Page 73 of A Wish For Wilma
‘I hope that awfy smell doesn’t mean they’ve gone to the hot, burny place,’ said Wilma. ‘When you told me about that, Jinnie, it fair gave me the heebies.’ She shuddered and dabbed her eyes with a tissue.
‘I don’t think so, Gran.’ Jinnie sniffed the air. The odour had changed to something more fragrant: a hint of patchouli laced with vanilla. ‘I could be wrong, but I feel they’re exactly where they should be. In a good place.’
They prepared to leave the room. Wilma muttered something about having a half-decent brandy put aside for emergencies, then stopped dead. ‘I don’t blinking believe it!’
‘What, Gran?’
‘They took my bleedin’ cushion with them!’
EPILOGUE
‘Wilma Cooper,that was the best Hogmanay dinner I’ve ever tasted,’ declared Gus. ‘And I’ve celebrated more times than I care to remember.’
‘Glad you enjoyed it.’
‘How you got the pastry to puff up like that, and the beef was melt-in-the-mouth. Restaurant quality, for sure.’
Wilma dipped her head to hide her telltale flush. Gus didn’t need to know that she’d bought the pie from Jo. On a mad whim, she’d attempted once again to make her own pastry. The resulting glutinous lump had ended up in the bin.
‘Totally delicious, Gran,’ added Jinnie, with a sly wink. She knew the truth, having collected the pie from A Bit of Crumpet, but had sworn to keep it a secret. Wilma had insisted on cooking, or rather, heating up.
They’d gathered at Jinnie and Sam’s place to see in the New Year. Rob and Kath had cancelled earlier, both sick with nasty colds and reluctant to share their germs.
‘I can’t believe we’re heading into January as parents.’ Jinnie reached for Sam’s hand. ‘I thought I’d still be waddling around like an oversized duck at this point.’
They’d tucked Dahlia into her cot a few hours earlier. The baby monitor sat inches away, blissfully silent.
‘You never waddled, Jinnie.’ Sam paused. ‘Maybe lumbered a little, but in an attractive way.’
Jinnie snatched back her hand and play-punched Sam in the arm. ‘Less of your cheek, or I’ll be lobbing this beauty intoyourdrink!’ Jinnie held up her left hand, the stone catching the light of the candles illuminating the dining table.
‘Children, children,’ Wilma remonstrated, with an indulgent smile. ‘No squabbling as we prepare to see out the old year and welcome in the new.’
Gus nodded, catching Wilma’s eye and giving her a look that could defrost a freezer. ‘Indeed. And I want to thank you both again for having me here for the bells. It wasn’t the easiest end to the year, but it’s turned out just right.’
Sam and Jinnie had also invited Jo and Harvey to join them, but they’d headed to London to meet up with some of Harvey’s acting colleagues. Earlier in the day, Ed and Angela had stopped by with baby Ruairi before going to spend the evening at the pub with Mags, Ken and Angela’s grown-up son Jamie, who lived and worked in Edinburgh.
‘Ruairi is so adorable,’ said Jinnie. ‘We’re going to sign up for a mother and baby group in the next village to share our experiences and compare notes.’
‘You mean drink coffee and gossip while the wee ones writhe around on mats?’ Wilma chortled. ‘Sounds like a good plan.’
Sam left the room to fetch the trifle he’d made earlier. Wilma suspected an element of cheating had gone on there, too, but who was she to sit in judgement? The packaging she’d spied in the kitchen bin, bearing the name of a well-known supermarket, meant nothing. Tonight, the only meaningful thing was the coming together of family. A family that included Gus.
‘Gran, before we get all emotional and start singing, we’ve found a venue for the wedding!’ Jinnie beamed, her joy outdoing the candles on the glow front.
‘We found several possibilities,’ said Sam, ‘but my darling wife-to-be had her heart set on a July wedding. And it seems you need to book up to two years in advance for many places. However…’
‘My absolute favourite had a cancellation in July and we put down a deposit. I’m going to be a bride!’
Wilma and Gus made all the right noises as they scrolled through images of the venue, a converted manor house boasting acres of grounds, a view over a loch and stunning guest bedrooms, with bathrooms bigger than Wilma’s lounge and kitchen combined.
‘Very swanky,’ Wilma said. ‘I hope that, as befits my position, I’ll be allotted the next best thing to the honeymoon suite?’ She kept scrolling and a massive four-poster bed appeared, which could accommodate the entire Cooper family with room to spare. Or two older people keen on cuddling but content to occupy their own space. She glanced at Gus.
‘You will have the finest room available.’ Sam smiled at Wilma. ‘Both of you. Or two, if you prefer.’
‘One’s just fine.’ Gus nodded at Wilma. ‘I’ll take earplugs to drown out the snoring.’
Bloody cheek! He’s the one that snores!Wilma recalled hearing him through the wall and the strange comfort it had brought her. Mind, she’d woken herself many times with a distinct snort, so maybe they’d have a snoring competition. Who wins? Who cares?
