‘Look, Mum, Dad – I really don’t care what you want to call it, okay? All I care about is that it doesn’t happen again, anywhere near me, or Saul. If you want to have a slanging match, or punch each other in the face, or kill each other with a million paper cuts, that’s your business. It’s not mine, and I’m not going to let you make it mine.’
They’re both silent for a while, and then Mum replies: ‘But Katie, don’t you want us to sort it out? Don’t you want us to get back together?’
I look at her – at the sad eyes, and the new flower-power vibe, and the face that only seems to come alive when she’s angry – and wonder what the answer to that is. Do I want them to get back together? In all honesty, no. I think they’ve been making each other miserable for way too long, and they should probably go their separate ways and find whatever pleasure and fulfilment they can in life while they’re both still young enough and healthy enough to do it.
I don’t say that, though – because that’s not my place. Marriage counselling is not part of the job description of ‘daughter’, or at least it shouldn’t be.
‘I don’t know, Mum. I can’t say what you should do, or how you should do it. I can’t live your lives for you. All I can say is this: keep it away from me, and Saul. I will not – ever again – put up with your drama. If it means not seeing you, then so be it. I hope it doesn’t, because I love you both very much – but I’ve had enough. From now on, I’m concentrating on my own life. I’d suggest you do the same with yours.’
Dad nods, and looks sad but resigned. Mum bites her lip, and I can see her fighting the urge to answer back. She can’t agree with me, but at least she’s not arguing – which I suppose is a step in the right direction.
Before she can take a step in the wrong direction, I stand up.
‘Right. I’ve said my piece. Now I’m going to spend some time with my friends, and my son, and enjoy my day. Happy Christmas.’
I walk away from their table, and into the crowd of people. I walk through the laughter and the chatter and the exuberance of a room full of my friends. I give Cherie an unrequested hug as I pass, which leaves her speechless. I tell Edie how fantastic she looks. I find the box of whistle pops, and I give them all to Auburn. I see Laura, reading an astronaut book to Saul on her lap, and give them both a peck on the cheek.
I walk all the way to Van, who is drinking a bottle of Joe’s cider and chatting to Frank.
I take the cider bottle out of his hand, and I kiss him – properly. He looks down at me afterwards, both confused and delighted.
‘What was that for?’ he asks, laughing. ‘Not that I’m complaining.’
‘That was a thank you,’ I reply, ‘for the best Christmas ever.’
I’m aware that I’ve caused quite a stir, and hear Cherie whooping and cheering in the background, and Edie cackling, and Auburn blowing relentlessly on her whistle pop. Then, in a voice I’m biologically programmed to recognise over any other noise, I hear Saul.
‘Mummy,’ he says, sounding happy. ‘Are Van’s lips cold?’
‘Yes, love,’ I reply, as Van slips his arm around my shoulders and pulls me closer. ‘That’s exactly it.’
If you enjoyed A Gift at the Comfort Food Café, you might enjoy these other books from Debbie Johnson…
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About the Author
Debbie Johnson is an award-winning author who lives and works in Liverpool, where she divides her time between writing, caring for a small tribe of children and animals, and not doing the housework. She writes romance, fantasy and crime, which is as confusing as it sounds!
Her best-selling books for HarperCollins include The Birthday That Changed Everything, Summer at the Comfort Food Café, Christmas at the Comfort Food Café, Cold Feet at Christmas, Pippa’s Cornish Dream and Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Jumper.
You can find her supernatural crime thriller, Fear No Evil, featuring Liverpool PI Jayne McCartney, on Amazon, published by Avon Books.
Debbie also writes urban fantasy, set in modern day Liverpool. Dark Vision and the follow-up Dark Touch are published by Del Rey UK, and earned her the title ‘a Liverpudlian Charlaine Harris’ from the Guardian.
@debbiemjohnson
www.facebook.com/debbiejohnsonauthor
www.debbiejohnsonauthor.com
Also by Debbie Johnson
Cold Feet at Christmas
Pippa’s Cornish Dream
Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Jumper
The Birthday That Changed Everything
Summer at the Comfort Food Café
Christmas at the Comfort Food Café
The A-Z of Everything
Coming Home to the Comfort Food Café
Sunshine at the Comfort Food Café
About HarperImpulse
HarperImpulse is an innovative, award-winning digital imprint. In the five years since launch, we have continually hit digital bestseller lists, hosted the UK’s first online romance festival, published into over ten countries and grown an exciting stable of commercial women’s fiction authors.
Readers, come and say hi to the team and your next read…
www.facebook.com/HarperImpulse
@HarperImpulse
www.instagram.com/harperimpulse
www.harperimpulseromance.com
Writers, our vision is to publish the very best in digital-first commercial women’s fiction and we are simply looking for good stories! So, what are you waiting for? To submit, e-mail us at [email protected].
About the Publisher
Australia
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HarperCollins Canada
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United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
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http://www.harpercollins.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
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http://www.harpercollins.com
A Gift from the Comfort Food Café Page 29