by Karen King
‘Dad!’ Meg gave him a big hug. ‘I didn’t know you were coming!’
‘Well you told me to talk to your mum so here I am.’ He stepped inside and walked into the lounge before she could warn her mum, who was cheering, a snowman dangling from her hook, and half-turned towards Rory, who was laughing too.
Sally spun around at the sound of Ted’s voice, the surprise evident on her face. ‘Ted! What are you doing here?’
‘I came to see if I could talk some sense into you. What are you doing and who’s he?’ Ted demanded.
‘This is Rory and his sister Rose, Dad. We’re helping them with the Christmas Fayre tomorrow, and this is Leo and Sam. Leo is Rose’s son and he lives next door,’ Meg explained quickly.
‘Well, you all look very friendly, I must say,’ her father remarked, disapproval and suspicion evident on his face.
There was an awkward silence in the room.
‘I think we’d better leave you to it,’ Rose said.
Rory nodded. ‘We’ll see you tomorrow at the Fayre.’
‘We need to go too.’ Leo and Sam started packing the games away.
‘Let me just say goodbye to our guests and we’ll go into the kitchen to talk, Ted,’ Mum said calmly.
‘I’ll go through and put the kettle on, shall I?’ Dad put his holdall on the floor by the sofa and marched into the kitchen.
‘Awkward. Sorry,’ Mum mouthed at Rose. ‘I had no idea he was coming.’
‘No problem. He probably wants you both to make up so you can spend Christmas together, and who can blame him?’ Rose said sympathetically. ‘Let us know if you can’t manage to help out at the Fayre tomorrow; it’s no problem at all,’ she whispered, giving Mum a reassuring hug.
‘I will be helping out at the Fayre,’ Sally said determinedly.
‘I’ll go for a walk, Mum, give you both a bit of space to talk. Text me and let me know how things are going,’ Meg told her, following everyone out so she could get her coat. That had been dead awkward, and Dad had his overnight bag with him, obviously intending to spend the night. Would they manage to sort things out?
‘Come with us – we haven’t made any balloon animals yet,’ Sam begged. ‘And I don’t have to go to bed early tonight, it’s the Christmas holidays.’
Leo nodded. ‘You’re welcome, if you want to.’
‘Thanks, I will,’ Meg replied.
‘I’m going around to Leo’s for a coffee,’ she said, popping her head around the kitchen door. Her parents were now standing by the sink, both looking very ill at ease, and Mum was filling up the kettle. How she wished they could both sort it out, make up and go home together. She didn’t think that was going to happen though. She’d seen a new side to her mum these past few days and it was obvious that she was happier without her dad. It was such a shame.
At least Dad had made the effort to come down and try to sort things out, which was more than Oliver had done.
Her parents did have years of being together to salvage. It must be hard to turn your back on a lifetime of marriage and children, building a home together. She and Oliver didn’t have that. And now they never would.
17
Sally
‘Well, you all look like you’re having fun!’ Ted said sarcastically as soon as everyone had left.
Sally swallowed down her anger. How dare Ted turn up unexpectedly and show her up like that? ‘It’s not a crime to enjoy yourself,’ she retorted sharply.
‘Meaning I don’t know how to. I’m boring and that’s why you’ve left me! You certainly seemed to be having fun with your new friends.’
‘You should have told me you were coming, Ted.’ She thought of the holdall he’d carried. ‘Especially as you’re obviously intending to stay. It would be nice to be asked.’
‘So I have to ask to see my wife now?’ Ted demanded. ‘And who were those people?’
Sally flicked on the kettle and took two mugs out of the cupboard. ‘Do you remember that little café we used to go to on the seafront when we came here on our honeymoon?’
Ted frowned. ‘The one overlooking the harbour? Where the woman used to sneak us an extra scone sometimes?’
