Guess Who's Coming to Christmas Dinner

by Laura Lockington

  The shop slowly came to life, with customers shuffling through with a variety of footwear on to combat the snow. A woman with green hunters and a barber jacket sniffed disdainfully and told Sophie that she thought it was a ‘lot of hooha over a few inches of snow and that Switzerland managed very well, and look at their trains’. A man with soggy trainers answered with, ‘yes, and look at the amount of money they spend on their infrastructure!’ Another woman wearing shaggy moon boots and a bobble hat countered with, ‘The reason that there are no trains is that the drivers don’t live near the stations any more, not since British Rail was sold off.’ Maria and Sophie glanced at one another, and for a moment it looked as if there was going to be a rather heated discussion going on. Sophie had always wanted to cram a little table at the side of the shop and serve coffee, but Maria had insisted that the shop was too small – but this would have been the perfect time for it. Sophie took out a few little cups and poured some coffee and offered it around to the customers. There were oohs and ahhs of appreciation and the conversation all took a turn for the better. In fact, the woman with the green hunters went so far as to insist on paying for the coffee for all of them and wished them all a very happy Christmas before she left.

  “That was such a good idea, Sophie,” Maria said thoughtfully, eyeing up the space at the side of the shop where Sophie had suggested some time ago that a table should be. “Maybe after Christmas.... what do you think?”

  “Definitely, why not? Let’s try it, shall we?” Sophie said, clearing the cups away.

  The next person through the door was Susi. She had an enormous rucksack on her back and was kitted out in a neon yellow ski suit; she stamped her feet to get the snow off.

  “Hi Maria, hi Sophie...oh my god...I had to walk here! Can you imagine! It took forever.... no trains, no buses, not a cab for love nor money.....It’s like the end of the world....well, the end of my world,” she giggled, pulling off her fake white fur hat, and shaking her hair loose. Snowflakes flew off her hat. Maria gave a polite smile, and disappeared into the back room. Sophie knew that Maria wasn’t very keen on Susi, but she never knew why. Perhaps it was just a bit of a clash of personalities.

  “Now come on...give...I’m dying to know! How do you know that Laurie’s not gay? Tell all...” Susi whispered dramatically, picking up a foil covered chocolate insect and unwrapping it, popping it into her mouth. Sophie sighed, and made a mental note that she now owed for two of the chocolates.

  “Oh you know, I, umm, we, I just know....that’s all,” Sophie said weakly. Knowing that Susi wouldn’t be able to let the matter go. She was right. Susi narrowed her eyes at her.

  “Now come on, you can do better than that... you sent me that text last night and then there was one this morning saying that Bella was coming home early, and now...well, now you don’t look very happy considering that the beloved daughter is due home early....no...no, you didn’t! Not with Laurie?!” Her friend put her hands to her chest and stared at Sophie.

  Sophie thought quickly. “Well, if you must know...we kissed. Yes, and before you ask anything else, yes, tongues... and it was very nice and that was all and then he went home and he did say that Bella and I could come and visit him in LA....but really, that was it.”

  Susi’s eyes widened. “Yeah, you said about the vampire film...that’s amazing! Who knew that Laurie was going to be a star? We should go....I have a client in BA, I’m sure I could wangle us some cheap tickets....wouldn’t that be great?” Sophie blinked. No, she thought...no. You don’t understand at all. It wasn’t just a holiday and you weren’t invited. But then she shoved the thought away, Susi was just being Susi, and it was very kind of her to offer some cheap tickets.

  “Umm, yes, I guess...look, Susi, if you really want to help, could you do me a favour and walk down to the butchers and collect my turkey?

  “I’ve just got here!” wailed Susi, reluctantly pulling her hat back on. “But yes, I guess so, and I’d better stock up on booze, too...we could be snowed in for days!”

  Chapter Eight

  By mid-afternoon, it was dark, and the customers had dwindled to a trickle. Sophie gave Susi her keys and packed her off home, much to Susi’s annoyance, as she was desperate to use the wickedly lethal slicing machine that they used to cut paper thin slices of rosy hams. Sophie knew her friend was a little accident prone, and Maria had looked horrified at the suggestion, so Susi had to make do with cutting some ripe brie instead. Sophie checked her phone, and Maria smiled.

