Falling Softly

by Maria Duffy

  ‘I might have a shower, actually. A few of the gang are meeting up in town and I thought I’d go in and see them.’

  ‘Tonight? Our first night in the house?’

  ‘I’m sorry, babe. We can sit in tomorrow night but I haven’t seen Brigitte or Coco in ages and they’re going to be there.’

  Josh tried not to be judgemental but it was the fourth night she’d been out in the last couple of weeks and he worried about her. ‘I’m glad you’re seeing your friends, Steph, but you’ll be exhausted tonight after the day we’ve had. And I’ve had a beer so I can’t drop you into town. You’d have to get the bus.’

  ‘I might just get a taxi, actually.’

  Josh opened his mouth to say something but changed his mind. Stephanie’s social life wasn’t cheap, but he knew that if he made any reference to money, she’d have one of her meltdowns and accuse him of being miserly.

  ‘You could always come too,’ she continued. ‘We could celebrate the new house.’

  He paused before answering and he thought he noticed a flicker of panic cross her face. ‘No,’ he said eventually. ‘You head on in. I’ll sort out a few things here and see you later.’

  ‘Thanks, babe,’ she said, jumping up from the sofa and kissing him on the top of his head. ‘And I’ll cook for us tomorrow night. I’ll do some shopping while you’re at work and get everything in.’

  Josh felt old. Stephanie loved to go out to clubs and gigs whereas he was more a pub and cinema guy. She hated to be home before daybreak and he’d usually start to wane after midnight. He could tell she really hadn’t wanted him tagging along on her night out but he was actually quite relieved. He didn’t have much time for those pretentious friends of hers. None of her old school friends lived in Dublin so the friends she had now were an arty bunch she’d met over the last few years. Brigitte and Coco! Apparently their real names were Ann and Martha but, according to them, ‘The name really matters in this business, dahling!’ Josh liked real people so the less time he had to spend in their company, the better.

  He settled down to watch some football on the telly and poured himself another beer. He wasn’t planning on a party for one but, as he sprawled out on the sofa, he was beginning to think it mightn’t be such a bad thing after all. He almost forgot Stephanie was still upstairs and she frightened the life out of him an hour later when she appeared in the sitting room.

  ‘Wow!’ he said, looking her up and down. She looked spectacular. Her long blonde hair was curled and falling over to one side and her face was breathtaking. She was wearing a silver shift dress that fell way above her knee and did a good job of hiding her pregnant stomach. Her favourite Kurt Geiger black heels made her legs look endless and Josh couldn’t stop staring at her.

  ‘I take it I look okay then?’ she asked, her dark-red lips forming a smile. ‘Aren’t you going to say something?’

  ‘Gorgeous!’ was all he could manage.

  ‘I have my key so you don’t have to wait up. I won’t be too late, though.’

  ‘Just be careful, won’t you, Steph? You look amazing. You’re bound to get lots of attention.’

  ‘You know me. I can look after myself.’ She kissed him and disappeared out the front door. Josh knew she was tougher than she looked but he couldn’t help worrying.

  An hour later, Josh was already beginning to feel bored. It felt weird to be in a new house alone. He stood up and went to the window to see if there was anything happening on the street but all was quiet. He looked forward to getting to know a few people and finding out more about the neighbours. It would be nice if there was a crowd of people their own age whom they could socialise with. They hadn’t had anything like that at their old place.

  He was about to go back to the sofa when he noticed the gorgeous Audi from across the road pulling into the driveway. Without taking time to think it through, he dashed out the door and went over to introduce himself. He probably wouldn’t have bothered if it was a Fiat Punto or a Toyota Yaris, but he’d always been drawn to fancy cars and he just couldn’t resist. The driver, a man of about forty, well dressed, serious face, stepped out of the car.

  ‘Hi,’ said Josh, feeling slightly awkward. ‘I’m Josh. I just wanted to introduce myself. Me and my girlfriend have just moved into number three across the road.’

  The other man smiled and extended his right hand for a handshake. ‘David Wood. It’s nice to meet you.’

