Single All the Way: An unputdownable and uplifting Christmas romance

by Karen King

  Markus fidgeted about from foot to foot. ‘I was a kid myself when I had you. I wasn’t ready for responsibility. I’ve always kept in touch with you though, haven’t I? I didn’t walk away and just forget about you.’

  ‘You might as well have done for all the use you were to me and Mum. When you did show up, all you did was take what little food we had in our cupboard, occupy the sofa for a couple of nights then walk back out again. You never contributed anything. I might as well have had a father who was dead than one like you.’

  Resentment filled the air between them like a thick blanket. Then Markus’s face crumpled and he sank down onto the sofa.

  ‘I know I haven’t done right by you, but I was young and stupid. I regret it all now. If I could turn back the clock and do it all differently, I would.’ He leaned back and rested his head on the cushion. ‘I might not have shown it enough but I do love you, son. I’ve never regretted having you. Never.’

  ‘Yes, so you can sponge off me now I’m grown up.’ Oliver fought to keep his voice low. ‘I bet you regretted it lots of times when I was younger.’

  His father shook his head. ‘I didn’t. Never. I was just too busy, too wrapped up with my life to think about you. I thought you and your mum were coping okay. You always seemed to be doing all right when I came to see you.’

  ‘Because Mum worked hard to give us what she could. But I was a burden to her, Dad. And I was a burden to you. And I’m never going to have a child to make them feel a burden.’

  His father raised weary eyes to his. ‘Then be better. You don’t have to be like me. Be better than me.’

  33

  Christmas Day

  Meg

  ‘Merry Christmas, Meg.’

  Meg opened her eyes sleepily and blinked as her mum came into the room, carrying a mug of tea in one hand and a gift bag in the other. She raised herself up on her elbow.

  ‘Thanks, Mum. Your present is in the chest of drawers. I’ll get it.’

  ‘There’s no rush, dear. Sit and drink your tea first. I’m plenty old enough to wait for my present.’ When Meg was sitting up comfortably, her mum handed her the mug and placed the gift bag on the bed beside her. ‘How are you feeling?’

  ‘Probably the same as you. It’s weird not being with Olly. We used to sit up in bed and open our Christmas presents together. Then, when we were dressed, we’d go and help Laurel and Hardy open their presents.’ She bit her lip. She would not cry. She’d cried enough. She sipped the tea as the memories flooded across her mind.

  ‘I know.’ Her mother’s voice was barely audible. Meg looked up and saw tears brimming in her eyes. Was she regretting her decision?

  ‘It’s not too late to go back if you want to,’ Meg said softly. ‘I’ll be fine here by myself, there’s Leo and Sam and Rose for company. If you think you’ve made a mistake and want to spend Christmas with Dad, then do it.’

  Sally shook her head. ‘No, we’re over. I feel sad about it, yes. I wanted a happy marriage, for us to grow old together, but it wasn’t working, would never work, and I’d be lying to myself if I thought otherwise. I’m sad because our marriage has failed, not because I miss your dad and want to go back.’

  ‘Don’t you miss him even a little bit?’ Meg asked.

  ‘Of course I do. I miss the familiarity of our lives, our family, our home, but now I feel like I’ve got a future. That I can actually live my life instead of exist.’ She paused. ‘Does that sound selfish?’

  Meg shook her head. ‘No, but it’s sad to think that you’ve felt like this for so long. I wish I’d known.’

  ‘That doesn’t matter. What matters is that I’ll be starting the new year with hope in my heart and plans for the future. That’s exciting.’ She reached out and squeezed Meg’s hand. ‘I know it’s different for you – you didn’t want your marriage to end. I’m so sorry. But there’s time for you to find someone else and, hopefully, have the family you want.’

  I don’t want to have a family with anyone else! As the words flashed across her mind, Meg knew that they were true. She didn’t want anyone else, she wanted Oliver. And Oliver’s children. Why couldn’t Oliver see that they would be great parents, that he would be a good parent, better than his father? Why couldn’t he love Meg enough to take the chance?

  ‘Open your present, then. I’m dying to see if you like it.’

