by Lucy Coleman
Walking back into Beach View Cottage is like coming home. The sound of a Christmas tune filtering out into the garden as we walk up the path, lifts my spirits. It’s a little warmer today and there’s hardly a breeze.
I lean heavily on Nic as he escorts me inside, where Olwen, Max, Sally and Bella stand to welcome me back.
Olwen’s hands fly up to her face as she watches my every step, until Nic lowers me down onto the sofa. The wound that extends from the top of my right cheek up into my hairline is still covered with a dressing, but the shock on her face is clear to see. Sally and Bella, at least, knew what to expect. I know the scar will be a permanent reminder and all I can do is accept that I’m lucky to be alive.
‘It’s good to be back.’ I breathe a big sigh of relief, trying hard not to acknowledge my legs are still a little bit wobbly.
I look up and find myself staring into Max’s familiar, greyish-blue eyes. When I walked through the door one of the first things I noticed was the livid purple bruise on one side of his jaw. His wrist is in a sling, but he looks relaxed and surprisingly comfortable to be here with everyone.
‘How are you doing, Max?’
He kneels down next to me beside the sofa.
‘I’m good, lovely lady. I’m alive and it’s thanks to you and Nic. Burglaries sometimes go badly wrong and things spiral out of control. I heard that the two thieves were also in A&E that night.’
My eyes widen as I look across at him in surprise.
‘I think they got a little more than they bargained for and, hopefully, a little spell at Her Majesty’s pleasure in the not too-distant future. I would gladly have let them have the boat to save you and Nic what you’ve been through, Tia.’
His eyes flick over the dressing on my face and the rawness of the wounds on my bare hands. He shakes his head, muttering to himself.
I reach across and pat his good arm, gently.
‘I remember some of it quite clearly now. You launched yourself at my attacker, Max. I saw a shape out of the corner of my eye as someone lunged towards me. If you hadn’t stepped in at that precise moment—’
‘Someone was watching over us that night, of that I’m sure.’
He eases himself up into a standing position and gives me a brief nod. ‘I’d best give Olwen a hand; my good one.’ He gives a low, throaty laugh and walks off in the direction of the kitchen, where Olwen is busy organising hot drinks and sandwiches.
I sit here, surveying the scene and smile up at Bella as she presents me with a Christmas cookie. Nic is rather cautiously lowering himself down onto the sofa next to me.
‘Thank you, Bella, that’s lovely. I promise to try it in a moment.’
‘OK, Aunty Tia. Mum says we have to build you up, now. I’m not sure what she means, but if you don’t eat something I think she’s going to be a bit cross.’
Bella gives me a knowing look and I nod enthusiastically. ‘Of course. You can count on me.’
Nic’s mouth twitches as he watches Bella head back to the kitchen.
‘She’s cute,’ he says, turning towards me.
‘I know; and it’s lovely to be a part of their lives again. It’s my Christmas present to Mum. I’m relieved that what has happened hasn’t totally spoilt tonight’s little party and now we can get on with the holiday festivities.’
I can see a flicker of something in Nic’s eyes.
‘This cottage has seen its share of sadness and now it’s time to put that firmly in the past with everything else.’
My heart starts to beat quickly.
‘The Notebook, it was your sister Georgina’s, wasn’t it?’
Nic angles his head to one side, so he can look directly at me.
‘Yes. I bought it for her when she came back here for that last few months. It was her favourite book of all time. The well–loved copy Georgina owned was falling apart. I found this one in a little bookshop in Swansea. She was a true romantic, ruled by her heart. I gave the TV away shortly after she died. We’d spent hours together watching films, laughing and crying. It was a reminder of her that I didn’t need. But she would have loved seeing the cottage come to life like this. It was made for a family.’
I think of the inscription on the last page … I know you are crying, you always do. I’m here to hold your hand and wipe away your tears. Always.
‘When you are up to it, there are a stack of cards and presents for you on the dresser in the kitchen, from some of the people in the village. And you have three bouquets of flowers. You seem to be very popular; no one bought me or Max flowers.’ His look is full of warmth and happiness.
