Page 90 of Sad Girl Hours
She shuffles up with a slight smile. “Happy Christmas, Nell.”
“Are you ready? Naomi and Owen are going to be absolutely feral all day. I’m so sorry in advance.”
“I can handle a bit of feral, don’t you worry,” she says, and I can tell she’s trying to be upbeat, but it’s also not entirely working. Something’s wrong.
“Did you sleep OK last night in chez fort?” I ask.
“It was very cosy.”
“But did you sleep OK?”
“I slept.” She offers me a half-hearted smile.
“Hmph.”
We head downstairs and open up our stocking presents in our pyjamas, eat some pastries and fruit, and then it’s time to head back up to get dressed properly before our grandparents, aunt and uncle and the cousins come round.
“Nell, hang on a sec!” Pops calls.
My dads pull me back through the archway, out of sight of the stairs, their eyes darting back and forth.
“What’s up?” I ask. They’re being weird.
“We’ve not had anything arrive for Saffron. Did you definitely give her the right address to tell them?”
“Tell who what?” I ask, confused.
Pops stares at me like I’m being obtuse on purpose. “Herparents, or other family. She’s not been sent any presents here from anyone. Unless they’re giving her something later on – are they coming up north before you guys start back at uni? They’d be very welcome here if they are.”
Ah. I had been wondering about this myself. “They’re not coming up here, no,” I say. “And I did tell her our address. I just … don’t think they got her anything.”
“What do you mean?” They both still look baffled.
“I mean, her parents are absolute knobwaffles who didn’t get her anything for her birthday, and I very much doubt they’ve got her anything for Christmas either. They probably would have done if she was down there with them, but I don’t think they’ve bothered now she’s up here.”
“But that’s horrible!” Dad says.
“I know it’s horrible. They’re horrible people.”
Pops looks a little uncomfortable with me disparaging another set of parents, like it would go against the Parents’ Code to agree with me. Dad, however, looks disgusted.
“Well, I’m even more glad you brought her back with you then. I’m only annoyed we didn’t get her a couple more things. She’s just going to have to watch us all open stuff – that won’t be fun.”
“It’ll be fine,” I say, though the idea has been upsetting me too. “She’s not a materialistic person, honestly. She’s just glad to be here, I think.”
“We’ve seen how you look after her, sweetpea,” Pops says. “And it’s beautiful really. We’re so proud of you.”
“I’d look after her a lot more if she’d let me.” I sigh. “But she’s stubborn.”
Dad smiles. “You know, I’ve never had a girlfriend but I do have a husband, and they can be pretty proud – and stubborn – too. All you can do is keep loving them, even when it seems like they don’t want you to.”
Pops rolls his eyes. “I’m not stubborn.”
“And Saffron’s not my girlfriend,” I say.
They exchange a look.
“She’snot.”
