Once Upon a Winter: A totally perfect festive romantic comedy

by Tilly Tennant

  Hannah fixed more brandy, this time mixed with a generous measure of lemonade to make them last a while, and Jess headed out to help herself to a bottle of Belgian beer from the stock Hannah kept in the outhouse down the garden. She came back into the kitchen some moments later kicking snow from her boots. The day was already turning to dusk, and a blast of cold air roared in through the open back door.

  ‘It’s stopped snowing,’ Jess announced.

  ‘Bloody typical,’ Gina said. ‘We could have done with that a few hours ago when we were waiting for an ambulance to get through. I bet it’ll be melted tomorrow.’

  ‘I don’t think so…’ Hannah’s gaze went to the darkening skies outside the window. ‘It feels like it might freeze over rather than melt.’

  ‘Then the roads will be lovely and slippery to cause more havoc for Boxing Day.’

  ‘That’s not good.’

  ‘I suppose it just means we’ll have to sit around snuggled in our PJs all day and watch films with all those chocolates we’ve bought each other,’ Gina said cheerfully.

  ‘Sounds good to me.’ Hannah sipped her drink. ‘I wonder if Tom will have been reunited with his family by then.’

  ‘I expect so.’ Gina shot a glance at Jess, who returned it with a little shrug.

  ‘Still,’ Hannah continued, ‘I wonder if he’s okay.’

  Much later, when they had full bellies and were sitting together on the sofa like cats huddled in a barn, Hannah passed a tray of chocolates to Gina.

  ‘I know it’s hard to believe, but I think I have to give in.’ Gina pushed the box away. ‘I’ve eaten more chocolate today than I have the rest of the year put together.’

  ‘It’s Christmas; you have to do that,’ Hannah said. She reached for the remote control as the end credits of the festive edition of Coronation Street began to roll.

  ‘I told you someone was going to die,’ Jess said, stifling a yawn. ‘Someone always dies at Christmas.’ She reached across and plucked a coffee cream from the box on Hannah’s lap.

  ‘Nothing says peace and goodwill to all men quite like a lethal punch up,’ Hannah said.

  Gina rolled her eyes. ‘Gold star to Jess for guessing the utterly guessable.’

  Hannah popped the box onto the floor and stretched. ‘Another drink before we set up the movie?’

  ‘Tea,’ Gina said. ‘I hate to admit defeat on the booze too, but I could go for a lovely cup of tea.’

  Hannah uncurled herself from the corner of the sofa and padded through to the kitchen. It was there that her gaze fell upon the clothes she had hung out to dry on the radiator: Jason’s clothes, which had now, indelibly in her mind, become Tom’s clothes, or whoever he really was. Tom had got back into his own before he left. She wandered over and put her nose to the sweater. It smelt different; no longer the fading scent of her ex, but someone new. She inhaled again, and the smell was so comforting she was half tempted to pull the now dry sweater over her head and wear it for the rest of the evening. But then she imagined the look on Gina’s face and checked herself. Idiot. What the hell was the matter with her today?

  Gina appeared at the doorway and Hannah shoved the sweater back onto the radiator, feeling like a toddler caught with a freshly painted wall and a tub of crayons.

  ‘Want some help?’ Gina glanced at the sweater, and then back at Hannah. ‘With the tea, I mean.’

  Hannah waited a moment for the reprimand but none came. ‘I can manage,’ she said.

  ‘You know he’s probably married…’ Gina added, going over to take a closer look at the sweater herself. ‘Although I can understand why you’re interested.’

  ‘I’m not interested, just concerned.’

  ‘He is extremely attractive,’ Gina continued, ignoring Hannah’s denial. ‘I can’t blame you for hoping he’s not married.’ She shot Hannah a sly grin. ‘And he clearly fancied you too.’

  ‘No he didn’t.’ Hannah gave an awkward laugh. ‘He was just being a gentleman.’

  ‘More to you than Jess or me.’

  ‘It’s my house; that’s probably why. You have to be polite to your host, don’t you?’

