by Rebecca Pugh
‘Mulled wine?’ she asked Laurie as they stepped further into the hubbub. She led them towards the stand and waited in the long queue. It smelt divine, a rich concoction of spices and cinnamon. ‘I’ve been waiting for this all year …’ Mia trailed off when she clocked Laurie’s expression. Her sister was looking around them with wide, excited eyes, full of wonder and delight. Mia wondered what her Christmases had been like with Neil, but shook the oncoming train of thought away. She refused to let any of that stuff ruin this evening, especially when Laurie seemed in such a daze of wonderment, like a child meeting Santa Claus for the first time. ‘You okay?’ she asked, giving her a little nudge. The queue moved forward, so they stepped forward with it.
‘Yeah, it’s just … It’s just beautiful, isn’t it? All this? It makes me feel all warm inside.’ Laurie threw her head back and laughed. ‘God, I sound like a six-year-old but it’s just, wow. Just wow.’ She shook her head.
‘I knew you’d love it,’ Mia said knowingly. ‘But trust me, you haven’t seen anything yet.’ Once their cups of mulled wine were in hand, they took off to walk through the bustling, merry market.
It seemed that the stalls had everything a person could think of. Homemade Christmas decorations, from Christmas wreaths and trinkets to card holders and scented candles. There was a stall set up for people to take their unwrapped presents to, and the women behind it, with their gingerbread-patterned aprons, would wrap them up for a small donation to the charity they were representing. Reels of ribbon sat prettily behind them, and both of the women looked happy and flushed as they got to work, snipping and slicing through wrapping paper, and then tying pretty bows around the finished gifts before handing them back. There was a stall full of the most precious decorations made from glass and wood, tiny and delicate and twinkling beneath the stall’s lights. There were a number of stalls dedicated to food, offering everything from bagged herbs and spices which smelt heavenly, to the most gorgeous baked goods and Christmas cakes, all homemade and decorated with the upmost care and precision. There was a stall focused solely on children’s delights, from gingerbread families to rainbow-bright lollipops depicting Santa’s cheery face. It was a carnival of colour and smell, and with the band playing their tunes, it was enough to melt even the most hardened, uncheery heart. No Scrooge would stand a chance here; the ambience managed to sneak under your skin after only a few minutes.
Mia gave Laurie’s arm a squeeze and they grinned at each other like gleeful, excitable little girls.
‘Hey, look! There’s Cal! Marco’s with him, too!’ Mia waved towards where Cal was standing, and began to tug Laurie towards them with eagerness.
‘Evening,’ Cal called as they approached. He kissed Mia and embraced her tightly with the thick, warm arms of his coat. Marco did the same to Laurie, and Mia caught the smile on her sister’s face as she buried her cheek in his chest. ‘Enjoying yourselves? What do you think of it, Laurie? Magical, isn’t it?’
‘Yes.’ Laurie stepped back from Marco and shook her head. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. It’s just … beautiful.’
‘Not as beautiful as you,’ Marco murmured, but everyone heard it. Laurie laughed and Cal rolled his eyes playfully.
‘You’re such a cheese ball,’ he said as he nudged Marco. ‘Shall we meet up at eight near the tree? I’d like to walk round with Mia for a while, if that’s okay with you two?’
‘Sure,’ Laurie replied with a grin. She wove her arm through Marco’s and took him off down another busy row of stalls.
‘Finally! I have you all to myself,’ Cal said. ‘Where shall we go first? Are you hungry?’
‘As a matter of fact, I am.’ Mia sighed with happiness as she swivelled in his arms and glanced about. ‘Anywhere in mind?’
‘I was thinking,’ Cal murmured into her ear as he stood behind her, arms still tightly wrapped around her waist, ‘we could head back to my place and order a pizza or something.’
Mia laughed loudly. ‘Oh, you old romantic, you! Come on, let’s go and have a gander. We’re not ordering a pizza when the Christmas market is in town, not a chance.’ She tugged him by the hand and they headed off towards yet more stalls, overcrowded with beautiful Christmas wares and cheerful stall-holders. With the music floating in the air around them, it was the perfect evening. She hoped that Marco was showing Laurie the best of it, too.