‘I thought I could smell lilies, as soon as I walked through the door.’
Olwen approaches with two steaming mugs on a tray.
‘And we don’t have to worry about the party food tonight. Several people are spending the afternoon in the big kitchen up at the farm and it will be delivered to the door.’
‘Oh, Olwen, that’s so very kind.’
‘Folk are appalled by what has happened. Everyone is sending you their best regards, Tia. You didn’t stop to think of yourself and it takes one brave lady to do that. Poor Max, it could have been a whole different story. And as for you,’ she nods her head at Nic. ‘A wooden stick is no match for a heavy crow bar. But you did well and your dad is so proud of you.’
I can’t even chance a look in Nic’s direction, until after Olwen walks away. Those words will have meant something to him.
He shifts position and he winces, a painful groan reminding him he still needs to take it easy.
‘Are you really up to this party tonight, Tia?’
‘Of course. I’m not going to let two low-life thieves spoil my Christmas plans. Bring it on!’
37
Let’s Make it Happen, Guys
The entire afternoon is a flurry of activity with Olwen assigning everyone tasks. Will and Max return with two large sacks of holly, mistletoe and ivy after a forage in the woods. Olwen indicates for them to place the sacks at Nic’s side. He’s still sitting next to me on the sofa, nursing those bruised ribs. She disappears for a moment and returns with two trays, some pruning shears and a reel of twine.
‘Right guys, I have an important task for you. Nic, if you can trim some of the greenery into manageable pieces so that Tia can tie them into little bunches, that would be great. I’m not very artistic, so I’ll leave the two of you to work it out. We need a few pieces for the buffet and drinks tables, then something clever for in here.’
We’re left trying to puzzle out how we’re going to make this happen.
‘Do you have any wire, Nic? I have an idea but it won’t work with twine.’
He nods, edging himself forward and groaning a little as he stands. I watch him as he disappears out of view. With everyone busy doing something or other, and the strains of Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You filling my ears, it’s almost surreal. To see my family and some very special friends, who have quickly earned a place in my heart, pulling together to make this party happen, is touching. In my line of vision through to the kitchen I can see Bella and Max working together to slide a white tablecloth in place. Her eyes are shining as she looks at him and fusses to make sure the overhang on the table is equal on all sides. He’s watching her now, a bemused look on his face. She gives him a thumbs-up as her seal of approval and they head off out of view.
‘Will this do? It isn’t florist’s wire, but it’s strong and flexible.’ Nic hands me a large reel.
I nod. ‘Perfect, thank you.’
He eases himself back down onto the seat next to me and begins to pull out a handful of cuttings from one of the sacks on the floor next to him.
‘OK. Tell me what you need me to do.’
‘Keep any long lengths of ivy and we’ll wire them together to make a garland from which to hang smaller bunches of greenery. To begin with, anything smaller I’ll need you to trim into lengths of about nine inches, I think. Keep them coming and don’t forget to
watch out for the holly.’
It’s too late and he winces, immediately pulling back his hand. But within a minute or two he’s beginning to fill my tray with cuttings and I can start gathering handfuls to neatly tie together with the twine.
‘That looks rather good.’ He sounds impressed.
‘Nature doesn’t need anything to enhance it. But it’s the smell; isn’t it lovely?’
Nic produces a small cutting from a fir tree. ‘I won’t chop this up as I think you’ll be able to do something different with it. Maybe for the centre of the table?’
The background music has changed and the strains of Santa Claus is Coming to Town filter out into the sitting room. Bella walks towards us singing and to my surprise, Nic joins in. It’s a lovely moment and I watch them both, enthralled.
When the last chord is struck, Bella disappears and comes back with a large plastic tub. She begins layering in the small bunches of greenery that are now threatening to topple from my tray. The three of us continue to work as a team and in between we singalong with songs old and new.
Max suddenly appears in the doorway.
‘Anyone for eggnog if I make some?’