  ‘Does that go for me and Jess then?’

  ‘No, you’re not guests, you’re family. So feel free to insult me as much as you like… oh wait… you already do…’

  ‘It’s no less than you deserve,’ Gina giggled.

  No sooner had the laughter died down than there was a faint knocking from the front of the house. Hannah looked at Gina in alarm. ‘Was that the front door?’ she whispered. Quite why she was whispering she couldn’t say. But given the day they’d had, Hannah figured they’d already had their fair share of strangers dropping from the sky.

  Jess came into the kitchen. ‘Someone just knocked. Want me to go and get it?’

  ‘No… I…’ Hannah began.

  ‘I’ll go,’ Gina cut in.

  Hannah reached for her arm to stop her. ‘I’d better go; it is my house after all. It’s probably just George anyway. Perhaps he forgot something, or he wants to get his car now that it’s stopped snowing.’

  ‘I hope not. He can’t possibly take it tonight,’ Gina said doubtfully.

  Hannah’s heart was thudding in her chest as she made her way through the house, Gina and Jess following. Why? Was it because, in some dark, deluded corner of her mind she thought it might be Tom, like in one of those romantic films where she’d open the door and he’d be standing there, proudly handsome and yet vulnerable, and he would tell her that he couldn’t stop thinking about her and how he might die if she didn’t marry him immediately? She’d begin to argue, and he’d hush her with a passionate kiss before sweeping her into his arms and carrying her off into the night while Gina and Jess whooped and clapped and cried tears of joy. Don’t be ridiculous, she told herself. It would be George, good old George, nice and safe. Things like that didn’t happen in real life – at least, not to people like her. But there was a strange sense of déjà vu as Jess reached for the soapstone elephant and, just like before, waited, ready to attack at the first sign of trouble. Hannah opened the door, her heart beating so fiercely she was certain everyone in the room must be able to hear it. Never had she been so nervous about answering a knock before and though she knew how utterly ridiculous it was, there wasn’t a thing she could do to stop it.

  And then the rush of adrenaline subsided and was replaced by a tidal wave of disappointment as she saw not Tom, not even George, but the snow-haired paramedic from earlier that day standing on the doorstep. He raised an eyebrow as he clocked all three women standing at the door looking as though they were expecting a medieval siege to begin.

  ‘Sorry if I disturbed you.’ He gave them an apologetic smile. ‘Only I wondered if you’d found a watch. I’ve lost mine, and I wouldn’t fuss ordinarily, but the missus gave it to me for our silver and she’ll skin me alive if I don’t find it. I was wondering if I’d left it here.’

  Hannah shook her head. ‘We haven’t found anything. But if you want to step in for a moment we can have a proper look around to make sure it’s not lying somewhere unnoticed.’

  ‘That would be great, thank you.’ He followed Hannah in.

  Jess closed the front door after him, before sliding the elephant figure back onto the sideboard as surreptitiously as she could.

  ‘I’ve been retracing my steps ever since my shift finished,’ he said.

  ‘Isn’t your wife wondering where you are?’ Gina asked.

  ‘I told her we’d had some tricky patients today and the paperwork was taking a bit longer.’

  ‘And she believed you?’

  ‘Probably not,’ he sighed.

  ‘Let’s just hope she doesn’t think you’re having an affair and you’ve gone to give your mistress her Christmas present,’ Gina said, the tone in her voice implying that she knew more than a little about that particular scenario.

  The paramedic seemed to pale in front of their eyes. ‘I hadn’t thought of that.’

  Han
nah stared very deliberately at her sister then turned to the paramedic. ‘I’m sure not everyone is as suspicious as that.’

  ‘Sure,’ Gina agreed, ‘only when they have good cause to be.’

  As he waited they went through the kitchen and sitting room, scouring for a glint of metal that would turn out to be the man’s watch. It was just another Christmas mercy mission on top of a list that kept getting longer and longer. But after twenty minutes they had to conclude that it wasn’t there.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Hannah said. ‘Do you have anywhere else to look?’