‘Yes.’ Sally kept her back to him as she popped a teabag into each mug. ‘Well, the older couple that were here are the previous owners’ son and daughter, Rory and Rose. Meg and I went to see if the café was still open and we met Rose; she said their parents had retired years ago and that she is retiring herself soon. The younger man, Leo, is Rose’s son and lives next door; the little boy is his son, Sam, who is staying with him for Christmas.’ She kept her voice even as she poured hot water into each mug. ‘We’re all helping out at the Christmas Fayre tomorrow, which is why they were here. We were having a meeting about the stalls we are running,’ she explained matter-of-factly as she fished out the teabags and added a drop of milk then two sugars for Ted.
‘It didn’t look like a meeting to me.’
Keep your cool. Sally took a deep breath and handed Ted his tea. ‘Well, I’m telling you it was. Now would you like a biscuit or a mince pie?’
He shook his head, seeming momentarily lost for words.
Sally walked over to the kitchen table and pulled out a chair. ‘Let’s sit down, shall we? Then you can tell me why you’re here.’
Ted pulled out the chair next to her and sat down, resting his elbows on the table. ‘Look, I don’t want to argue.’ He sighed wearily. ‘I got thinking this afternoon that maybe I am a bit set in my ways – not that it’s a crime; not many people want to go off here and there at our age. It’s only natural to settle down, take each other for granted a bit, and yes, maybe I am guilty of that. But it’s not a good enough reason to throw away all those years of being together, of building our home, our family. We need to fix this, Sally.’ He fiddled with his earlobe as he awkwardly met her gaze. ‘You came here, where we had our honeymoon – that must mean you still have feelings for me.’
He looked tired and there were dark shadows under his grey-blue eyes. She remembered the first time she’d seen Ted: his hair was jet-black then and his eyes had sparkled, especially when she’d agreed to go out with him.
She realised that he’d stopped talking and was waiting for her to reply. He really can’t understand why I’ve left him, she thought, and I don’t know how to explain.
‘I came to Goolan Bay because I wanted to remember how it used to be between us, how in love we were. Do you remember all the things we said we’d do, the places we would go? How full of hope and dreams we were?’ she asked softly.
He looked down at his hands, clasped together on the table in front of him. Ted was always uncomfortable talking about his feelings. ‘A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then, Sal. When you’re young, the world seems your oyster; you feel like you can do anything you want with your life. When you’re older, you’re wiser – and have the aches and pains to prove it! You change, settle down, mellow. Well, most of us do,’ he said pointedly.
‘That’s just it, Ted. I don’t want to settle down, to take each other for granted, to sleepwalk into old age. I want to feel loved, to have the passion back that we used to have.’ She swallowed. How could she make him understand? ‘I want to feel alive, to see the world, to experience things.’
‘You talk like we’re in our forties instead of our sixties!’ Ted told her. ‘I’m happy as we are, Sal. I’m settled. But I can compromise. We can go out for a meal now and again, a holiday if that’s what it takes to make you happy.’ He raised his head, his eyes meeting hers. ‘I want you to come home, Sal. I was hoping you’d come back with me. We could go to the Bowls Club Christmas dinner together tomorrow night. I don’t want to set the tongues wagging, having people talk about us. It’s embarrassing.’
So that’s why he’d come. It was all about him not losing face. The Bowls Club Christmas dinner was the highlight of Ted’s year, the only time he donned his posh suit, a shirt and tie. He’d even been known to actually dance with her. She’d forgotten all about it
and certainly wasn’t going back just so he could walk in with her on his arm.
‘I’m not coming home, Ted. Nothing’s changed. The problems are still here, and we’ll only end up splitting up again. It’s best for both of us if we make a clean break now.’
She hated seeing the stricken look on his face. She didn’t want to hurt him, she just wanted to be free.
‘I can’t believe you’re being so bloody selfish!’ Sally jolted as Ted thumped his fist on the table. He stood up and went into the lounge, coming back in with his holdall. He rummaged through it and took out the family photo album.
‘Take a look through this; think about all the years we’ve had together. All the memories. We’re supposed to be celebrating our ruby wedding anniversary in June. And you’re throwing it all away because you’re chasing your youth! Grow up, woman!’
Sally watched speechlessly as Ted took out a wrapped Christmas present. ‘I’ve brought your present too, in case you aren’t home for Christmas. Not completely selfish, am I?’
