ She asks, offering around the near empty bowl.

  ‘If you eat any more of those you’ll end up giving birth to one!’ Dawn jests, accepting an olive and nibbling away at it like a hungry mouse. ‘I once read about a woman who craved olives right through her pregnancy and she ended up calling the baby Olivia...’

  I am about to say that’s the cutest thing I’ve ever heard when the door swings open. Standing to attention, the three of us snap back into work mode.

  ‘Mr Williams!’ I gush, spinning around to see my favourite customer pushing his way inside, quickly followed by his wife, Sandra.

  Both dressed in their finest clothes with a fine layer of sleet on their shoulders, they walk over to the counter and place a tiny gift bag in front of me.

  ‘Who’s that for?’ I ask, looking down at the sparkly bag curiously.

  ‘It’s for you…’ Sandra smiles brightly, her crazy mane twisted into a messy chignon at the nape of her neck. ‘It’s just a little something that we saw and it had your name written all over it.’

  ‘Oh…’ Feeling a little taken aback, I look between the two of them with pink cheeks.

  Being very aware that Eve and Dawn are gawping at me from the other side of the room, I shoo them into the workshop.

  ‘We know it’s a little early, but we’re going away tomorrow and we won’t be back until January.’ Mr Williams rests his briefcase next to the till and motions for me to open it.

  ‘You’re going away?’ I repeat, a little shocked that Mr Williams, otherwise known as Mr Workaholic, is taking time away from the office.

  ‘We are indeed.’ Sandra confirms, reaching out for his hand. ‘We’re going to Antigua.’

  ‘Antigua!’ I breathe, fiddling with the ribbon on the bag. ‘That’s amazing!’

  Pulling out a velvet box, I run my fingers over the felt before gently prising it open. My lips stretch into a huge smile as I take in the gorgeous brooch in front of me. With a bronze stem and faded yellow petals, the stunning sunflower design appears to be antique. It’s vintage, it’s unique… it’s beautiful. Just like the two of them.

  Swallowing the lump in my throat, I look up at Sandra and nod gratefully. For those of you who aren’t aware, sunflowers play a pretty big part in my relationship with Mr and Mrs Williams, but that’s a different story entirely.

  ‘This is so kind of you. I don’t really know what to say.’ My bottom lip trembles as Sandra takes the brooch and pins it to my apron. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘No, thank you.’ Mr Williams laughs gently and gives my arm a little squeeze. ‘Your divine intervention saved our marriage. It’s the least we could do.’

  Sandra nods along and jangles her many gold bracelets. I am about to tell them that a few words of wisdom on a deserted street corner don’t really count as divine intervention when Mr Williams’s phone pings in his pocket. Taking a quick glance at the screen, he grabs his briefcase and motions to the door.

  ‘Well, we have a flight to catch.’ His eyes twinkle as Sandra grins widely and plants a red kiss on his cheek. ‘You have yourself a very merry Christmas, Clara.’

  Leaning over the counter, I throw my arms around the pair of them and pull them towards me. ‘You too and have a fabulous time in Antigua. Think of me when you’re lounging on the beach.’

  Sandra winks in response as Mr Williams pushes open the door, allowing a stream of sleet to billow into the florist. Watching them go, my eyes land on the bucket of poinsettias in the window display.

  ‘Wait!’ Running across the shop floor, I pluck one of the iconic, red flowers and dash out onto the busy street. ‘Here’s one for the road…’

  Stopping in their tracks, the two of them turn to face me.

  ‘It’s not a sunflower, but they’re just as beautiful.’ Smoothing out the soft petals, I hand over the pretty flower with a smile.

  ‘Oh, Clara…’ Sandra wipes a single snowflake from her nose before slotting the poinsettia neatly into her up-do.