  Meg put the mug down on the bedside table and picked up the cheerful Christmas bag. She took out the present, soft and squishy, wrapped in shiny silver paper and tied with a fine red ribbon and bow. It felt like a piece of clothing. A jumper perhaps, or a scarf. Slowly she unwrapped the paper to reveal an exquisite lemon cashmere jumper. She stroked it lovingly; it was so soft and just the right length to hover on the waistband of a skirt or pair of trousers. ‘Thanks, Mum, it’s gorgeous,’ she said. ‘It’ll go perfectly with the new black pleated skirt I planned on wearing today.’ She leant forward and gave her mum a hug. ‘Now let me get your present.’

  She scrambled out of bed and over to the chest of drawers, returning with a red rectangular box decorated with holly patterns. She hoped Mum liked the present. It was something she’d seen her look at it in one of the local shops the other day so had gone back to get it when they’d separated for an hour in order to buy each other’s presents, and some personal things. It was a pretty scrapbook, with ‘Live, Laugh, Dream’ written on the cover in silver letters. There were pages for memories, for countries visited, hobbies, achievements. Meg had written inside, ‘To Mum, may you build many precious memories and travel to exotic lands, love Meg.’ She’d wondered afterwards whether she had done the right thing. Was it too early to give her mother a scrapbook to keep a record of her new life when her parents had only just split up? Then she’d reasoned that Mum could still use the book even if they got back together; she could keep a record of her new life with Dad, because she knew that her dad would have to make some major changes to get her mum back.

  Sally carefully unwrapped the gift, her eyes widening with pleasure when she saw it. ‘This is marvellous, darling. And I’m going to do just that – live, laugh and dream – and fill this book with wonderful memories. And I hope you’ll do the same. I know both our lives have changed drastically but that isn’t always a bad thing. This is the start of a new life, a new year for us, and we must make the most of it.’

  She leant forward and embraced Meg in a hug. Meg swallowed the lump in her throat, the lump that was there whenever she thought about Oliver. Mum was right, she had to get on with making a new life for herself.

  Her mum pulled away and wiped a tear from her eyes. ‘Now how about we have breakfast then go for a stroll along the beach before we go to Rose’s? It’s only nine o’clock so we have plenty of time.’

  ‘That sounds perfect,’ Meg agreed. ‘I’ll give Dad a ring to wish him Merry Christmas, have a quick shower then I’ll be ready.’

  * * *

  They’d just finished their breakfast – toast and marmalade – when there was a knock on the door.

  ‘I’ll get it.’ Sally said. She returned with a very happy-looking Sam, who was holding up the bag of balloons Meg had given him for Christmas and a dinosaur balloon that he’d obviously just made.

  ‘Thanks so much for this, it’s cool,’ he said with a big grin. He looked a very different lad to the surly one that she’d met a few days ago.

  ‘You’re very welcome – and that’s a great dinosaur,’ Meg told him.

  Sam looked proud. ‘Thanks. Mum said so too. She FaceTimed me and wished me a Merry Christmas,’ he said. ‘They’ve been out all evening and are going to bed now. It’s early in the morning in the Caribbean,’ he added.

  ‘Isn’t it great how the Internet connects everyone? Is your mum having a good time?’ Meg asked, taking her empty cup and plate over to the sink. What a daft question, Meg, she scolded herself. She’s on her honeymoon in Jamaica, of course she’s having a good time.

  ‘Yep, but she said she’s missing me. I miss h
er too but it’s okay here. I’m glad Dad’s moved back here, by Gran and Uncle Rory, and that I’m spending Christmas with him,’ he said. Then added with a smile, ‘And that you two are here as well.’

  ‘Me too. We’ve all kept each other company, haven’t we? Like our own little family,’ Sally said warmly.

  Sam nodded. ‘Dad said to ask if you wanted a lift to Gran’s?’

  Sally looked questioningly at Meg, who nodded. ‘That would be lovely.’ She smiled at Sam. ‘Are you having a nice Christmas?’

  ‘Yes but Dad’s stressed out ’cos Melanie’s been on the phone for ages.’ Sam rolled his eyes. ‘I hope he doesn’t get back with her.’

  ‘Oh dear, don’t you like her?’ Meg asked sympathetically, remembering that Leo had told her he’d broken up with Melanie because she didn’t want to spend Christmas with Sam.