Sally knew without opening it what it would be: a bottle of her favourite perfume. Ted bought her the same thing every year. It was expensive, and a generous-sized bottle, but she wished he would buy her something different, something that showed he had really thought about what she would like.
‘Thank you. Your present is underneath the tree in the lounge at home.’ She stood up. ‘Look, Ted, I’m sorry it’s ended like this. I’ve tried. I really have.’
‘Not hard enough.’ Ted fixed her with a glare. ‘I’m done trying to reason with you, Sal. If you aren’t back for Christmas, then don’t bother to come back at all.’
Sally watched him grab his holdall and walk stiffly out of the kitchen. As soon as she heard the front door close behind him, the tears poured down her face and she crumpled into a sobbing heap at the table, her head resting on her arms. God. Why does it have to be so hard?
18
Meg
Meg heard the door slam and hurried over to Leo’s front door, opening it and peering out into the dark. She could just make out the shadow of her dad walking down the path, carrying his overnight bag. They hadn’t made up, then.
‘I’ve got to go,’ she called to Leo, grabbing her coat off the hook by the door and dashing outside. ‘Dad. Hang on!’
For a moment she thought he was going to ignore her but then he stopped and turned and in the glow of the street lamp she could see tears in his eyes. Her dad was crying. She stood still for a moment, shocked. The only time she had ever seen her dad cry before was when his parents – her grandparents – had died. ‘Oh, Dad!’ She ran towards him and gave him a big hug. ‘I’m so sorry, Dad. What happened?’ she asked.
‘What do you think? It seems your mum has no intention of coming home any time soon. It’s the Bowls Club Christmas dinner tomorrow night and I was hoping she’d come back with me so we could attend it, but no. I don’t know what to do, Meg.’ His voice was choked. ‘Your mum doesn’t want me. She said we’ve grown apart. We’re over. Forty years we’ve been together next June. And now it’s all over.’
‘Don’t go home yet,’ Meg begged. He looked exhausted and had already driven for an hour and a half to get here; she didn’t want him to drive back without having a rest, especially at this time of night. They had a spare room at the cottage but it wouldn’t be right to ask him to stay; she wouldn’t like her mum to ask Oliver to stay, would she? ‘Maybe you could stay at a B & B and talk to Mum again tomorrow.’
‘It’s a waste of time. Your mum’s enjoying herself down here, so I’ll go back home and enjoy myself too. I’ve told her that if she’s not back for Christmas, I don’t want her back.’
Mum wouldn’t take kindly to that sort of ultimatum. ‘I’m sorry, Dad. I know it’s hard for you, but Mum is really unhappy. I wish you two could sort it out.’ Meg kissed her father on the cheek.
‘Don’t worry yourself about us. You’ve got your own troubles to contend with,’ he said.
Meg swallowed the lump in her throat as tears threatened to spill out of her own eyes. She felt so sorry for her parents; this was hard for both of them. ‘Come to the pub for a while, Dad, we’ll talk about things. I don’t want you to drive home upset.’
He shook his head. ‘There’s no point us talking, pet; your mum’s made up her mind and that’s that.’ He blinked back the tears from his eyes. ‘Now what about you and Oliver? Can you make up, do you think?’
‘No, Dad. I don’t think we can.’
‘I’m sorry to hear that. I really am.’ He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. ‘I’ll be in touch, Meg, but right now I need to get home, to be in my own house.’
She gave him a big hug. ‘Love you, Dad. Look after yourself. Drive carefully and please message me and let me know you’ve got home safely.’
‘I will,’ he promised.
Meg watched her father walk off, shoulders sloped. He looked older since the split, she realised, whereas Mum looked younger.
Sadness weighed heavy in her heart as she returned to the cottage to find her mum sitting at the kitchen table, head on her arms, crying.
‘Oh, Mum!’ She rushed over and put her arms around her mum’s shoulders.
‘I don’t want to hurt your dad, Meg. I really don’t want to. I’m just so miserable when I’m with him, it eats me up inside.’