  ‘There was one more call after yours but I can’t go back there now because the police are still in attendance doing forensics and taking statements…’ He shrugged. ‘If it is there, maybe someone will pick it up and figure out it’s not part of the evidence. In a way I hope it’s not there, though; I’m not sure I’d want it back if it was.’

  Hannah couldn’t imagine what sort of incident it could have been and she didn’t want to know. If it made him feel that way it must have been traumatic. It seemed that not everyone was about peace and goodwill on Christmas Day, and perhaps the annual carnage that was the staple of the festive soap schedule wasn’t a million miles from the truth after all. She suddenly had the deepest respect for this man who must encounter all sorts of harrowing events in his day-to-day life and yet still managed to stay cheerful and good-natured.

  ‘Can I get you a drink?’ she asked.

  ‘Thank you, that’s kind, but I really should head home.’

  ‘What will you tell your wife about your watch?’

  ‘Perhaps she won’t notice tonight and I can have another look around tomorrow.’

  ‘Maybe you dropped it in the snow?’ Gina suggested. ‘When it melts we can take a look outside for you.’

  ‘I’d appreciate that. Here…’ He pulled his mobile phone from his pocket and began to scroll down a list. ‘I’ll give you my phone number in case it turns up. Is that okay?’

  ‘Of course.’ Hannah pulled an envelope from a pile on the shelf and turned it over to write his number on the back. ‘I’ll let you know if I find anything.’

  ‘Brilliant. Well, I’d better go home and face the music,’ he said.

  ‘Good luck,’ Gina smiled.

  As they saw him to the door, Hannah burned to ask him the question that she knew would draw a disapproving look from Gina. Eventually, she could stand it no longer. Gina could disapprove as much as she wanted, but she had to know.

  ‘The guy you took from here…’ she began.

  He turned on the front doorstep to face her. ‘The man with no name?’ He smiled. ‘I don’t think he was in accident and emergency for long. I think he was taken onto a ward not long after we left him.’

  ‘Do you know which ward?’

  ‘I couldn’t tell you. It’s likely one of the assessment units. They don’t stay long on those, though. After that I don’t know which one he’ll be moved to; it depends on what they decide is wrong with him, but I expect they’ll keep him overnight for observation in light of his injuries.’

  ‘His head wasn’t that bad, was it?’ Gina asked.

  ‘Not on the outside, but it’s not normal to forget who you are, is it?’ he said.

  ‘I suppose not,’ Gina replied.

  ‘So he didn’t manage to remember anything while you were with him?’ Hannah put in.

  ‘Not a dickie bird. I’d say he almost wanted to forget. It takes some doing to erase everything from your head so completely.’

  Hannah nodded. She was thoughtful for a moment. ‘We were going to phone tonight but do you think it’s worth me going to visit tomorrow?’

  The man gave a faint look of surprise. ‘You could, though I’m not quite sure how you’d find him in either case.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘You don’t know his name. If you don’t know his name how will you know who to ask for?’

  ‘And I suppose it might confuse him even more if we turn up, mightn’t it?’ Gina looked carefully at Hannah. ‘It might be wise to leave well alone.’

  ‘You’re probably right,’ the paramedic said. ‘Although I’m sure he’d appreciate a friendly face in his position. I know I would.’

  Hannah realised that she had probably got as much information as she was going to get tonight. She was sure he would help more if he could, but he probably wasn’t allowed to. After he had bid them a cheery farewell, Hannah closed the door with a sigh.

  Jess grinned as she looked from her to Gina and back again. ‘Weirdest. Christmas. Ever.’

  Hannah rolled over and glared at the clock by her bed. It was just past seven, but she’d already been awake for an hour, annoyed with herself that she couldn’t just go back to sleep. She’d had enough brandy the evening before to comfortably floor her – at least, it would have done on a normal night – but something was keeping her awake.

  There was no point lying in bed any longer, and knowing that a mountain of unwashed dishes festered in the sink downstairs because she’d been too tired and too drunk to care about them the night before, Hannah threw her legs over the side of the bed and into her slippers. So much for her usual lazy Boxing Day lie-in.