  “Still nothing from Archie? Don’t worry, he and Bella are probably stuck in traffic...look at it out there! Come on, let’s pack up. It’s pointless staying open any longer. Let’s get home, shall we?” Sophie nodded and helped Maria with the cleaning and shunting of food to the big fridge at the back of the shop. Closing up was usually a long process, but they both hurried and got it done as quickly as possible. The two women couldn’t wait to get home. Sophie had a knot in her stomach, and she didn’t know what was worse, worrying about Bella being stuck in a snowdrift somewhere with a sobbing Archie, or the nagging feeling that she hadn’t behaved very well with Laurie. But what else could she have done? Her husband and her daughter were coming home, and Laurie of all people would understand that. Wouldn’t he? Sophie pushed the thought away and tucked her hair inside her hat, ready to set out on the snowy high street. It had stopped snowing – just. But the temperature had dropped and everything was icing over. Even the roads had a pale grey shine on them, with packed layers of ice forming on top of the snow creating a deadly trap for motorists and pedestrians alike.

  Maria and Sophie gingerly walked out onto the pavement, laden down with goodies from the shop. With all their winter coats and scarves they looked like two penguins on the ice carrying precious food home in the shape of bulging carrier bags to their young. Maria slipped and grabbed Sophie’s arm, “Oh god....it’s treacherous....we need those ski boots!” Maria shrieked, laughingly managing to regain her balance. Sophie nodded, concentrating where she was walking. She hated the ice. The sensation of slipping and skidding was just plain scary as far as she was concerned. Why people paid to do this on a skiing holiday was beyond her. She tottered to the end of the high street, banging carrier bags with Maria and grabbing the occasional wall or shop window for support. The areas outside some of the shops had been diligently cleared and in some cases even sanded, but others hadn’t. It was hard work. When they got to the top of Salisbury Road, Maria kissed her on the cheek and waved away her offer of coming back for a glass of wine or a coffee.

  “No, no, I’ve got to get back, but we’ll see you tomorrow at the party, even if we have to ski here!” Maria called out.

  Sophie didn’t have a free hand to wave, but started to slip and slide down her road. It was very dark and the street lights cast an orange glow on the snow and ice. It was much more icy than on the high street and Sophie was taking timid steps, determined not to fall over. Her breath was puffing out in front of her in clouds, and her fingers were numb with the cold. The handles of the carrier bags were cutting into her hands. As she reached her flat, she glanced across the road to see if there were lights on in Laurie’s place, but all was dark. It seemed that the blank windows stared reproachfully at her. There was a slight sense of relief that it was dark, if she were truthful, otherwise she would have had to slip and slide her way across the road to knock on his door. She owed him that much, at least. And she did so hope that they could be friends. Bella would be devastated if she could no longer see Laurie. She rang her doorbell and waited for Susi to let her in.

  The door opened and a waft of welcome warmth swept over Sophie, then she immediately thought of her heating bill and made a mental note to turn the thermostat down. Susi was barefooted and wearing a sleeveless tee shirt and a pair of tight jeans. No wonder the heating was on full blast! Music pumped round her flat and every light was blazing away.

  “Oh, get in quickly, you must be frozen! Here, I’ve made us a jug of Winter Twinkles to try out for
tomorrow...” Susi said, grabbing her bags from her and warming her hands between her own. “Oh....Sophie! You’re freezing! How was the shop? Busy?”

  “Yeah, I mean, no, not really....the weather has put people off. I’m having tea. Thanks, but no twinkles for me tonight...any phone calls?” Sophie said, her eyes darting round her usually well-ordered flat. Susi’s jacket and boots were on the floor of the hallway, and her rucksack that was spilling over with clothes was propped up against the door of Bella’s room. Oh dear. She was going to have to break it to Susi that she was going to have to sleep on the sofa. Her heart gave sudden lurch. Archie! Where was Archie going to sleep? Or where was he expecting to sleep? Not with her, surely? He couldn’t expect everything just to be as it was, could he? Susi was chattering away but Sophie’s mind was whirling around the soupy depths of her relationship with Archie. Of course she everything back to how it was, how it was before the rows, the sulks, before Bertha, when she and Bella had been the apple of his eye, when all he wanted to was to spend time with them. But that was over and had been for a year or more. So now what?

