Page 50 of The Village Christmas Party

‘Oh, Mum, don’t be silly, you’re not landing me with anything. The party is going well, but I’m more worried about you,’ I tell her, anxiously hoping she will be alright. My parents are not even what you might call particularly old, but it reminds me of how our health changes as we age.

Audrey and Sue are standing beside me outside in the car park, Barry having sneaked off to the pub for a quick one a short while ago.

‘You go with your mum in the ambulance,’ says Kian, appearing from inside then. ‘The party will be winding up soon, so when the children have all been collected by their parents, I will help Sue get the pensioners home who aren’t being collected. I will come to the hospital later and take you home.’

‘Really, Kian, you don’t need to do that,’ I protest. ‘I can get a taxi home later, hopefully with Mum, if she hasn’t broken anything.’

‘On Christmas Eve?’ He looks doubtful. ‘No, you’ve been a great help here today, even with your own party taking place. It’s the least I can do. Can I put my number in your phone?’

‘Sure.’

I hand over my phone and he adds his contact details.

‘What about Bella though?’ I ask.

‘I’ll make sure she is sorted, don’t worry.’ He smiles.

‘Well, only if you’re sure? Although I will only call you if I can’t get a taxi.’

‘Make sure you do,’ he insists. ‘Honestly, it’s not a bother.’ He leans in and, to my surprise, kisses me gently on the cheek, sending an electric shock running through my body. ‘See you later then.’

I can hear the music coming from inside, thankfully everyone is still enjoying themselves, Mum having put on a brave face, and telling her friends it was just a little sprain.

Inside the ambulance, Mum gives in to her discomfort and is given some pain relief, and I pray it isn’t anything too serious. I also find myself stroking my cheek where Kian had kissed it, and wondering how it would have felt if his lips had landed on mine.

‘Oh, thank goodness for that.’

I am on the phone to Gemma, who has called to see how the day went. Mum has been X-rayed, and thankfully her hip is not broken as she first feared, but the doctor has advised her to rest and told her she will likely have some bruising tomorrow.

‘So at least I don’t need to be worrying about both of my parents needing operations right now,’ I tell Gemma, thinking of Dad.

‘Thank goodness for that. Can you imagine them both being laid up over Christmas?’

‘I know. I’ve persuaded Mum to stay over with me tonight. She’s a little sore but I’m just so thankful that nothing is broken. She’s fast asleep now, courtesy of her pain meds.’

‘I’m glad she’s okay. And Kian came and picked you up?’ she says. ‘That was very decent of him. I told you he fancied you, didn’t I?’

‘I’m not sure about that,’ I tell her, although he did kiss me on the cheek. ‘He just seems like a good bloke.’

‘Who would give up his Christmas Eve, yeah right.’ I can imagine her smiling.

‘I must admit I thought it would be a right inconvenience on Christmas Eve, but he said Bella was exhausted after the party, so her grandparents watched her for a couple of hours, I think. He was back in time to say goodnight before she went to bed to wait excitedly for Santa.’

I think of our journey home in his car, Mum thanking him and asking him if he was sure she wasn’t putting him out and he’d said it was no bother and that we would be waiting ages for a taxi on Christmas Eve. He arrived before I even texted him, buying us both coffees whilst we waited for Mum to come out of X-ray.

He’d even bought a coffee for an old lady sitting next to us and they chatted about their favourite Christmas films, whilst waiting for her husband, who was being assessed after falling over in the garden, and putting his back out. She’d told him her favourite film wasHome Aloneand that she bet he expected her to say something likeIt’s a Wonderful Life.

‘Not necessarily. I was once told not to make assumptions about people,’ he says, turning to me and smiling.

The lady explained thatHome Alonejust brought back so many wonderful memories of spending time with her children and grandchildren when they were growing up.

‘I’m hoping my great-grandchildren will enjoy it too, if any come along.’ She smiles.

I noticed how Kian also opened doors for patients using walking sticks, bought a load of chocolate bars from a vending machine and left them at the nurses’ station, wishing them all the best, and just generally seemed to put a smile on people’s faces. He also made nice comments about someone wearing a snappy outfit, and commented on my coat and how red really is my colour, which against my dark hair, I have been told before. I think back to his commenting on Gemma’s beautiful hair and realise that he is just the man he is, generous with his compliments. The kind of person who has the ability to make you feel good about yourself with a few choice words.

I wonder whether he could be a bit of a charmer, as I know nothing about him really, yet his comments on the things he observes do seem perfectly natural.

We chat for a while longer, Gemma telling me that the bag she has her eye on is still unsold, and that it will be going in the January sales.

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