  Sam wrinkled his nose. ‘No. She doesn’t like me either, although she pretends she does when Dad’s around. She’s not cool, like you would be if you were his girlfriend.’ He grinned at Meg. ‘Dad said about one, okay?’

  ‘Perfect,’ Sally replied while Meg struggled to recover from the shock of realising that Sam hoped she and his dad would get together. Did Leo hope that too?

  ‘He’s just a child. Don’t let his words worry you,’ Sally said gently.

  It was too late. Meg was worried. ‘You don’t think Leo is getting ideas though, do you?’

  ‘We’re just a group of friends spending Christmas together, Meg. Nothing more than that. I’m sure Leo thinks the same. We’ll both be gone in a few days and probably never see them again.’ Meg saw a glimpse of sadness in her mother’s eyes. ‘Now let’s get changed and go for a walk. There’s nothing like the sea air to blow the cobwebs away.’

  Meg tried not to think of Oliver spending Christmas alone as she pulled on her parka and boots and set off for a walk along the beach with her mum. They were at the harbour when a message pinged in from Helen.

  Happy Christmas, babe. And just in case you’re beating yourself up thinking of leaving Oliver all alone at Christmas, we’ve just seen him in the Red Lion with his dad and they’re both trashed already. So you have a good day and stop worrying about him. x

  Meg read the message in surprise. Markus was the last person she’d expect Oliver to spend Christmas with. He must have turned up out of the blue, and finding Oliver home alone, he had persuaded him to go drinking with him. Well, at least as Helen said, she didn’t have to feel guilty that Oliver was on his own. She messaged back:

  Thanks for telling me. Merry Christmas. x

  Now she felt freer to enjoy the day. Like Oliver was.

  * * *

  It was windy but not freezing, and they passed a few other people, all calling a cheerful ‘Merry Christmas’ to each other. Meg and her mum chatted away, recalling Christmas memories from her childhood and from her mum’s childhood.

  ‘Do you remember the time Dad wrapped up a gold ring you had wanted for Christmas, but to trick you he’d packed a big box with newspaper and hid the ring in that?’ Sally asked.

  ‘Gosh, yes! I was so upset. I thought I hadn’t got a present after all and threw the paper in the bin, so Dad had to search all through it to find the ring,’ recalled Meg.

  ‘Thank goodness there was only paper from Christmas presents in the bin,’ Mum said with a chuckle.

  ‘And what about the time Dan and I made toffee for you and Dad for Christmas and it was so hard you couldn’t eat it?’ Meg laughed. ‘Didn’t Dad lose a filling?’

  ‘That was me!’ Mum told her. ‘I had to go to the dentist as soon as it was open after Christmas. And you should have seen the state of the saucepan you made it in. I had to throw it away!’ They both laughed at this.

  If there’s one good thing that’s come out of this split, it’s that I’ve got closer to Mum, Meg thought as they headed back. They’d been close when she was younger, but as she had got older, Mum had been busy working, and Meg had always been out with her friends, then dating Oliver, getting married, working. They saw each other regularly but hadn’t chatted like this for a long time. Meg learnt things about her grandparents – they’d met at the local fair where Grandad worked on the rides, fallen in love and run off together, which had caused a big scandal at the time – and about how her mum had collected beetles as a child, keeping them in a box under her bed until they all escaped one day and Grandma had thought they had an infestation and sent for pest control. ‘Can’t stand the creatures now,’ Mum said as they both chuckled.

  The biggest surprises though were Mum’s stories of Dad as a teenager. ‘Your nan used to hate him going off on that bike. He’d go over the track at weekends and race some of the other bikers. I went with him sometimes, riding on the back of the bike, but if my mum had known, she’d have killed me!’ She chuckled. ‘That’s what attracted me to Ted back then; he was so grown up and cool compared to other lads I knew.’

  Meg listened to the tales in surprise. It was hard to imagine her staid dad riding a motorbike and being a bit of a ‘wild teen’. She could see why her parents had grown apart though. Her mum was still young at heart, lively, up for an adventure, whereas her dad just wanted to stay at home.

  Would she and Oliver have grown apart when they were older? Would their love have died too? She’d never know now.