  Sophie unravelled her scarf and hooked it over the hat stand. She automatically bent down to pick up Susi’s coat and scarf and tucked her boots away as well.

  “Oh, sorry!” Susi carolled, “I haven’t unpacked yet! I’ve been busy! Look...” She dragged Sophie into her own living room. “Ta da!” she said proudly, “all ready for the party!”

  Sophie blinked. The normally discreet living room in shades of cream and silvery grey was gone. Scarlet tinsel was draped over the mirror, the pictures, and the lights. An enormous bunch of mistletoe was dangling from the cream and grey chandelier. Sheets of red foil were pinned in glittering sheets from the picture rail that shimmered and moved in the unaccustomed heat of the room. The Christmas cards had been removed from the mantelpiece and had been replaced with a gigantic gold and red Santa which had what looked like a Hawaiian girl in a raffia skirt sitting on his lap. The furniture was pushed to the walls, and the rug had disappeared. The coffee table was covered in a red plastic tablecloth and had rows of glasses laid out on it.

  “Bloody hell...” Sophie said faintly, sitting down abruptly on the edge of a sofa. “You have been busy.” Susi beamed at her.

  “Oh I am soooo glad you love it! It really does make you feel all Christmassy doesn’t it? And think of the fun we’ll have tomorrow night!”

  Sophie just sat there, not having the heart or the energy, if she were truthful to contradict her friend. Susi had obviously worked hard; it was just so, so not what Sophie would have done. And, with the weather as appalling as it was, Sophie doubted that more than a handful of people would turn up. And then, this wasn’t the sort of atmosphere that Sophie wanted Bella to walk into. Or Archie, really. She sighed. Where the hell was Archie anyway? Sophie pulled out her phone and was about to call him when the doorbell went. Susi’s hands flew to her hair, smoothing it back and curling it behind her ears and glanced at Sophie.

  “Don’t worry, it’s probably just Archie and Bella, at least I hope so,” Sophie said, running to the door. Sophie’s heart constricted as she saw her daughter hopping from one foot to another at the doorway. She gathered her daughter in her arms, and buried her face in her neck. Nothing else mattered. Sophie breathed in the smell of her daughter and squeezed her so tightly that Bella gave a yelp.

  “Mummy! Not so tight!” Bella said, planting kisses all over Sophie’s face.

  Sophie shifted Bella to her hip, realising that she wouldn’t be able to do that for very long. Every time Bella went away it seemed she grew at an alarming pace. Bella’s arms were tightly wound around her neck, and Sophie glanced over her daughters dark curls to see Archie trudging through the snow and ice to the doorway. His shoulders were hunched and he was carrying a holdall and what looked like a cat basket. He raised his eyes to Sophie, and then immediately looked down at the ground. Susi pushed past her, ruffling Bella’s hair on the way. “Hi Bella! Good to have you back...Archie, hi! Come in quickly you two, you must be frozen!” Susi carolled, taking the bag from Archie and ushering him in.

  “Mummy, mummy, look, we bought Max with us, he’s cold too...” Bella said squirming out of her mother’s embrace, and running to the cat basket which Archie had plunked down on the floor. Sophie glanced down at her daughter who was crouched over the cat basket making crooning noises. She could see and black and white face with cool green eyes staring out. The poor animal must be very confused, thought Sophie, knowing how much cats generally disliked travel. He probably thinks he’s going to the vets.

  There was an awkward shuffling taking place in the hallway as Archie took his coat off and Bella danced around them all, chattering away. Archie had yet to look anyone in the eyes, but as he unwound his scarf he said, “Hell of a journey. Took forever... the roads are terrible.” His voice was flat and he stared around him as if he had never been there before. His eyes travelled over the print that he and Sophie had chosen together of Brighton Pier swarming with starlings on one of their jaunts to the seaside years ago. It caught his gaze, and Sophie wondered if he was remembering that weekend that they had spent holed up in a little boutique hotel in a regency square where they had only ventured out to go to fish restaurants in The Lanes, and antique shopping before returning to the hotel to spend hours and hours in bed. Sophie sighed. It had been a wonderful weekend and they had sworn to go back there, but they never had.

