A Merry Little Christmas

While Jean was looking after the twins, Gabriel’s dad, David, was out on the fields of the day. Despite being officially retired, he frequently helped Gabriel and Dan out on the farm when he could.

‘Good luck, Steven, I’m sure you won’t need it,’ said Jean, managing to elicit the first smile from Steven of the day.

They drove pretty much in silence the fifty miles or so to the small cathedral town of Middleminster, each alone with their thoughts. Gabe, Marianne knew, was feeling nervous for his son, but anxious about the future, and guilty for half wishing Steven wouldn’t get in.

‘I know I should want this for him,’ Gabriel had told her the previous night, ‘but I hate the thought of him being away from us. I hate the fact that I can’t seem to want what’s best for him.’

‘Whatever will be, will be,’ said Marianne. ‘Let’s just get him through the test first, and hope everything works out for the best.’

She was still hoping that as they eventually arrived at Middleminster. Steven was a clever boy, and had done well in the practice tests she’d done with him. But she didn’t know how stiff the competition was, and he was very young. Nerves could let him down on the day.

They entered the school via an impressively long drive, with sweeping views of frosty fields overlooking the pretty medieval town of Middleminster, and pulled up in front of an imposing redbrick Victorian building, where queues of small boys were lining up to go in for the exam.

‘Bloody hell,’ said Gabriel, looking in dismay at the numbers. ‘I’d no idea there would be so many of them taking the exam.’

Eve, who’d clearly been waiting for them, leapt out of her car with Darren following behind, and ran up to Steven, and gave him a hug.

‘Go and knock ’em dead, kid,’ she said. ‘I know you can do it.’

‘See, someone will be pleased I get in,’ said Steven.

Gabriel said, ‘Of course I’ll be pleased.’

‘So will we be,’ said Eve. ‘Darren will give you a BlackBerry when you pass.’

Gabriel was about to protest, but Marianne nudged him as they saw the look on Steven’s face, so they both said nothing.

‘Thanks, Mum,’ Steven said, his face lighting up at the sight of her. Marianne felt sad, despite herself. No matter how many years she’d looked after Steven when his mum was unable to – she could never replace Eve. Not that she wanted to, but seeing how happy Steven was to be with his mum, she wondered if it had been right for him to be away from Eve so long, however flaky she was.

Hours passed slowly in the school café, where Marianne and Gabriel felt obliged to make polite conversation with Eve and Darren. Although by the time they’d heard for the zillionth time just how big Darren’s Christmas bonus had been, Marianne felt like screaming. She had never met anyone so incredibly self-centred and money orientated in her life. He clearly had no interest in what she and Gabriel did, and she suspected, precious little interest in Steven. Unfair of her or not, Marianne had the distinct impression Darren was only getting so involved to impress Eve, because while the rest of them frequently checked their watches and fretted how Steven was getting on, Darren almost seemed to have forgotten why they were there.

Never had three hours passed so slowly, but eventually it was over, and hundreds of small boys poured out of the examination hall, ready to be reunited with their parents. Marianne spotted Steven in the middle of them, a small pale looking figure with an air of defeat about him. She longed to go and hug him, but knew that would be counterproductive, as Steven was very clear that hugging in public was way too embarrassing for an eleven-year-old.

‘How did it go?’ asked Gabriel carefully.

‘Awful,’ said Steven and burst into tears. ‘It was really difficult. I’m sure I’ve failed.’

He looked so miserable that, forgetting her resolution, Marianne automatically gave him a hug.

‘I’m sure it’s not as bad as all that,’ she said. ‘Exams often seem worse than they are. Maybe we could go through some of your answers together.’

‘I think what Steven needs is to forget all about it,’ said Darren.

‘I know,’ said Eve, ‘why don’t Darren and I take you out for the afternoon? I’m sure it will all work out. That will be okay, won’t it, Gabriel? We’ll bring him home for seven.’

‘Oh please. Can I?’ Steven’s face lit up.

Gabriel looked at Marianne helplessly.

‘Of course, that’s fine.’

‘Great,’ said Steven. ‘Mum, you’re the best.’

Hardly glancing back at Gabriel and Marianne, he walked off excitedly with his mum and Darren, talking nineteen to the dozen.

‘Great,’ said Gabriel heavily as they watched him go. ‘Why do I get the feeling we’re losing him?’

Marianne gave him a reassuring hug. It was on the tip of her tongue to say don’tbe silly, but looking at how cheerful Steven seemed, it was hard not to dispute Gabriel’s gloom. The trouble was, if Steven wanted to spend more time with Eve and Darren, there was very little they could do about it – whether she and Gabriel liked it or not.

Pippa was at home with Lucy, who was having an inset day. It was nice to have Lucy to herself. At the weekends, when the boys were here, Pippa felt conscious that sometimes, in her bid not to let the boys miss out, she didn’t spend enough time just being with Lucy. Despite her wheelchair, and her inability to talk directly, Lucy had a lively and vivacious personality, and through her electronic keyboard could convey more than adequately how she felt about things. The keyboard was a fairly new acquisition which had come about at the suggestion of Kim from the Sunshine Trust, and it had transformed their lives. Lucy had always managed to get on with other children, but now, to Pippa’s delight, she’d been able to strike up a proper friendship with Ruby, Cat’s youngest, who seemed to have a total blindness when it came to Lucy’s disability. The two girls shared a similar sense of mischief, and Ruby was often round now at the weekends, which Pippa had to admit made life a lot easier.

You sorted my care out yet? Lucy keyed in, as she overheard Pippa’s long conversation with Claire King about their options (none) should the respite care be taken away altogether.

‘What do you think?’ Pippa rolled her eyes at her daughter.

Slacker, keyed Lucy, and laughed her head off.

‘Cheeky,’ said Pippa grinning. Thank God for Lucy’s sense of humour. It made the tough bits bearable. ‘But I’m working on it, so there. I’m just going to make some phone calls now.’

Talking to Clare King was having the effect of galvanising her into action. Every time Claire put an obstacle in her path, Pippa felt duty bound to clear it away.

She rang up the first of two companies who’d contacted her. It was a medical equipment company, who wanted, ‘To give something back,’ as the director told her. The second company made some positive noises, but she couldn’t get anything more concrete out of them.

‘These are difficult times,’ the friendly lady on the other end of the phone said, ‘so I’m afraid we can’t commit at the moment, but keep in touch, and maybe things will be different in a few months’ time.’

‘Thanks, that’s very kind of you,’ Pippa said, she gave the thumbs-up to Lucy, who grinned at her. ‘I’ll do that.’

She put the phone down and high-fived her daughter.

‘See, not such a slacker after all,’ she said.

Okay. I let you off, typed Lucy.

‘You better had,’ said Pippa, with a grin, ‘I’m working my socks off for you.’

She filed the details of her phone calls away, and made a note of the dates she’d arranged for her meetings on the calendar, before thinking about what to cook for lunch. As if on cue, Dan walked in from a morning’s hard graft.

‘How are my gorgeous girls today?’

‘Ugh, you smell of cows and pigs,’ said Pippa, pushing him away in a mock serious way.

‘You know you love it really,’ said Dan with a grin.

Smelly Dad, typed Lucy, putting on such a pained expression, they all laughed.

At moments like this, Pippa knew they’d be all right. Dan would always be by her side, Lucy was a total joy, the boys were a great support. She was going to fight with every fibre of her being to save the respite care package, but whatever else happened, no one could take her family away from her. Not even Claire King.

Cat stood in the chemist’s irresolute, holding the pregnancy testing kit, checking swiftly that there was no one she knew in there. Hope Christmas was a great place to live, but everyone knew your business before you did.