You know that feeling when everything suddenly comes together, and you can stand back and let out a huge sigh of relief? Well, this is it.
‘Mum, how many sprouts do I have to eat?’ Jude stabs her fork into the tiniest one on her plate, turning up her nose in disgust.
‘At least one,’ Kurt confirms, as Sarah is still helping to dish up. ‘They’re good for you.’
As I carry two more plates across to the table, I notice that Tollie is sitting next to Liam and asking him about his travels.
‘I guess my favourite place, because I keep going back whenever I can afford it, is the Seychelles. I did my PADI Open Water Diver course there earlier this year and I hope to go back again next year to do a Wreck Diver Speciality course.’
They stop talking for a moment to grab their plates.
Tollie gives me a wink. ‘Thanks, m’dear. I’ve been looking forward to this all year.’
‘This looks amazing, Immi.’ Liam eyes the plate with delight.
‘So, Liam,’ Tollie continues, ‘is there a bit of a treasure hunter in you, or is the diving itself the main attraction?’
I walk away to whisk a couple more plates off the side, delighted at how we’ve managed to seat fifteen people reasonably comfortably around the makeshift extended table. Albeit the assortment of chairs includes three stools and six plastic ones from the garden.
Fisher, I notice, is three seats away from Valerie and, while he looks happy enough, he keeps glancing her way surreptitiously. I so want those two to grow even closer, because they just seem to be a perfect fit.
‘That’s the lot,’ Sarah informs me. ‘I’ll turn the oven down low and pop these back in covered in foil, as I’m sure a few will want seconds.’
‘We did go a bit overboard on the roast potatoes,’ I reply.
Sarah leans in, lowering her voice.
‘What happened to the turkey? Did you have an accident?’
My lips twitch as I explain. ‘It was huge. It wouldn’t fit into the tray.’
She’s trying very hard to keep a straight face.
‘Well, you did a good job, all things considered, and I’m assuming you don’t have a good set of knives. Which is just as well, as that’s what we’ve bought you as a thank-you gift for helping out with the Christmas dinners.’
‘Ah, that wasn’t necessary. It did look a bit hacked about, didn’t it? Was it hard to carve?’
Sarah gives me an encouraging smile. ‘Tollie did a good job and I managed to make the slices look tidy on the plates. Anyway, you’re a star to do that with the only sharp knife you seem to have.’ She holds it up. ‘You performed a miracle, Immi. This is a utility knife, mainly used for vegetables. The plan was to pop in with your present yesterday, before we left, as we thought you’d appreciate it. Anyway, it will make it much easier next year and they won’t hack the flesh about quite so much.’
We both start laughing.
‘What’s funny?’ Gray sidles up to me, on the hunt for some more paper napkins.
‘We’re talking turkey tales,’ I answer. ‘I think I’m going to get a few lessons from Sarah before I tackle my next one.’
‘Turkey tails? Hmm, that sounds a little bizarre, but each to their own. Come on, don’t let your dinners get cold.’
I pour on a little gravy and we’re set to go.
‘You rescued everyone’s Christmas, Immi,’ Abe says, clearing his throat as we join them. ‘We’re all very grateful to you, Tollie and Gray, for your hospitality. We’ve ended up descending on you en masse and now look at that, out there.’
As we all turn towards the patio doors, the view outside is totally obscured by a constant barrage of thick white flakes. I squint a little, dismayed at the lack of visibility beyond the immediate patio area.
‘Gray, what’s that big lump by the wall outside?’
Everyone stops talking.
‘All will be revealed in a bit, Immi. Party hats on, everyone, and anyone else for more roasters?’
Hands go up and Gray strides across to the oven, as Sarah and I begin eating.
Both Gray and Tollie have been going on about buying a barbecue so I have my suspicions that I might know what my gift is. It’s hardly a festive present, but they do say people buy the gifts they’d like to receive themselves. But that’s certainly not the case with my Christmas present to Gray. He wanted an upgraded interface to extend his digital audio workstation. Well, at least that’s what I hope is wrapped and waiting for him under the tree, but if the wrong thing was delivered in error, I wouldn’t have had a clue. Tollie at least, was easier as I bought him a bigger tablet so he could keep up with his reading even as his eyes get weaker.
There’s a cacophony of banter and laughter and reading of silly cracker jokes by Fisher, who has everyone groaning. Liam, I notice, has seconds and thirds of almost everything. Jude doesn’t touch any of her sprouts, while Jade happily devours everything on her plate. With Gray’s favourite CD of Christmas carols playing softly in the background on a loop, the lights on the tree twinkling away and the greenery overhead emitting a wonderfully evocative smell of pines and earthiness, I’m content. More than content. Valerie was right when I opened up to her. She had confidence in my ability to cope with whatever life was going to throw my way. It doesn’t pay to get too far ahead of yourself and worry about things that might never happen.