  “Can I let Max out Mummy?” Bella asked eagerly, already fiddling with the catch on the basket.

  “I suppose so, darling” Sophie said, hoping that Archie had at least bought cat food and cat litter with him. Max stepped out of the basket with a haughty air, and promptly threw up on the floor.

  Chapter Nine

  In a way Sophie was glad that Susi was there. She helped dispel the awkwardness of the whole situation, she ran around pouring Archie a drink, chattering to Bella and making a fuss of Max, who had retreated to a cushion in the corner of the living room.

  “Isn’t this fun?” Susi said to Bella as she darted around the flat, showing off the decorations in the living room to Bella.

  “Did you and mummy do it all for me?” she asked, staring at the scarlet tinsel and the Santa.

  “Yes, darling, of course we did!” Sophie said quickly, forestalling Susi’s answer. “And for the party that we’re having here tomorrow night…”

  “Party?” Archie said, looking up from his scotch that Susi had poured him. “Just what I need....”

  “Ignore daddy, he’s being a right old sour puss, isn’t he,” Susi said, narrowing her eyes at Archie and flicking her hair with the back of her hand. Sophie glanced at Archie to see how he would take this teasing from Susi. He sat, slumped in the corner of the sofa, sipping his drink, looking blankly at the two women sitting opposite him. Bella was still chattering away and trying to coax Max off his cushion onto the centre of the room, where she was playing with some tinsel.

  “Are you hungry Bella?” Sophie asked, her eyes following Bella’s every movement. She drank in her presence like a cold glass of water after a hot afternoons gardening. Bella’s dark curly hair and joyful smile filled her heart till she felt it might burst. Her navy woollen tights were bagging at the knees and her pale brown corduroy pinafore dress had a food stain on the front. “Oh yes. Starving. We didn’t have breakfast, did we daddy? Daddy said that we had to leave and he didn’t know where the bread was so we got a chocolate bar and then we were going to stop on the motorway but it was all closed and then the snow came more and more and then Max made a noise and we didn’t stop even when I saw a cafe that was open…”

  Sophie stood up quickly.

  “How about your favourite then? Pesto pasta?”

  “With the poo poo cheese??” Bella asked, running to the kitchen

  “Yes, darling, with parmesan,” Sophie said, following her daughter out of the room, trying not to throw accusing glances at Archie, who seemed oblivious to this exchange. Sophie clattered
around the kitchen, boiling water for pasta, and settling Bella down to ‘helping’ grate the cheese.

  “Max is lovely isn’t he mummy, can we keep him? Can we? He didn’t mean to be sick... I think he’s hungry too...Daddy didn’t feed him, we didn’t have tea or anything yesterday and then I got some chocolates from the cupboard and they were horrible, they had all stuff inside them and daddy got very cross and said that they weren’t for naughty girls but I’m not naughty, am I Mummy? Mummy? Are you crying?” Bella said, stopping her chatter and looking at Sophie with round eyes.

  “No, darling, of course I’m not! How could I be? I’m so happy to have you home.” Sophie swooped down on her daughter, covering the back of her neck with kisses.

  Sophie tipped the pasta into the boiling water and started to get the blue and white plates down from the dresser, adding Bella’s favourite, a much loved Beatrix Potter plate complete with Peter Rabbit chasing around the rim. The steam in the kitchen emphasised just how warm it was in there, and Sophie went to the hallway to turn down the thermostat. Susi would just have to put a jumper on like the rest of us, she thought. She glanced into the living room on her way back to the kitchen and saw that Archie was still slumped in the sofa with his head in his hands. Susi was sitting beside him with an arm thrown over his shoulders and seemed to be talking quietly to him. Sophie hesitated in the doorway, and then said, as brightly as she could, “Everyone ready for some pasta?”