I’m transported back a year and think of Mum, sitting in Starbucks and sipping her Eggnog Latte. She would have loved being here today; I hope you are watching Mum, because it doesn’t get much better than this, does it?
I catch sight of Will and Sally stealing a quick kiss as they pass each other in the kitchen. Will is ferrying in bottles of wine and beer after a trip to the local off licence. Sally is opening packs of paper plates, having folded a mountain of napkins.
In the background, Olwen is like a mother hen, fussing around and making sure everyone has what they need for their allotted tasks. Then she turns her attention to assist Max in the serious business of making the eggnog.
I truly believe that the spirit of Christmas is embodied in this room, today. It’s not about the gifts, or the amount of money you have to lavish on the occasion. It’s about the desire to make it special for other people and in doing so, it makes it special for you, too.
38
It’s People Who Make the Magic Happen
Will coughs and all heads turn in his direction. There are nineteen of us packed into the two rooms and it’s… cosy. But it’s touching to see Mike and some of the people from the farm who helped with the buffet. I’m sure they already had plans of their own, so this means a lot to me.
‘Normally it’s the host who proposes a toast, but I think Tia will forgive me, on this occasion, for butting in to do the honours. Tonight, I’d like to ask you all to join me in raising your glasses to wish my lovely sister, Tia, Nic and Max, a speedy recovery. Sometimes it takes a near-tragedy to make us all remember to count our blessings.’
Will pauses for a moment to gather his thoughts and heads nod, vigorously.
‘Merry Christmas everyone and a huge thank you on behalf of Tia, my wife Sally, my daughter Bella and myself, for the way everyone has rallied around us during the last couple of days. We have all been touched by your kindness and generosity. And Olwen, well, you haven’t stopped since we arrived and you’ve looked after us all as if we were family. Here’s to friends and family, old and new.’
The room erupts and I’m the one who is feeling blessed tonight. As the general hub–hub dies down, Will begins speaking once more.
‘Bella has a little surprise for Aunty Tia. Bella, would you like to take centre stage?’
She’s not yet seven and tonight she looks like a little princess in a soft cream–coloured sweater dress, with hand–beaded pearly–white snowflakes cascading over one shoulder. I can see she’s nervous as she looks first at Sally and then at Will, before turning to face me. And then she begins to sing.
Silent night
Holy night
All is calm, all is bright …
Everyone is transfixed as Bella’s beautifully clear, sweet little voice fills the room. Nic rests his hand gently on mine as we stare in amazement at the little angel standing in front of us. I look around and I can’t see one single eye that isn’t glistening.
Everything happens for a reason. As my emotions threaten to overwhelm me, I realise that Mum’s passing is the reason why Will, Sally and Bella are here with me, tonight. As horrible as it feels to acknowledge that, I know it’s a fact. I had every intention of whisking her away to some exciting destination in an attempt to fill our Christmas void. But the underlying sadness would still have been there because family is everything.
Will and Sally are standing there watching Bella with obvious pride in their eyes, but they are also genuinely overjoyed to be here. I’m sure Sally’s parents will be missing them this Christmas, but they gave up what was their normal Christmas tradition, in order to keep me company. My brother and his family put me first and that says more than words can express.
To know that Bella is singing this song for me because she hopes it will make me feel better, is the only gift I want this Christmas. It means that we are a real family again. We all make mistakes and sometimes, in the process, hearts can be broken. I’ve learnt to forgive Will because I’ve seen how bitterly he regrets what happened. And, in turn, he has forgiven me for my harsh judgement of him. He simply couldn’t let go of our father’s memory and wasn’t able to acknowledge the fact that life has to go on, no matter how much it hurts.
The smiling faces around me give me hope and make me feel like a woman who has been blessed. Even when bad things happen, if you have friends and family around you then you can overcome anything.
*
With the benefit of a little hot food and some wonderful company I can feel myself perking up. The liveliness inside the cottage is a tonic and as I’m chatting to Tom, laughing about the night of the barn dance, Nic suddenly appears. He’s holding my coat in his hands.