  34

  Sally

  Rory, to their amusement, greeted them dressed in a Santa outfit, complete with a wig and beard.

  ‘You look like Santa, Uncle Rory,’ Sam said, playfully pulling his beard.

  ‘Maybe I could get myself a new part-time job?’ Rory grinned. ‘What do you think, Leo?’

  ‘You do look really authentic,’ Leo told him. ‘You even have the belly!’ He prodded Rory’s tunic, which had obviously been padded with a cushion.

  ‘Don’t say that Rose is dressed as Mother Christmas,’ Sally said with a chuckle as they walked into the lounge.

  ‘I most certainly am not!’ Rose shouted from the kitchen. ‘I leave all the daft stuff to Rory.’

  ‘And has he left all the cooking to you?’ Sally asked, standing in the kitchen doorway and sniffing the delicious aroma of roast turkey mingled with other smells such as thyme – probably the stuffing – and cranberry – the sauce. ‘Is there anything I can do?’ she asked Rose, who was loading the dishwasher.

  ‘Nothing at all. And Rory has done his share of the cooking; he loves it. Can’t keep him out of the kitchen.’ She closed the dishwasher door, wiped her hands on her apron, which was covering her long multi-coloured floaty dress, and walked over to give Sally a hug. ‘How are you, my dear? I’m sure today is a difficult one for you.’ She stepped back to admire Sally’s black velvet flared trousers and red top. ‘You look lovely, by the way.’

  ‘Thank you. And so do you. I love those sandals,’ she said, looking at the gold strappy sandals on Rose’s feet. ‘It is difficult, yes. I can’t help thinking back to past Christmases – but I still think I’ve made the right decision.’

  ‘No regrets, then?’

  Sally sighed. ‘Plenty. I wish it hadn’t come to this. I wish we could have lasted the course, but for me it was the right thing to do. And Ted isn’t exactly sitting at home moping on his own today.’

  ‘Pushy Paula, eh?’ Rose replied. Her eyes searched Sally’s face. ‘I know we don’t know each other well enough for me to keep doling out advice. But if you still have feelings for Ted, it really isn’t too late to do something about it.’

  Sally had been telling herself the same thing. Last night she had kept thinking of Ted sitting at the table opposite Paula, tucking into her delicious home-cooked meal, drinking a glass of sherry, her hanging onto his every word, them maybe sharing a Christmas kiss under the mistletoe. Ted had clearly agreed to Paula’s invite to get back at Sally, she was sure of that. To remind her that if she didn’t want him, there would be plenty of women who did. Women like Paula. Did it bother her? It should do, and it did in a way, but it also made it easier for
her to leave knowing that Ted wasn’t sitting on his own moping at home.

  ‘I still love and care for him, as a friend, but I’m not in love with him. Do you think that’s daft, to want to be in love at my age? Ted’s a kind man, a good husband even if he is a bit selfish and stuck in his ways. Am I wrong to rip apart our family and walk out on all the years we’ve had together?’

  ‘Only you can make that decision, love; it’s your marriage, your life,’ Rose told her gently.

  They both turned around as they heard a loud roar of laughter come from the other room. Rory.

  ‘What’s my brother up to now?’ Rose said in mock-exasperation.

  As Rose walked through the door into the lounge, Sally’s phone, nestled in her handbag, pinged. She took it out and glanced at the screen. Ted. She hesitated then slid the screen to read the message.

  Merry Christmas. I hope you enjoy our first Christmas apart since we met over 40 years ago.

  She bit her lip. Ted was still bitter, then. Should she reply? She couldn’t ignore him, not on Christmas Day. She typed back:

  Merry Christmas, Ted. I’m glad you’re not spending it on your own. Xx

  Then she went into the lounge to join the others.

  Rory was showing Sam some magic tricks, much to the youngster’s delight, and Meg was perched on the arm of a chair, glass of mulled wine in her hand, talking to Leo. Sally watched them for a moment; Meg was smiling, her eyes sparkling, while Leo was waving his arm about animatedly, obviously recounting one of his tales. They seemed to be enjoying each other’s company. At least Leo was taking Meg’s mind off Oliver for a while.