Page 95 of It Always Snows on Mistletoe Square
‘Looks like this is where we part company,’ she says to the basket, and suddenly I realise that wrapped tightly in among all the clothing is a tiny baby.
‘Is that Ben?’ I ask quietly.
Estelle nods.
Ben just stares at the young woman.
‘She’s so frail … ’ he whispers. ‘Why is she so frail?’ he demands, looking at Estelle, while the woman climbs the steps up to Christmas House. Ben is right – she does look very pale and not well at all.
‘Patience, Ben,’ Estelle says, still watching the woman. ‘All will become clear soon. As Elle has correctly guessed, that is you in the basket, and the young woman is indeed your mother. Her name is Sarah.’
Ben stares hard at Sarah, then he follows her to the top of the steps.
‘Why?’ he asks her, his face pressed close to hers. ‘Why are you abandoning me? Why don’t you want me?’
But Sarah simply bends down to tend to her baby. She carefully makes sure he’s wrapped up to keep out the cold, then she places a gentle kiss on his forehead.
‘I hope one day you’ll understand why I have to do this,’ she whispers. ‘You’ll probably hate me, and I don’t blame you for that. But really, this is for the best. They will look after you here. Goodbye, my love.’
‘Stop!’ Ben shouts as she stands up again. ‘It isn’t for the best. You’re wrong. Right now I need you, not anyone else. I want my mother!’
Sarah is about to ring the doorbell, but she stops as though she’s heard something.
‘Can you hear me?’ Ben asks, looking wildly at her. ‘Can she hear me?’ he asks us still standing at the bottom of the steps watching all this unfold. ‘Sarah!’ he calls. ‘Can you hear me? It’s your son – don’t leave me here!’
Sarah looks slightly puzzled as she hesitates on the steps. But something has definitely disturbed her baby, and he begins to cry.
Our Ben stares down at his younger self. ‘I think you can hear me, can’t you, buddy?’ he says as Sarah tries to settle her child again. ‘I’m doing this for you, you know?’
Baby Ben begins to cry even harder, so Sarah has no choice but to pick him up.
‘Hush,’ she whispers as she holds the baby close to her and rocks him to and fro. ‘Hush there. Mummy is here.’
‘Hi!’ We turn our heads to see Fred standing on the steps of Holly House, the front door open behind him. ‘Can I help you?’
Sarah immediately turns away.
Fred in his socked feet this time, pulls the door to and comes down the steps towards us.
‘What are you doing?’ he calls as he walks along the pavement. ‘There’s no one in next door right now.’
Sarah is clearly panicking outside Christmas House as Fred approaches, but there’s nowhere to hide.
‘Is that a baby you’re holding?’ Fred asks as he arrives at the bottom of the steps.
‘Yes,’ Sarah says, having no choice but to turn around. Baby Ben has calmed slightly now, but is still making a grumbling sound.
Fred looks up at Sarah and the baby, and then down at the basket of clothes.
‘Do you need some help?’ he asks. ‘If you do, it’s best if you come next door. Like I said, no one is home there right now.’
‘Will they be long?’ Sarah asks, still rocking her baby back and forth to soothe him.
‘Dunno, they had to go to the hospital. Could be ages. They’ve left me in charge, though, so if you want to come in to ours and wait, you can?’
Sarah shakes her head. ‘You’re very young to be in charge of something like this, aren’t you?’
Fred shrugs. ‘It’s only for tonight. I’ve got to make sure everyone gets their stocking and Christmas presents you see – all the mothers and their babies. Ange said she’d be back to cook us all Christmas dinner though – I can’t wait!’