  ‘You too. This seems like a lovely street.’

  ‘It’s fine,’ David said, looking around him. ‘Mostly people keep themselves to themselves. There are a few elderly people on this side, and over beside you there’s a young couple with a baby and a single mum with a few kids. It’ll be nice to have someone our own age here.’

  Josh recoiled slightly. He wondered if they really looked the same age. The guy seemed nice enough but Josh would have put him at maybe eight or nine years older.

  David continued. ‘So is it just you and your girlfriend? Any children?’

  ‘Not yet, but one on the way.’

  ‘Well, congratulations. When is the little one due?’

  ‘End of April, all going well. How about yourselves?’

  ‘It’s just the two of us for now. We’re planning a wedding at the moment so who knows. Maybe sometime after that.’

  ‘So I’ve been admiring this beauty,’ said Josh, changing the subject. ‘It’s pretty special.’

  ‘It is, isn’t it?’ David said, stroking the bonnet in a gesture only car geeks would understand. ‘I’ll take you for a spin in it someday, if you like.’

  ‘That would be amazing, thank you. I love cars, although you wouldn’t know it by looking at that clapped-out thing in my driveway.’

  David looked over at Josh’s Micra and laughed. ‘I’ve had one or two of those in my time. Not a bad car, really.’

  ‘It’ll do me for now. But this is what I strive for. Some day.’ Josh dared to stroke the precious car too until he suddenly felt awkward and realised he’d already taken up too much of this man’s time. ‘Anyway, I’ll let you go on in. It was nice to meet you.’

  ‘You too,’ David said, turning to open his front door. ‘You and your girlfriend should drop over to us some night. I’ll speak to my fiancée and we’ll arrange it.’

  ‘That would be lovely. Thanks again.’

  Josh headed back in and felt suddenly contented. They had a lovely house on a lovely street and it seemed they might have made some new friends too. Stephanie had done well choosing this place. It ticked all the boxes and Josh felt that they were going to be very, very happy here.

  Chapter 7

  Holly had decided two things while she’d lain awake listening to David’s snores the previous night. Firstly, she needed to start appreciating what she had. She was engaged to a wonderful man who adored her and it was about time she realised how lucky she was. Secondly, she needed to do something about her appearance. She’d caught a glimpse of her reflection in a shop window the previous day and she couldn’t believe it was her. She used to wear her five-foot-eleven height with pride, choosing skinny jeans or leggings to accentuate her long legs and fitted tops to show off her tiny waist. What she’d seen yesterday was a woman who’d lost all pride in her appearance. She looked frumpy and overweight and was even walking with a stoop. There were seven weeks left until Christmas and she was determined to get some of the old her back before then. She was going to buy herself a size-twelve figure-hugging dress as an incentive and she was going to make sure she fitted into it for the festive season.

  She checked the clock on the cooker display and saw it was almost eight. David would be home soon and she wanted everything timed to perfection. She’d finished work at four and had picked up a few bits in the local supermarket on the way home. She was making them a proper home-cooked meal, something she’d probably only done a handful of times over the last few years. She wasn’t much of a cook and it was easier to just throw something frozen into the oven or order takeaway. Sh
e’d never be one of those domesticated wives but she reckoned she could brush up on her kitchen skills at the very least. And besides, if she was going to get lose weight, the best way to start was with a bit of decent home cooking.

  The smell coming from the oven was making her mouth water and she hoped David didn’t get delayed any longer in work. She wasn’t good when she was hungry. Hangry, they called it. If she didn’t get food when she needed it, she lost all sense of reason and had been known to cry. A lot. But, thankfully, the sound of a car in the driveway alerted her to David’s arrival so she could rest easy that they’d be eating soon. She opened the oven to check on the tuna pasta bake, a recipe she’d taken from the Jamie Oliver website, and she felt a sense of pride at the sight of the cheese bubbling on the top and the pasta crisping at the edges. Just like Jamie had said it would.

  ‘Hiya, love,’ said David, arriving into the kitchen. ‘Something smells delicious.’