Gray eventually taps his wine glass. ‘I think it’s time for the Christmas toast, so it’s over to Tollie.’
As all eyes turn in Tollie’s direction, he sits there twiddling the stem of his glass in his hands for a few moments before speaking. His head is bowed and he’s deep in thought. When he looks up, he scans the faces around the table.
‘Well, we have quite a gathering around the table and the first thing I want to say, on behalf of Immi, Gray, and myself, is how wonderful it is to have you all here with us today. It wouldn’t have been as enjoyable without your company. Everyone is safe, we’re all warm and my darling Immi, together with Valerie, Ethel, Rona and Sarah, have made this wonderful Christmas dinner happen, despite the drama going on outside.
‘Immi, it has to be said, valiantly saved the day single-handedly, when the turkey turned out to be too big for the oven. Did that faze my granddaughter? No. As with everything in life, she rose to the challenge. And the next challenge will be bringing Lock Keeper’s Cottage back to life. To do that she’ll be calling upon her trusty partner, Gray, who, I believe, has a little speech of his own to make.’
There’s an outpouring of laughter and handclapping, as I realise the ‘turkey malarkey’, as Gray is now referring to it, didn’t go unnoticed. But sprouts aside, the plates were cleared and what it lacked in presentation didn’t affect the overall enjoyment.
Gray stands and walks around to kneel down next to my chair. The hush in the room is filled with expectancy as he grasps my left hand and gazes into my eyes, somewhat nervously. I thought he was simply going to slip the ring on my finger to formalise his proposal the other day.
‘My darling, Immi, the love of my life. You met this crazy man, the one who breaks into song at the most inappropriate moments, and let him into your heart. A man who struggles to keep his dream of a career alive and yet you support me every step of the way.’ He pauses and we both swallow hard, exchanging a meaningful glance. ‘The day you came into my life everything changed in an instant. And now, well, we’re all rather taking it for granted you are going to say yes, and haven’t had second thoughts. The question I put to you again is, Immi Tolliman, you’re the one I’ve been waiting for my whole life. Marry me… please.’
‘Hmm. Decisions, decisions…’ I string it out for a few moments. ‘Okay. Hands up, everyone who thinks I should say yes.’
Hands fly up in the air. Most of the group holding up both hands, which is cheating.
‘Did you offer bribes?’ I level at Gray, as he exudes an air of smug satisfaction.
‘Maybe. But you’re worth it, Immi.’
I stand, pulling him up to meet me with my right hand, as he slips Grandma’s ring on the finger of my other hand.
‘Guess it’s a yes then, by majority vote,’ I concede.
We hug and everyone claps, accompanied by a few whistles and some tentative tapping on the table. Valerie and Rona immediately push back on their chairs and rush towards us. Rona is beaming as we hug, but when she releases me and turns to Gray, I see that Valerie has tears in her eyes. She leans in to kiss my cheek and her voice is barely audible as she speaks.
‘If ever two people were made for each other, Immi, it’s you and Gray. I’m so very happy for you both.’
I’m touched by her words, as I can see they’re heartfelt.
‘Aww… Thank you, Valerie. Dad would have been thrilled and so would Grandma. I found my Mr Right and I know that sets Tollie’s mind at rest for the future.’ To my horror, my bottom lip begins to tremble now, and she throws her arms around me. ‘Being alone, feeling lonely – even amongst friends – is a terrible thing and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.’ It’s hardly a whisper, but Valerie turns her face to look at me as our eyes well up.
‘Always know you are loved, Immi, because you truly are a beautiful person inside and out. Life hasn’t always been easy for you and you deserved better, so take heart. Nell will be wearing the biggest smile today.’
Suddenly, there’s a jolt behind us that tips us slightly off balance and the spell of the moment is broken. Sucking in a deep breath, I look away as Valerie swipes her eyes with her hand. No one seems to have noticed us, as they are all too busy looking at Gray.
‘Eek! Careful.’ Tollie splays out his hands to steady the heavy, extended top, which has skewed a little as it sits balanced on the tabletop. Gray is on his hands and knees now, adjusting one of the blocks of wood beneath the table. ‘We need to keep this thing stable as, I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for dessert.’
There’s a tinkle of laughter before Gray stands, pointing to Tollie, and then to the garden.
‘Oh. Yes.’ Tollie immediately jumps up. ‘First things first. Feeling strong, Gray?’