‘Sorry to butt in on you, Tom, but I know you’ll forgive me. There’s something I want Tia to see. We’ll be back in a few moments.’
Tom offers me his arm so I can stand and Nic helps me on with my coat. In the background Olwen’s daughter, Rhona, and Bella, are dancing to the strains of Slade’s Merry Christmas Everybody.
I look at Nic and he leans towards me so our foreheads are touching. ‘Come on, let’s grab a little fresh air.’
Opening the door, he pauses to zip up his own coat and I step ahead of him, over the threshold. As I survey the crisp white scene before me, my breath is literally taken away. Well over an inch of snow has already fallen and the sky is heavy with thick, white flakes, that almost don’t look real. Pulling the door closed, he sidles up next to me.
‘I know, it’s unbelievable, right? Christmas Eve at Holly Cove and it’s snowing. How often does that happen? Guess there is a little magic in the air, after all.’
He takes my arm in his and we walk steadily towards the front gate.
‘I’ve never seen snow on sand before,’ I comment, thinking how surreal it looks.
Snowflakes descend upon us in increasing numbers, but we hardly notice as we make our way down the beach. Although it’s late, the eerie grey light from the sky makes it feel much earlier.
Nic gives my arm a gentle squeeze.
‘We both tried so hard not to fall in love, Tia, didn’t we? What has become very clear to me is that love isn’t something you can control, is it? It grabs you by the heart and fills your head with impossible dreams. Yes, it’s scary and it takes a brave person to make that leap of faith. But life is about taking risks, if you want to live it to the full.’
‘Olwen said, “When love comes knocking you have to open the door, or you’ll never know if it was the chance to grab that happy ending” and she was right, Nic. There are no guarantees but if we don’t try, we’ll never know.’
His eyes quiz mine and I can see a vein pulsing on the side of his temple. His heart is racing and it’s for all the right reasons.
‘But how is this ever going to work, as our worlds are so far apart? The though
t of going back to London after what happened… it’s not a good place for me, Tia. And yet, I can’t hold you back – I love you too much to do that to you. However, I’ve seen how long-distance relationships fall apart when two people are forced to have separate lives, outside of the one they share together.’
‘Loving someone means making sacrifices and believing in your heart that it’s worth it, Nic.’ My eyes seek out his and I can see his dilemma is over.
‘I’m not going to be the same man going back, so why should I fear that I’m going to succumb to old ways rather than embracing my new direction? I know you’ll support me in everything I do, Tia, and that’s the difference. I want to prove to you I can do this. The future is going to be what we make it. I’m still reeling over the fact that my mother is the one who brought us together. Does that mean she really does have a heart beneath that cool exterior of hers?’
I smile and I can see by the look in his eyes that it has touched him.
‘Will you talk to her about it?’
He eases his head back, stretching his neck and looking up at the sky while he considers my question.
‘She saw in you the very thing that I needed to make me feel complete. That takes a lot of soul searching for a woman who is ruled by her head and not her heart. I doubt she will ever change but she’s given me the one thing I need to make my life meaningful again and that’s you. I intend to let her know that and then it’s up to her what happens next.’
My eyes begin to mist over, although I refuse to give in to the tears.
‘I’m glad, as this must have been a journey into the unknown for her with no guarantees it would work out as she had planned. It was certainly unexpected and now here we are!
‘But you are an idiot at times, Nic. This is where we are meant to be and I wouldn’t dream of dragging you away. Not least because Georgina’s memories are here and that grounds you. I’ve had the satisfaction of knowing I’m good enough to do the job, but you never asked me whether it was what I wanted. Maybe a few weeks ago, given our misunderstanding, I would have answered yes to that question. Now I know that I would have been fooling myself. What I want more than anything is to be with you. Just because I work from an office in a little cottage on the beach, doesn’t mean my journalistic skills won’t be in demand. Besides, in between doing my research, and writing, I think you’re going to be in need of an assistant. I did a pretty good job of holding your camera bags and handling those precious lenses. I’m a woman of many talents.’