***
Just before eight, and after browsing for almost an hour, Mia and Cal headed back towards the tree, where the light switch-on would soon be happening. It was already crowded and there was no chance they’d be getting anywhere near the front. There was an excitement in the air that Mia could recall feeling each time she’d stood here over the years, waiting for the lights to be turned on, and she hoped Laurie could feel it too. It would be impossible not to. She spotted Marco and Laurie a few feet away and waved on tiptoes over the group in front of her.
Laurie noticed them and pulled Marco through the crowds. He trailed behind her with a huge smile on his face. ‘This is amazing,’ she breathed once she was at Mia’s side. ‘I love it!’
‘See? I told you it was something special, didn’t I?’ Mia turned to the darkened tree and tried to imagine it once it was lit up. ‘Have any of you got the time? How long until eight?’
‘Only a few minutes now,’ replied Cal, tugging his sleeve back down over his wrist after checking his watch briefly. ‘Oh, look, I think it’s starting! Isn’t that that artist who got big?’
Richard Wight had grown up in Sunset Bay, creating oil painting after oil painting of the surrounding cliffs and sea views. After so long, he’d taken his paintings to an art gallery to see if anything could come of them. Turned out he’d made the right decision because they’d been spotted immediately. He was now one of the most well-known painters from the area, and his work was shown in some of the biggest events around. He’d moved away from Sunset Bay once he’d met his wife, but apparently he’d returned and this year he’d be switching on the lights. ‘Yes, it’s him,’ Mia said excitedly. ‘How fantastic that he’s switching on the lights, too.’ He looked very dapper in a grey shirt, waistcoat and long black coat. He grinned out at the surrounding crowds and took the microphone offered to him from the man beside him.
‘Good evening, people of Sunset Bay!’ Everybody cheered, clapped and whistled. ‘How are we all? Excited, I hope?’ Richard went on to explain how he’d been delighted when he’d been asked to come and switch the lights on. He spoke about how much he’d always loved the area, and how sad he’d felt when he’d moved away. Apparently, he came back often because he loved the views and the scenery of the place, and he thanked everybody for being there. ‘So, without further ado, the moment you’ve all been waiting for!’ An uproar of cheers and applause broke out. ‘Shall we have a countdown?’
The crowds roared out a positive ‘Yes!’ and so Richard began to count down from ten. ‘Ten! Nine! Eight!’
Mia grinned as she turned to Laurie. She was confused when she saw that her big sister had tears sliding slowly down her cheeks. Marco hadn’t noticed as he was standing behind her with his arms draped over her shoulders. Mia sidled closer and clasped Laurie’s hand with her own.
‘Are you okay?’ she called into Laurie’s ear as the countdown continued.
Laurie nodded. ‘I’m fine,’ she called back. ‘It’s just really special to me, that I’m here with you this year. That’s all.’ She squeezed Mia’s hand back.
‘Five! Four! Three!’
‘It’s special to me, too, Laurie. Extremely special.’ They smiled at each other.
‘Two! One!’
And then, just like that, Sunset Bay lit up. Twinkling lights appeared as if by magic out of the darkness and trailed along the streets, disappearing around corners and lighting up the dark spaces. The tree in front of them went from a huge bulk of darkness to the most brilliant display of colour and light. Glass bulbs were tangled around each and every branch, flickering from gold to red to
green to blue, and, at the very top, the most gorgeous gold star shone magnificently over the people gazing at it in awe.
Mia’s vision began to swim as she stared up at it in wonder. The crowds were alive and noisy with appreciation and delight, clapping and hugging each other in pure Christmas spirit. She glanced across once more to Laurie who was wearing one hell of a grin.
‘What do you think?’
‘It’s amazing,’ Laurie squealed. ‘Incredible! I can’t stop staring at it!’
‘Look at the pier,’ Mia urged.
Laurie turned round and gasped. At the very bottom end of Sunset Bay, lights twinkled against the black sky, stretching out into the sea. ‘Oh, my God,’ Laurie cried, clapping her hands to her mouth. ‘This is going to sound ridiculous but this is all making me feel very emotional.’