This is awful, Meg thought as she hugged her mother, when a few minutes ago she had hugged her distraught father. Both her parents were so terribly upset and she had no idea how to help.
This would be me and Oliver in a few years’ time, she realised. Either I’d be angry because I’d sacrificed my dream of having a family for him, and it would eat me up, or he would feel that I’d tied him down, given him the responsibility of having a child when he didn’t want one. We’d destroy each other, and our child – or children – would be caught up in the middle of it all. It’s better to end it now.
Not that she had much choice anyway. Oliver hadn’t come down to see her, to beg her to go back with him, like Dad had done, had he?
But then Mum and Dad had been together for so long.
Mum’s words flashed back across her mind: ‘I’m so miserable with him, it eats me up inside.’
Well, it was the opposite with her and Oliver. She was so happy with him she felt a warm glow inside. Being with him lit her up. And now that glow had gone forever.
Then the last line of Oliver’s new song came back to her, the soulful ballad he’d been singing to her the night it had all fallen apart.
‘Sometimes love isn’t enough.’
It hadn’t been enough for her and Oliver, had it? It was almost as if he’d been warning her.
19
Saturday, 20 December
Meg
Sally spent Saturday morning baking. Rose had told her what cakes the other villagers usually made – she didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes – so she made something different: a Battenberg, a chocolate and orange gateau and some more mince pies. Baking was one of the things Sally enjoyed; she’d always made Dan’s and Meg’s birthday cakes and a cake for Sunday tea when they were young.
‘That looks lovely, Mum,’ Meg said as she came into the kitchen holding a pink balloon poodle.
‘So is that,’ Sally told her. ‘I don’t know how you make those things so quickly, and without popping any balloons either!’
‘It’s quite easy once you’ve got the hang of it, and they’re so popular at parties,’ Meg told her. ‘I’m going to take a break now. Want a cuppa?’
‘Love one – tea please,’ Sally said.
They both looked around questioningly as someone knocked on the door. ‘That must be either Rose or Leo,’ Sally said.
‘I’ll get it.’ Meg headed out into the hall, opening the door to find Leo and Sam standing on the doorstep, holding a big cardboard box.
‘We’re off to the community centre now and wondered if you needed help taking anything down there?’
‘Well,
Mum’s made enough cake to feed an army, so it’ll be a few trips to the car,’ Meg told him. ‘But you look like you’ve got your hands full already. Are those all games in there?’
‘Yep, we’ve got Pin the Beard on Santa too, and a fluffy snowman for everyone to guess its name.’
‘Pin the Beard on Santa was my idea,’ Sam piped up. He looked at the balloon poodle peeping out from under Meg’s arm. ‘That looks cool.’
‘Thanks. Look, we’ve just put the kettle on – fancy a cuppa before you go? There’s over an hour yet before the Fayre starts.’
‘That sounds a great idea; we’ve run out of milk,’ Leo told her. ‘Someone had two bowls of cereal for breakfast and used it all up.’
Judging by the look on the lad’s face, that ‘someone’ was Sam. ‘We’ve got a bottle you can have. Mum always has plenty,’ Meg told them. ‘Come on in and put that box down for a bit; it must be heavy.’
They both followed her in, Sam closing the door behind his dad. He didn’t look so sulky today, Meg noticed. Getting involved with the Christmas Fayre had kept him occupied, she guessed. He and Leo had looked like they were having fun when they were practising the games yesterday.
‘We’ve got two more for refreshments,’ she announced as they walked into the kitchen but Sally had already heard them and was taking a cup and tall glass out of the cupboard. ‘Coffee and a chocolate milkshake?’ she asked.
‘Yes, please!’ Sam replied. ‘We’ve got no milk—’ He stopped and stared at the chocolate and orange gateau. ‘Wow, that looks awesome! Did you make that?’
‘I did, and I’ll be cutting it up into individual slices to sell at the Fayre. I’ll save one for you, if you want?’
‘Yes, please!’ Sam said again, practically licking his lips.
Leo put the box down in the corner of the kitchen and they all pulled out chairs and sat down at the table to have their drinks.