Page 2 of A Merry Irish Christmas
She texted back:
Be there in five.
‘Thanks, Ted,’ she said, pulling on her gloves.
‘Sure, any time.’
Mary picked up her bags in both hands.
‘Happy holidays – and good luck!’ Ted called after her as she turned towards the elevators.
It was the week before Christmas and the streets were jam-packed with shoppers jostling for space on the thronged pavements. Children bundled in coats and scarves, their cheeksflushed from the cold, stood gazing in awe at the extravagant displays in the storefront windows. Mary could relate. Despite the crowds and the mayhem, she loved the razzle-dazzle of New York at Christmas – the sidewalk Santas clanging their bells and calling ‘Ho Ho Ho’ to passers-by, the lavish decorations and sparkling lights, the festive music that poured from shop doorways. It never failed to give her a childlike thrill of excitement to be part of it.
When she reached the Italian trattoria where she was meeting Gina, she shouldered her way through the door and looked around, quickly spotting her friend waving her over to the far corner.
‘I ordered the wine,’ Gina said, nodding to an open bottle on the table. She already had a full glass in front of her. ‘Hope Pino Grigio’s okay?’
‘Perfect!’ Mary said, dropping her bags under the table. ‘Thanks.’ She removed her coat and scarf as Gina poured her a glass. Then she flopped onto the seat opposite her with a sigh of relief. ‘Wow, Christmas shopping is exhausting.’
‘You look like you’ve been busy,’ Gina said, nodding to the myriad bags at Mary’s feet. ‘Are you all set?’
Mary took a sip of wine and felt herself begin to relax. ‘Almost. I still haven’t got anything for Greg’s parents. I want to make a good impression, but I don’t have a clue what to get them. And Greg’s no help.’ She repeated what she’d told Ted.
‘Huh! That’s such a cop-out.’
‘I’ve spent half the morning wandering around looking at stuff, wondering if this woman I’ve never met would like it or if it would go in a house I’ve never seen. I almost got them a casserole dish just now.’
‘Yikes!’
‘I know. Luckily a sales guy talked me down just in time.’
‘Why don’t you just get them a fancy hamper? Everyone likes food and liquor.’
‘That’s what Ted said!’
‘Who’s Ted?’ Gina frowned.
‘The sales guy in Macy’s.’
‘Well, there you go. It’s unanimous.’
‘Yeah, I’m going to go with that. But first, I need to eat.’ She picked up the menu. ‘I’m starving and I’ll probably spend another couple of hours trying to choose which one to get.’
‘So, you’re back in the office on Monday, right?’ Gina asked when they’d ordered.
‘Yeah. I figured I might as well save my leave, since Greg’s working all week anyway and we’re not driving up to his family’s place until Christmas Eve.’ She’d booked extra time off earlier in the year, when she’d thought she’d be spending Christmas in Ireland.
‘How’s your mom dealing with you not going back home for Christmas?’ Gina asked.
‘Not great.’ Mary took a sip of wine. ‘She’s pretty gutted about it. As am I.’ It was a relief that she could be honest with Gina about it. She tried to be more upbeat around Greg and not to let him see how disappointed she was. After all, she wouldn’t like it if they were going to Dingle and he was unhappy about it. Naturally, he wanted to spend the holidays with his family just as much as she’d like to spend it with hers, and she was glad he wanted her to go with him. It represented a commitment to their relationship that she found reassuring after a somewhat wobbly few months when she’d wondered if they had any future together.
She’d met Greg when he was on the rebound after what seemed like a particularly brutal break-up, when his ex, Juanita, had left him to return to her native El Salvador. But that had beentwo years ago, so she’d been blindsided last July, when Greg had had a complete meltdown after Juanita called to tell him she was engaged. He’d spiralled, gone on a bender, and sunk into a fug that lasted two days where he’d hardly got out of bed or eaten anything. Mary had felt they were on shaky ground ever since, and began to question whether he’d ever seen them going the distance. So asking her to go home with him for Christmas felt like a good step. It would consolidate their relationship and they could start the new year on a firmer footing. Missing Christmas with her own family was a high price to pay, but sometimes comprises had to be made for the sake of long-term happiness. Besides, it made sense. Greg couldn’t take any extra time off work and Ireland was too far to go for a couple of days.
Still, she couldn’t help being upset about missing an opportunity to spend time with her family. She saw little enough of them, and even though they were in touch constantly, she missed them dreadfully. It was the one downside to living in New York, but it was a big one.
‘But I think it’ll be good for us,’ she said to Gina. ‘And next year, it’ll be my turn and I can take him to Dingle.’
‘Lucky Greg! Your folks are so great. I bet Christmas is a hoot with them.’ Gina had met Mary’s family when they’d come to visit her.