Mia laughed. ‘Me too, big sis. Me too.’
‘I love this place so much,’ Cal said as he squeezed her tightly. ‘Feels even more special this year now that I have you.’
She turned to face him when Laurie fell into conversation with Marco and gazed up into his face. She stroked a gloved finger across his cheek then kissed him gently. ‘Ditto, Cal. Will you be joining us for a Christmas dinner at Honeysuckle Cottage by the way? I’ve invited Laurie and Marco; it wouldn’t be the same without you there.’ The lights twinkled down on them both. She kissed his lips slowly, softly.
‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world,’ he replied. He cupped her face with his hands and touched her nose with the tip of his own. ‘It’s going to be perfect, just like you.’
Mia looked into his dark eyes and felt her chest tighten. She couldn’t believe that she was here with Cal, and able to call him her own. It was too good to be true, but she wouldn’t dare take it for granted. This was all she’d ever wanted, and with Laurie in Sunset Bay beside her, it was absolutely perfect, and definitely one of the best Christmases she was going to have in a long time. Her heart felt heavy with the emotion and her throat tight as she told herself not to cry, which was exactly what she wanted to do. She felt grateful for the people she had in her life right now, and pushed Boxing Day dinner with their mother right to the very back of her mind. She refused to dwell on it for too long, and besides, what could their mother say or do that could ruin all this? Nothing, that’s what, and there wasn’t a chance in hell that Mia would let her try either. If it all kicked off on Boxing Day, she’d snatch up Laurie’s hand and drag her back to the car, then drive them both back to Sunset Bay. She hadn’t thought as far as where Laurie would live, but they’d figure that out at a later date. Laurie didn’t deserve to be ill-treated just because she’d finally plucked up the courage to do what she wanted to do, and Mia wouldn’t stand for it. She may have been the younger of the two, but she’d learnt long ago that you couldn’t please everybody so there was no use in trying. The best thing to do was do whatever you wanted to do, and try to never become influenced by other people’s opinions. That wasn’t the way to live. She was sure that the longer Laurie remained in Sunset Bay, the more she was learning in regards to the way she lived her life. Mia had witnessed the change in her sister and it was wonderful, and if their mother tried to stamp it out, then she’d have something to say about it.
For the rest of the evening, she and Cal, coupled with Laurie and Marco, wondered along beneath the lights and among the stalls, chatting away like a group of old friends. Afterwards, they stepped into the toastiness of the Cobbler’s Pub and took the table near the crackling fire. It seemed like a lot of the marketgoers had had the same idea and the pub was packed. With the Christmas music jumping from the speakers and the cheery atmosphere, Mia had never been happier. She had everything she’d ever wanted right then, and as the wood sparked in the fireplace beside their table, Mia smiled and joined in with the hearty conversation.
Chapter Twenty
In the lead-up to Christmas, the diner was quiet except for the few regular customers who couldn’t seem to get by without their breakfast and coffee. The sea always seemed a constant shade of grey and thrashed upon the shore as the wind took hold of it. The diner closed on Christmas Eve and Laurie agreed to spend the night at Honeysuckle Cottage with Mia. They had the most wonderful evening together, chatting non-stop and placing their wrapped gifts beneath the tree for the next morning, with a constant stream of hot chocolates that were drowning in the heavenly froth of melted marshmallows. Mia had set up a small Christmas tree in the corner of the cottage’s tiny lounge, wrapped up completely in twinkly tinsel and sparkling lights. With the main light in the lounge switched off, it was the cosiest place Laurie thought she’d ever had the pleasure of being in.
She smiled at the pile of presents beneath the tree and turned to Mia who was sitting cross-legged on the sofa beside her. A blanket was spread out across both of them.
‘So what have you got me?’ Laurie laughed when Mia rolled her eyes and took a sip from the mug cradled in her hands.
‘For the millionth time, Laurie Chapman, I am not telling you! You haven’t changed, have you? You used to do this all the time to Mum when we were little. You just couldn’t help yourself.’