In the background ‘Good King Wenceslas’ strikes up and I can see I’m not the only one who thinks this is a crazy idea. Gray goes off to grab their coats, as Tollie slides open the patio doors rather gingerly. The snow is now stacked up at least fifteen inches above floor level and, while hardly any of it moves, the wind gusts, knocking in several large clumps. That blast of chilly air cuts through the cosiness of the room like a knife.
‘Guys, can’t this wait until it warms up a little?’
Gray has already slipped on his coat and a beanie hat and is holding up Tollie’s hooded jacket.
‘By the look of it I think that could be quite a while. Shut the door behind us, but we’ll need you to give us a little direction.’
I look at Gray as if he’s gone mad and as I rush to slide the door back along the runners, everyone gathers round.
At the end of the decking area, under the edge of the overhanging canopy, is what looks like a pile of blankets. We watch as Gray uncovers the handle of a trolley and the two men tilt it back but not without some difficulty. They begin pushing forward bit by bit until it’s within three feet of the glass doors. That’s way too close for a barbecue – what are they doing?
They untie the ropes securing the covers, and all of a sudden there he is in all his glory – it’s Bert!
My hands fly up to my face in disbelief at what I’m seeing.
‘What… how…?’
‘We all chipped in,’ Fisher informs me, placing his hand on my shoulder and giving it a tweak. ‘And not only did Martin contribute, but he also did us a deal. The thing is, the guys want to know where you want him.’
Tears are prickling behind my eyelids again, but everyone is looking at me expectantly, so I plaster on a smile over my look of genuine surprise. ‘This is too much, really. But I will admit, I was steeling myself for the day when Martin eventually sold Bert, because it would have broken my heart. Oh, guys – you are awesome and way too generous!’
Both Gray and Tollie are naturally growing impatient, stomping their feet to warm their toes, as they wait for me to indicate where to stand Bert. Gray points his hand, shrugging his shoulders and indicating first left and then right.
‘He has to come inside.’ I raise my voice as I slide the door back a little, because Gray is shaking his head, unable to hear me clearly. ‘I know he’s a statue, but I can’t bear to think of him out in the snow.’
Tollie looks upwards at the heavens, but Gray thinks it’s funny.
‘Okay, it’s your call. Stand back everyone.’
After a bit of head-scratching, Gray knocks the precarious ledge of snow back out onto the patio and then folds one of the blankets in four. He drapes it over the step up to the threshold of the doors.
Abe and Liam are closest, and they immediately rush forward to help.
‘Count to three and you push, we’ll pull,’ Abe instructs.
‘One, two, three.’ There is a lot of groaning and I can’t even imagine what Bert weighs.
But he’s safely inside and no one strained a back, although the floor is wet and slippery now. I reach out to grab the other blanket sitting atop the mound of snow outside the door, then slide the door closed. I throw the woven tartan fabric down to sop up some of the melting snow; Gray and Tollie are now dripping all over everything.
Gazing at Bert, he seems very happy, standing as a statement silhouette against a backdrop of almost pure white. I pat his back and Gray slides his arm around my waist to give me a loving hug.
‘You guys are mad, seriously mad,’ I tell him, but we have matching smiles and I can see he’s delighted with my response.
The temperature in here has dropped at least a couple of degrees and while Valerie and I mop the floor dry, everyone else is fixated on the garden. The wind is really beginning to whip up and it’s now driving the piles of loose snow into drifts up against the fences and hedging. There’s very little to see in the dim grey light as the visibility grows worse by the minute.
‘Guess no one’s going anywhere real soon,’ Bernie mutters, mostly to himself. But Tollie and I hear him and I’m wondering how on earth we are going to accommodate everyone tonight. Abe and Ethel live closest, but that’s a good mile plus, further along the towpath, and it simply isn’t safe out there.
‘Who’s for charades after dessert? Let’s clear the dinner plates away and get serving. Then we can move the chairs over in front of the patio doors,’ I call out above the general background noise.
It’s enough to get everyone moving.
The ladies all head off to the kitchen area, while the men clear the plates from the table. Gray lingers for a few moments, scooping me into his arms as I hold out my left hand, tilting my head to take in the detail on Grandma’s ring.
‘It is beautiful,’ he remarks. ‘I hope today hasn’t disappointed you. Sharing the house and the cottage with thirteen of our closest family and friends, and someone we’d never met before today, wasn’t quite how this was supposed to go. But I’m not at all unhappy and I hope you aren’t, either.’
‘Fourteen in total – you’re forgetting Bert.’
‘My sincere apologies, Bert. You love that chunk of metal, don’t you?’
‘I do. Almost as much as I love you, so be careful what you say.’