  ‘I cooked for us,’ she said proudly. ‘Something proper and healthy. It’s almost ready. Do you want to go for a shower while I dish up?’

  He came over and kissed her on the cheek. ‘To what do I owe this pleasure?’

  ‘Nothing in particular. I just thought it would be nice to have a bit of home cooking. Go on, this will be on the table shortly.’

  A few minutes later, David arrived back into the kitchen, slipping his arms around her waist as she dished up the dinner. ‘You smell nice,’ he said.

  She turned to see if he was mocking her. ‘I smell like tuna and broccoli.’

  He took her by surprise then by kissing her full on the lips. ‘And you taste even better. I love you, Holly.’

  ‘I love you too, David.’ If this was the reaction she got from simply cooking a meal, she was definitely going to do it more often. He was a great kisser and she suddenly realised that they just didn’t take enough time to be intimate together. And that was another thing she was determined to change.

  They tucked into their food and, to Holly’s relief, it tasted okay. She’d even made a green salad to go with it and had cut a wholemeal baguette into fancy little slices. She wouldn’t say she’d uncovered her inner culinary goddess yet, but it was a start.

  ‘I was just speaking to our new neighbour,’ said David, stuffing a large forkful of the tuna bake into his mouth. ‘Seems like a nice chap.’

  ‘Really? How did you get talking to him?’

  ‘He came over when I parked. Wanted to introduce himself.’

  ‘Go on then. What’s he like?’

  ‘It’s just him and his partner,’ David continued. ‘But they have a baby on the way.’

  ‘How old are they? I couldn’t tell from seeing the guy the other day because he had sunglasses on.’

  ‘Mid-thirties, I reckon. I’ve invited them over.’

  ‘You what?’ She stopped the fork just before it got to her mouth. ‘When?’

  ‘I said I’d chat to you and we’d let them know. It might be nice to have a couple our own age on the street. What do you think?’

  ‘I think it’s a great idea,’ she said, delighted that David had taken the initiative to ask him. ‘Maybe this weekend?’

  David looked pleased. ‘Grand. I can drop over tomorrow after work and suggest it, if you like.’

  Holly shook her head. ‘No, let me do it. It will give me a chance to introduce myself.’

  ‘Fine by me.’ He had already finished his plate of food and sat back, stretching his arms behind his head. ‘That was delicious, thanks. You’re turning out to be a pretty good cook.’

  He was in great spirits so it seemed like as good a time as any to talk to him about the festive season. ‘David, you know how it’s only seven weeks to Christmas?’

  ‘Is that all it is? Where does the time go?’

  ‘Well, anyway, have you given any thought to what we’ll do this year?’

  ‘You mean on Christmas Day? I’d just assumed we’d do the same as always.’

  ‘How about we change things this year?’ she ventured. ‘Now that we’re engaged to be married, why don’t we start as we mean to go on and have Christmas dinner here?’

  ‘Here?’

  She continued while the going was good. ‘I know I’m no Nigella but I reckon we could rustle up a nice dinner between us and it might be nice to celebrate it in our own house for a change.’

  Holly could see his mind ticking and wasn’t sure how he’d react. After what seemed like minutes, he finally spoke. ‘You could be right, Holly. Maybe we should start our own traditions. Out with the old, in with the new, and all that.’

  That was easier than she’d thought. ‘Exactly,’ she said, delighted he agreed. ‘I was thinking we could take an early trip to Kildare to see my parents on Christmas morning and then call to your mum on the way back. What do you think?’

  She knew by the way he was looking at her that she’d said something wrong. ‘David?’

  ‘If we stay here for dinner, Mum will have to come to us. I can’t believe you thought she wouldn’t.’

  ‘But –’

  ‘Holly, there’s no way I’d leave her alone on Christmas Day. Of course she’d have to come to us for dinner.’

  Holly’s heart sank. He was probably right but what about her parents? When would they be considered? He must have read her mind because he continued.

  ‘Your parents have each other so it’s not as though they’ll be lonely. Mum only has me.’

