Page 79 of The Best Little Christmas Shop
‘Yay!’ George took my hand and began jumping along as I headed into the main living area and set to work.
When the five minutes passed, I saw Cal glance at the large clear-numbered clock hanging on the wall and then back at his son who was engrossed in helping me attach a garland to the mantelpiece. I caught his eye and he gave the smallest of nods. It was Saturday tomorrow so both of them could grab a bit of a lie-in if needed.
As I pressed the switch concealed at one end of the garland, which I’dsecured away from any possibility of being accidentally pulled off, the entwined white fairy lights began to twinkle. George gave a little gasp of joy, his eyes wide with excitement. Small arms were flung around my neck and he hugged me. Automatically I cuddled him back. I knew all this was just going to make it harder when I came to leave and honestly, I didn’t even want to think about any ofthat right now. I just wanted to enjoy the moment.
Raising my eyes, I saw Cal watching the scene, his expression now unreadable. I knew his concerns but Cal and I weren’t acting romantically towards one another. In fact, it was the opposite. He’d pulled completely back. There was no hint of the interest he’d previously shown, albeit cautiously. He was sticking to the plan. Friends to make thingseasy on everyone else. It was the best plan. Even if my heart didn’t think so.
Ten minutes later, George was asleep, having crawled up on to the sofa, and Cal was scooping him up, tipping him gently against his chest as he settled him in his arms. At least he wasn’t going to have any awkward moments about the bedtime story now.
‘Can I help at all?’ I asked.
Cal shook his head, keeping his eyesaverted from mine as he made his way across the room. ‘I’ll be back shortly. You don’t have to do all the rest. I’m sure I can work it out.’ He conceded the slightest of glances as he left and then they were both gone, heading up the corridor to the little boy’s room.
‘Right,’ I said to myself quietly as I sat back down on my knees. I trailed one of the tactile wall hangings to and fro throughmy fingers a minute, thinking. Remembering the distinct bewilderment on Cal’s face earlier as he’d stood looking at all the decorations, I grabbed another pile and headed back into the dining area of the kitchen and set to work. By the time he came back about ten minutes later, I was already well on the way into turning it into a grotto fit for a five-year-old elf.
‘Blimey. How long was I gone?’
I laughed. ‘I’m good at cars, and I’m good at this.’
Cal looked around. ‘You can say that again. How do you know what to do with all this?’ He took a chair at the table where the rest of the supplies were piled and began looking through them.
‘That little shop of ours has taught me a lot about decorating for Christmas. I just grew up doing it. And my parents love Christmas so there’s alwaysbeen tonnes of stuff to put up at home. I guess I just learned in a sort of osmosis fashion through them.’
Cal stood, taking the end of the garland of stripy candy canes I was currently stretching to reach and secure.
‘Where do you want it?’
I looked up. ‘It’s your house. I was just passing the time.’
Cal looked around. ‘It’s been time well spent. If you have a little more, I’d be gratefulif you didn’t leave me floundering with all this stuff. Honestly, I haven’t a clue. I’m not very good at all this. George was right. Our decorations were a bit sparse. I could do a tree – although to be fair Martha’s done that for the last few years, which is why it doesn’t look like a Christmas department threw up on it. I provide the tree and she does the rest with George.’
‘That’s nice though.’
‘I did come in in time to help him put the star on the top.’ There was something in his face that made me stop.
‘You can only do so much, Cal. You’re only one person.’
‘Yeah. I know. I just … The older he gets the more aware of stuff he is. Christmas, I mean. I want to get it right for him.’
‘There’s no right and wrong when it comes to Christmas. You just do what you feel.’ He was still holdingthe end of the garland so I gently held his arm and guided it into the place I wanted it fixed. ‘There. That’s perfect.’ We both stood back and looked.
‘It is,’ Cal said. He reached up and tapped one of the candy canes, sending the rest gently swinging too.
‘What if you don’t feel anything about Christmas?’
I stopped searching through the decorations. ‘What do you mean?’
He shrugged. ‘I don’tknow. I just don’t get all the excitement about it. Obviously it’s been easier since George arrived because he’s naturally excited but I still don’t really get it, as such. We’ve actually gone abroad mostly.’
‘Oh.’
He lifted a rather mischievous-looking angel from the table. ‘Where am I putting this?’
I pointed to a space on the deep windowsill of the breakfast nook. He put it down, and glancedover his shoulder to check with me on the position.
‘Just to the left a bit and that will leave us space for these.’ I picked up the other decorations I’d put aside for this space and put them into Cal’s outstretched hands.
‘Why do you go abroad for Christmas?’