  Peering through a crack in the curtains, she inspected the weather as she tied her dressing gown. Yesterday’s snow still lay deep, the dents of their footsteps glistening on the path from the light of her garden lamp, and the lane was quiet and still under its muffling blanket. It was so peaceful Hannah realised she was actually quite glad she was up to see it after all. She started to think about transport. She didn’t fancy her chances of driving; the snow was still deep despite the fact that the sky looked clear and promised no more. On a normal day the snow ploughs would be out and, failing that, one of the neighbouring farmers would do the job with a tractor. But it was Boxing Day and who cared about ploughing snow today? She could safely assume that buses would have the same problem as her car – and it was a pretty scant service from here on a normal working day – and while there was a little station running the short train route less than a twenty-minute walk from her house, there was never a service on the day after Christmas. Gina would say she was crazy for wanting to get to Millrise today and there was no reason for her even to try. If Hannah tried to explain the reasons why she felt compelled to make the journey, Gina would say she was even crazier. Hannah couldn’t explain it, and it was crazy, but she needed to go all the same.

  It was at times like this when Hannah questioned the wisdom of wanting to live in the country. Letting the curtain fall back into place, she stretched, and decided to go and hunt for the posh hazelnut coffee she kept for special days. She would be drinking it alone for now, but she figured she deserved a little Christmas treat and a quiet hour by herself before Gina and Jess got up and made the place mad again.

  It was around ten when Gina finally emerged from her bedroom. ‘Wow…’ she said as she came into the kitchen where Hannah was sweeping the floor. ‘What time did you get up? It must have been early to get what we left out last night cleaned up.’

  ‘It wasn’t that bad really,’ Hannah lied as she leaned the brush up against a unit. ‘Do you want some breakfast?’

  Gina put a tentative hand to her head. ‘Maybe just a coffee for now. And a stomach pump if you have one; my body’s protesting my Christmas excesses.’

  Hannah laughed. ‘Sit down. Is Jess still asleep?’

  ‘She won’t be up yet. She sleeps in until midday on a normal weekend, so we probably won’t see her today at all.’

  Hannah nodded. Gina was probably more right about this than she knew. She had seen Jess down a lot more than the one bottle of beer Gina had allowed. Not that she was going to give the game away. ‘Let her sleep. She needs it at her age. I seem to recall you being just the same.’

  Gina took a seat at the table. ‘I would have been, except that you kept waking me when you got up at stupid o’clock.’

  ‘You were my big sister. That’s what little sister
s do.’

  ‘Little pain you mean.’

  ‘You should be happy I looked up to you and wanted to spend time with you.’

  ‘Now, maybe. Back then I wanted to strangle you.’

  ‘Was I that bad?’ Hannah asked, filling the kettle. Gina grinned.

  ‘I suppose you were okay. For a little pipsqueak.’ She propped her head up on a hand and leaned on the table. ‘So, what’s the plan for today?’

  Hannah shrugged. She tried to look casual. She had a plan, but Gina wasn’t going to like it. But then Gina didn’t have to come if she didn’t want to. There was nothing to stop her and Jess staying in the house while Hannah went alone; she wouldn’t be more than a few hours and they were perfectly capable of making themselves at home while she was gone. ‘It’s not snowing and it doesn’t look as if there was any more last night.’

  ‘That’s good. Not that I plan on going anywhere. I was thinking The Lord of the Rings, all three films back to back. That should keep us good until bedtime, and we can slot in our Christmas dinner somewhere in between.’

  ‘We could…’ Hannah began.

  ‘What?’ Gina looked up sharply. ‘I recognise that tone. You’re going to say something idiotic, aren’t you?’

  ‘I thought I might go out, get some air.’

  ‘A walk down the lane? It might kill me but we could try.’

  ‘A bit further than the lane. I was thinking Millrise.’

  ‘What for? There’s nothing to see there on normal days, let alone today.’

  ‘That’s harsh. I happen to think it’s quite a nice little town.’