  I nod approvingly and give them a final wave as they continue on their journey. Ignoring the fact that the sleet has finally turned into snow, I stand and watch the two of them until they disappear into the darkness. The streets may be alive with noise, but I can’t hear a thing. I somehow block it out as I lose myself in the moment. My fingers land on my beautiful brooch and my heart pangs in my chest. This is what Christmas is all about, random acts of kindness. Those little things we do to show others how much they mean to us are what make this time of year so special, because no act of kindness is ever wasted, no matter how small…

  No snowflake ever falls in the wrong place…

  Chapter 4

  Dropping my fork onto my plate with a clatter, I lean back in my seat and resist the urge to prop my eyelids open with matchsticks. To say that today has been exhausting is the world’s biggest understatement. When I walked or rather fell through the door an hour ago, I was beyond grateful to see that Oliver had used his initiative and ordered Indian food. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to see a chicken jalfrezi in all my life.

  Looking down at my plate, I scoop up the last mouthful of rice and reach for my coffee. I have probably consumed a month’s worth of caffeine throughout the course of today and yet I still feel like the walking dead. I even tried one of Eve’s dreaded kale and spinach smoothies in a bid to breathe some energy into my lifeless body. It’s true, desperation makes us do very strange things indeed.

  ‘Mummy, can we put the Christmas tree up now?’ Noah tugs at my sleeve and smiles up at me sweetly. ‘You promised we could do it this morning and we only did the stockings.’

  ‘I think it might be a little late for that…’ Fumbling around on the dining table for my phone, I squint at the screen in disbelief.

  It can’t be just six-thirty. It can’t be. I feel like I’ve been awake for days on end. Straining my neck to check the clock on the wall, I let out a groan as I realise my phone is correct.

  ‘Please?’ Noah persists, jumping up and down on the spot. ‘We were meant to do it yesterday!’

  I glance over at Oliver who simply shrugs his shoulders and smiles back at me. ‘It’s your call…’

  Realising that he’s in with a chance, Noah dives onto my lap and kisses my cheek.

  ‘Please, Mummy.’ He begs, burying his head into my neck and squeezing me tightly. ‘Please?’

  Looking down at his hopeful little face, I roll my
eyes and sigh heavily. ‘Oh, go on then…’

  ‘Yay!’ He yells, throwing his arms in the air and jumping down to the floor. ‘Finally!’

  Oliver shoots me a wink and heads towards the bedroom to collect the decorations. Watching the two of the them race across the living room, I suddenly feel a pang of guilt. I’ve been promising Noah that we would decorate the apartment for well over a week. It’s not his fault that I have the time management skills of a seventeen-year-old layabout.

  Exhaling slowly, I twist my hair out of my face and start to clear the table, just as Oliver reappears with a huge box over his shoulder. Dumping it on the carpet in front of the window, he whistles happily and grabs the television remote. A few clicks later and the Christmas classics that we know and love start to fill the room, causing Noah to dance around the coffee table.

  ‘Alright…’ Oliver beckons me over and uses a door key to tear open the seal on the box. ‘Let’s do this!’

  Forcing myself to smile, I stack the used plates in the dishwasher and start to empty the many bags of decorations onto the floor. An array of glitter and memories spill out onto the thick carpet, making my heart fill with a variety of emotions. What lies before me is a timeline of our lives in the form of the many trinkets we have collected over the years. The sunbathing Santa we picked up in Mexico, the beautiful glass bauble which was a wedding gift from the Strokers and a cheeseburger munching elf Oliver found in Florida. Who would have thought that a bunch of old Christmas ornaments could tell such a story?

  I watch Noah sort the decorations into piles of red, silver and gold, pausing to admire each piece as he does. Leaning across him, I pull a handful towards me and stretch out so that I am lying flat on my stomach. This is fantastic. Why have I waited so long to do this?

  ‘What are these?’ Noah asks, holding up two snowflake shaped baubles with a pair of tiny feet printed on the front.

  ‘Those are prints of your feet from the very day you were born…’ I reach over and brush his curls out of his face. ‘Pretty cool, aren’t they?’

