Page 104 of All I Want for Christmas

‘Brandy.’ She could feel from the weight of it that it was only half full.

‘Hah,’ she winced as she took a sip, feeling it burn her throat. It did warm her a little – but it mainly burned. He took it from her and had a long, deep slug himself. No shiver. No wince, it just slid down.

Someone with a speaker began making announcements and Aksel listened in as the first kayakers made their way to the steps and began getting on the water.

‘Right,’ he said, screwing the lid back on and returning it to his bag. He zipped it closed. ‘Wait here. I’ll put these in the lockers,’ he said, and she stood obediently as he checked in their backpacks and coats at the kayak bar.

‘Oh, I’m a bit scared,’ she said, slightly jittery, when he came back a few minutes later.

‘You’ll be fine,’ he said, slipping what looked to be a small grey, waterproof pouch over his head. ‘I’ve put both our phones in here,’ he said. ‘Just in case.’

She grimaced. If her phone was to fall into the canal...‘You’re sure it’s watertight?’

‘I’m certain. I use it all the time...And that’s your song sheet,’ he said, handing her a small pamphlet. ‘With the lyrics. Tuck it into the front of your lifejacket.’

She copied his actions, shivering all the while. Even in a wetsuit, it was a freezing cold night.

‘Oh...that’s us,’ he said as more numbers were called. ‘Follow me.’

He led the way over to the steps and the organizers lowered the next kayaks into the water. Aksel got in his first – so much for ladies first, she thought, waiting her turn.

One of marshals held the prow of the boat as she lowered herself in carefully, trying not to look at the black water sloshing just inches away from her now. She couldn’t imagine what the water temperatures must be.

It rocked side to side precariously and she squealed with fright as she sat down quickly, really not convinced this was any way to get into the Christmas spirit. A mince pie worked far better in her opinion.

‘Feeling okay?’ Aksel asked, as she was pushed away from the steps and found herself floating alongside him.

Admittedly, now she was squarely loaded and on the water, she did feel safer. Each kayak had been threaded with fairy lights so that the canal was brightly illuminated. Above them, on the banks, the trees and ship masts were lit up too so that Darcy felt she could see every single face peering down at her. In front of them, and behind too, sat the multitude of kayakers already buoyant and just waiting for the command to go.

‘This is amazing,’ she beamed, wide-eyed. ‘I’ve never seen anything like it.’ Some of the kayakers had tiny Christmas trees strapped to the backs of their kayaks; others were wearing velvet cloaks and crowns, as if they were kings travelling to Bethlehem.

The backs of their kayaks were gently butted by the newcomers coming up behind them and they were in turn pushed into the backs of the people sitting ahead of them – but it didn’t matter. She felt safe. The atmosphere was relaxed and happy. No one was in a rush to get anywhere.

Soon enough, a command was given and like a very,veryslow Mexican wave, oars were angled out of the water and they began to move. The crowds cheered as the illuminated kayakers began to glide down the canal, a vast body of light slinking through the city’s waterways.

Darcy laughed as they went. It was crazy but brilliant! There was simply no possibility of something like this happening on the Thames. The Serpentine lake in Hyde Park, perhaps? But that was tiny compared to this route, and there was nowhere else to go there but round and round.

Aksel grinned, looking over at her as he paddled with ease. She had never seen the city from this perspective. She had thought it would feel cold and dark, but it felt as bright as if they were standing around a bonfire. Everywhere she looked, people were talking and laughing, paddling with easy strokes, as if this was a perfectly normal thing to be doing on a Friday night in December.

She was happy – until they pulled away from the protected wharf, into the wider, more open water of the harbour. Hadn’t he said there were no tides? There was a light wind blowing in, whipping up small waves that felt big in a kayak; it was darker, too, as they had only the lights on the kayaks now to throw out a glow, and she was grateful for the large body of people surrounding her. She reminded herself there was safety in numbers, although it made it hard to keep track of Aksel. He had pulled ahead of her, not quite realizing his superior stroke-rate.

‘Aksel,’ she called, not too loudly. Not wanting to appear frightened in front of all these people. He didn’t hear her but she managed to keep him in her sights, his flashing antlers making it easy for her to find him in the crowd.

She decided to paddle in time with the kayaker in front ofher – it seemed like a logical thing to do – but by the time they pulled into the famous Nyhavn harbour twenty minutes later, she was out of breath, blisters beginning to rise on one hand.

Lights shone again, basking them in a golden glow, and the contingent stopped paddling as one, everyone letting their arms rest as the crowds gathered on the bank cheered their arrival. It had been harder work than she had anticipated.

‘Darcy! Hey, over here!’

The shout carried over to her and she saw Aksel waving. He was seven kayaks away from her, width-wise, and it was difficult to navigate across to him now everyone was stationary.

‘Sorry...sorry,’ she winced apologetically as she bumped and nudged her way over to him. She could see people giving her irritated looks as they had to help her round them.

‘So? What did you think of that?’ he asked brightly as she finally got to him. ‘There was a bit of a headwind so it was a little harder work than usual.’

She looked back at him in disbelief. ‘Aksel, you went ahead without me!’ she hissed, trying not to betray the extent of her upset. ‘You left me behind!’

‘Did I? I thought you were right behind me,’ he frowned.

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