‘I’m just excited,’ Laurie shrugged. She looked towards the tree again. ‘Christmas never felt like this with Neil, you know.’
‘What was it like?’ Mia asked quietly.
‘It was just so …’ Laurie shrugged. ‘Organised, I guess. Everything had its place, the decorations and colours all had to match. The presents were stacked so neatly I almost didn’t want to touch them for fear of ruining their positioning.’ She stifled a snort. ‘It never felt magical, just regimented and stiff. It’s so different here. Everything is different here.’
‘What have I told you about dwelling on the past?’ Mia shook her head. ‘You need to stop it. Stop comparing now to then. Of course it’s different, and for the better, too. You’ll be used to this one day and you’ll wonder how on earth you ever lasted with Neil for as long as you did, I bet you any money.’
‘I’m already wondering that.’ Laurie rolled back her shoulders and yawned. ‘Seriously, the cosiness of this room is sending me to sleep! It’s just so warm and snuggly. Was it like this with Grandma Dolly, too?’
‘Oh, yes,’ Mia replied with feeling, her cheeks rounding with her smile. ‘Always. To be honest, the place hasn’t really changed much since she passed away. I loved it so much I couldn’t bring myself to start changing things around. It’s perfect just the way it is, I think.’
‘I think so, too,’ Laurie agreed. ‘So different to home, too, isn’t it? I mean, everything was so neat and tidy. I love this life you have here. I think it’s what I’ve always secretly wanted.’
Mia sipped. ‘How are you feeling about going back to London, back to your job?’
‘I’m not sure really. I’m trying not to think about it too much.’
‘It was nice of them to keep your job for you, though; not many employers would agree to a six-month break. At least you know that you have it to go back to, rather than being left jobless and clueless. Anyway, it’s getting late, and we need to be up early to get Christmas dinner started. I put new sheets on the spare bed earlier so it’s ready whenever you are.’ Mia smiled and took the empty cups into the kitchen, returning moments after.
‘I’m pretty knackered, too.’ Laurie rose from the sofa and stretched. ‘I’ll follow you up.’
***
‘Merry Christmas!’ The sound of excited chatter and Christmas greetings filled Honeysuckle Cottage as Marco and Cal arrived the next afternoon and Mia told them to follow her through to the kitchen. Laurie was already in there, checking up on the veg and the turkey. The tiny kitchen was full of the smell of Christmas, especially since Mia had insisted on lighting numerous scented candles to fill the air with cinnamon and red berries.
‘Hi, guys!’ Laurie gave them all a wave as they stepped into the kitchen. Marco strode up to her immediately, not missing a beat, and embraced her from behind.
‘Merry Chris
tmas, beautiful.’ He kissed her noisily on the cheek and gave her waist a tight squeeze. Despite having told Marco that a relationship was off the cards, he didn’t seem to be deterred and was still dropping kisses and tight embraces at every given opportunity. Laurie didn’t mind too much, but she was constantly aware of time running out. She didn’t have long left in Sunset Bay, nor in Marco’s company. She tried not to let the thoughts ruin the cheery atmosphere and smiled to herself as he nuzzled her neck.
‘Merry Christmas, handsome. Hope you’re hungry?’
Marco inhaled as he shrugged his jacket off. ‘Always.’
She grinned and turned back to the cooker.
‘Who’s for a glass of some celebratory bubbly?’ Mia sang as she danced across to the fridge and swung open the door. ‘I bought champagne especially for the occasion – it’s Christmas after all!’ With a giggle, she collected four glasses from the cupboard and began to fill each of them up in turn.
‘Bubbly sounds great to me,’ Cal called.
Once Laurie was certain the vegetables and turkey were safe, she removed herself from the kitchen and joined the other three in the lounge. She snatched up the last glass of bubbly and sipped merrily. ‘Can we open our presents yet?’ She’d forgotten all about them during the throes of Christmas dinner preparation, but now her eyes had caught on the teasing pile beneath the twinkling tree. It looked as if it had been added to by Marco and Cal and a burst of excitement rose within her.