  She wanted to point out that Doreen had her two sisters and three brothers, along with a heap of nieces and nephews, all of whom were constantly inviting her to their homes. But she knew she’d be fighting a losing battle.

  ‘I suppose,’ she relented. ‘I just wasn’t thinking.’

  ‘So that’s settled then,’ he said, taking a cloth hanky out of his pocket and blowing his nose loudly. ‘We’re going to have dinner here. I’ll tell Mum later.’

  She could have cut her tongue out. Her worst nightmare. Not only did she have to cook Christmas dinner, which wouldn’t have been so bad if it had just been her and David eating it, but now she’d have to have it scrutinised by Doreen. You’d think from how the woman behaved that nobody else in the world could cook Christmas dinner like she could. Apparently, she had a recipe for the ham that had been handed down through generations and had a secret ingredient to make sprouts really tasty. Sprouts, in Holly’s opinion, were the food of the devil and nothing on earth could make them edible. Oh God, what had she let herself in for? She’d have to retrieve the situation.

  ‘Actually, maybe hold off on asking her for a while. It’s still early so we’ve plenty of time to make decisions.’

  David looked at her quizzically and she couldn’t blame him. ‘But I thought you just said –’

  ‘I know, but the more I think about it, the more I realise that we should probably stick to our usual plan, at least until we’re married.’

  ‘No,’ he said, with uncharacteristic decisiveness. ‘You were right first time. I think it’s time we set down some proper roots here. We shouldn’t be parting ways on Christmas Day at this stage. Not when we’re engaged to be married.’

  ‘Well, I suppose we could …’

  ‘Great. Now have we anything for dessert?’

  That was it. Conversation dismissed. But there was no point in dwelling on it any further. She sighed and took a tub of Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough from the freezer. As her culinary skills were still in development, she hadn’t ventured into the sweet zone yet.

  ‘Have you seen the house around the corner?’ she said, in an effort to banish the dark cloud she felt threatening to engulf her. ‘The one with the lights.’

  David nodded. ‘Ridiculous, isn’t it?’

  ‘I think it’s lovely, actually. Do you think we could put up some outdoor lights this year?’

  ‘It’s a monstrosity. And I think outside lights are just tacky.’

  ‘It doesn’t have to be like that house. Just a few twinkly ones to brighten up the place. I
think it would look fabulous.’

  He seemed to be mulling it over so she kept talking. ‘It’s just that if we’re having your mother over and trying to set down roots here, it would be nice to make the house more Christmassy. Come on, David. I know you’re not a fan of lights but can’t you just get into the spirit this year? Just for me?’

  ‘I suppose a few lights wouldn’t do any harm,’ he said. ‘Once they’re subtle.’

  ‘Done,’ she said, her hopes of recreating Lapland in the garden slipping away.

  ‘And definitely not those blue lights. I don’t know how anyone could think they’re even remotely Christmassy. They look more like the lights of a brothel.’

  She was tempted to ask how he’d know but stayed quiet, lest he decided they couldn’t have lights after all.

  ‘Oh, and no twinkly ones,’ he continued. ‘Those flashing lights give me a headache. I certainly don’t want to be sitting here watching the news with lights going on and off outside the window.’

  Scrooge had nothing on her husband-to-be. Christmas was stressful on so many levels but Holly loved it. She loved everything about it, which was why she wanted to get married at that time of year. And she wasn’t letting go of her dream. Mammy Wood thought she’d had the final word on the wedding but Holly wasn’t giving up on her snowy castle on a hill.

  Chapter 8

  Josh rubbed his eyes in an effort to stay awake. He was in the staffroom at work and had never felt more exhausted in his life. He’d taken a book so that he could sit in the corner and keep himself to himself. He wasn’t actually reading the book but by holding it up somewhere close to his face, people tended to leave him alone. It wasn’t that he didn’t like his colleagues – in fact they were great and he enjoyed their company – but today he needed peace. He glanced at his watch and was glad to see he still had twenty minutes left of break-time. The watch was old and battered and Stephanie was always telling him he should get a new one – something trendy like Michael Kors or Emporio Armani – but he wasn’t ready to part with this one just yet.