  Noah holds the trinkets an inch from his face before handing them over to Oliver, seemingly unimpressed. I guess actual copies of your feet aren’t that interesting when you have a mankini wearing Santa Claus to play with.

  Slotting the last piece of the tree into the base, Oliver wipes his brow and steps back to admire his handy work. We have had this same tree for years now and it never fails to impress. There was one year where I begged Oliver for a real tree, but a month of picking pine needles out of the carpet soon made us revert back to our old faithful.

  ‘Is that straight?’ Oliver asks, tipping his head from side to side.

  Looking up from my position on the floor, I reach out and smooth down one of the branches. ‘I think it’s a little to the left…’

  Oliver pauses for a moment before taking a deep breath and tugging the tree closer to the door. ‘Is that it?’

  ‘Now it needs to go to the right.’ Noah says confidently, hiding his smile behind a mound of tinsel.

  I flash him a questioning look, quickly realising what his game is. ‘Yeah, Noah’s right…’

  Oliver frowns and shrugs his shoulders, before getting back on his knees and shoving the heavy tree a few inches across the carpet. Standing to his feet, he wipes a bead of sweat from his brow and rests his hands on his hips. Swallowing the giggle that is tickling my throat, I nudge Noah who is red in the face with his attempt at concealing his laughter.

  ‘You know, I think it was better to the left after all…’ I cover my smile with my hand as Oliver turns to me and scowls.

  ‘You’re kidding, right? I’ve moved it three times already!’ Cursing under his breath, Oliver runs his hands through his hair and stomps back to the tree.

  ‘I’m not moving it again, so it better be straight this time…’ He hollers from between the branches, his voice straining as he pulls the tree with all his might. ‘Happy?’ He growls, sticking his head out and panting for breath.

  I am about to try it one last time when Noah erupts into a fit of hysterical laughter.

  ‘What’s so funny? Oliver asks, a bewildered expression on his face. ‘What is it?’

  I lock eyes with Noah and give in to my own laughter. What starts as a slight chuckle quickly develops into a full belly roar that causes my entire body to ache.

  ‘Oh, I see. You’re yanking my chain, aren’t you?’ Crawling out from beneath the tree, Oliver breaks into a smile as he plucks up Noah, who is laughing so hard I think he might pass out.

  Throwing him over his shoulder, Oliver tickles him on the stomach and the pair of them collapse in a heap on the couch. Not being able to resist joining in, I run over and throw myself into the mix. My cheeks hurt from laughing as Pumpkin dives onto the sofa and playfully attacks Oliver. Her tail wags frantically as she tries to free Noah from Oliver’s vice-like grip.

  I am about to suggest that we crack open the Amaretto when Oliver’s phone rings in the other room. Coaxing Pumpkin to the floor, I pull Noah onto my knee as Oliver rolls off the couch. Snatching his mobile from the kitchen island, he jabs at the screen until the display springs to life.

  ‘It’s my dad…’ He announces, pulling out a chair and clearing his throat.

  ‘Oh…’ Rolling onto my side, I make a poor attempt at smoothing down my dishevelled hair as Randy’s face pops up on the screen.

  ‘Hey!’ Oliver beams brightly and turns the handset for Noah and I to see.

  ‘Grandad!’ Noah yells, jumping down and throwing himself onto Oliver’s lap.

  ‘How’s it going?’ Randy’s face creases into a smile as he waves into the camera.

  ‘We’re all good!’ Oliver spins the screen around to reveal our partly decorated Christmas tree. ‘We’ve just been decorating the apartment. How’s things across the pond?’

  ‘Things are great, really great!’ Randy adjusts the settings on his phone as his girlfriend, Courtney, comes into view.

  ‘Hi, guys!’ She squeaks, her blonde hair bouncing as she waves into the lens.

  ‘Hello!’ I shout back, sitting up straight. ‘How are you?’

  A couple of months ago, the three of us took a trip to America to finally meet Randy’s girlfriend. Being half his age, busty, blonde and beautiful, we didn’t have high hopes, but I have to hand it to her, Courtney is absolutely fabulous.

  ‘We’re fantastic!’ She gushes, crossing her legs to reveal her battered cowboy boots. ‘Are you excited for Christmas, Noah?’

  ‘Yes!’ He squeals, pointing to the tree and rambling off his list for Santa.

  ‘That’s a pretty long list!’ Courtney giggles and slides closer to Randy. ‘I hope you get everything you asked for!’

  Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Randy whispers something in Courtney’s ear and she nods in response.

  ‘You know, Courtney gave me one of my Christmas gifts early this year…’ He scratches his chin and takes a deep breath. ‘Son, you’re going to be a brother.’

  My jaw drops open and I clasp my hand to my mouth. Not daring to look at Oliver, I try to regain the use of my tongue.

  ‘Guys, meet Star.’ Reaching down, Randy pulls an adorable grey kitten onto his lap and lets out a low laugh.

  ‘A cat!’ Noah yells excitedly. ‘Look, Mummy! They’ve got a cat!’

  Pumpkin starts to bark as Star lets out a series of tiny purrs. Hearing Oliver breathe a sigh of relief, I pad across the carpet to join them at the kitchen island.

  ‘You had me going there!’ He scolds, his eyes creasing with laughter as he shakes his head. ‘Don’t do that to me!’

  ‘Can we get a cat?’ Noah begs, his eyes widen as he crosses his fingers and positions himself an inch from Oliver’s face. ‘Can I put one on my Christmas list?’

  ‘Now look what you’ve done!’ Oliver rolls his eyes as Noah dashes off in search of a pen to add a bloody kitten to his requests for Santa.

  ‘We better let you guys go.’ Courtney takes Star and
plants a soft kiss on her soft head. ‘It must be getting pretty late there.’

  Oliver glances at his watch and nods. ‘Yeah, we’ve still gotta finish the tree and it’s approaching Noah’s bedtime.’

  ‘It was great to hear from you guys!’ I chip in, giving Pumpkin a stroke on the head as she comes wandering over. ‘Have a fabulous Christmas!’

  ‘You too!’ Courtney sings, lifting Star’s paw to wave at the screen. ‘Speak soon!’

  I leave Oliver to say his goodbyes to his father and return to the Christmas decorations. Just like last year, the fairy lights are a tangled mess and I curl up on the couch to tackle the impossible. Spotting Noah in his playroom with a ridiculously long sheet of paper tucked under his arm, I find myself wondering what Father Christmas will be bringing me this year.

  Hearing Oliver wrap up the call, I look up to see him teasing Pumpkin with a piece of tinsel. Not being able to resist the temptation, she races across the living room and grabs the opposite end between her teeth. The pair of them wrestle on the floor until Noah decides to help Pumpkin win the race. Their laughter is infectious as she fires into the kitchen throwing her newly-won trophy in the air.

  Whatever Santa decides to surprise me with this Christmas, I have everything that I could ever need right here…

  We go together like the winter and a sweater…

  Chapter 5

  What a difference a decent night’s sleep can make. Well, I say a decent night’s sleep, but what I really achieved were five uninterrupted hours before Noah’s ear-piercing scream jolted me back into the world of the living. Tearing open the window on my Advent calendar, I pop the tiny chocolate into my mouth and turn to face the mirror. I might be in my thirties, but December just isn’t the same without a miniature treat every morning.

  Squinting at my reflection, I slide a bobby pin into my messy ballerina bun and remove a smudge of mascara from the bridge of my nose. The red lipstick I purchased yesterday clashes violently with my sunflower brooch from Mr and Mrs Williams, but I couldn’t care less. It’s December, which means red lipstick is pretty much the law, right?