silk costume and added, “Minnie should wear this for Christmas Day. It’s hers. You made it, Becky. You should enjoy it.” Whereupon Suze’s eyes got even wider and she said, “That’s Minnie’s? But, Bex—”
So it all had to be explained. Whereupon Suze said she knew I must have made a better costume than that Denny and George one. But then she instantly backtracked, in case I was offended, and started saying how, actually, in many ways she preferred the Denny and George one and it was terribly imaginative.
At last Steph said she’d better go, but she gave me a tight hug and said in my ear, “Let’s have happy Christmases, shall we?” And as she drew away, for the first time she looked as if she actually might.
As for me, I’m having the happiest Christmas I can remember, despite the fact that all the snow has vanished. (Typical.) Carols are playing. The food smells sensational. Minnie is in seventh heaven. Mum and Janice are best friends again, and Mum’s even wearing one of Janice’s old two-pieces, with a tinsel necklace. She said over a Buck’s Fizz this morning, “We do enjoy Shoreditch, love. Like you enjoy a holiday. But it’s not…” and she bashed her heart. She didn’t say any more, but I think I knew what she meant.
Although, having said that, Janice has mentioned about a hundred times how keen she is to start visiting Mum more and going to “workshops and events” and “Maybe Martin and I will look at an apartment in Shoreditch too!” So I have no idea how that might pan out. As for Flo, the subject hasn’t even been mentioned. It’s as though she never existed.
The star of the show, of course, is Santiago. We’re all pretending to be interested in one another’s stories and jokes, but, really, no one can keep their eyes off him. Right now he’s playing with all the others in some new game of Clemmie’s involving pictures of hats. And the other children are being so sweet and careful to include him that it melts my heart.
“He’s amazing,” I say to Jess every five minutes, because he is. He really is.
He’s also the most ethically dressed child I’ve ever seen, in bamboo and recycled cotton and vegan leather shoes. Plus he’s been the only child to show any interest in my eco-tree, so he gets extra points, unlike my godson, Ernest, who just said flatly, “What’s that? Shall I take it to recycling?” To be fair, it’s not the most impressive sight. It’s a branch from the garden decorated with three spoons. But Santiago stroked the spoons and smiled—he’s got the most ravishing smile—and I could tell, as Jess watched him, she’s absolutely besotted.
In fact, she must be on some sort of cloud nine, because an hour ago we all realized Minnie had decorated a beaming Santiago in wreaths of tinsel and fairy lights. But when I rushed in horror to rip them off him, thinking, Oh God, evil plastic, evil tinsel, Jess will get totally offended and leave, she put up a hand to stop me. And, looking sheepish, she said, “Wait. He looks so sweet. Let me take a quick photo.”
She actually took a photo of her son adorned with plastic decorations! Jess, who hates plastic! It’s being a new mother, I reckon. It’s addled her brain.
I’m about to tinkle a fork in my glass and suggest we open some presents, when Suze arrives by my side breathlessly and says, “Bex. Come here a sec.”
She leads me into the hall and shows me a large cardboard box, covered in rain stains and bird droppings. “This was in your front garden!” she says. “I just took out some recycling, and I spotted the corner of it behind your rosebush. I think it must have been dumped there a few days ago.”
“Oh God,” I say guiltily. “It must be something I bought online.”
“What?” says Suze expectantly. “It’s quite big.”
“No idea. Don’t tell Luke.”
I hastily rip it open, so that I can go and hide whatever it is under the bed—but the sight that greets me makes me momentarily freeze. It’s leather. Dark brown leather. As I tear the cardboard further, my heart thumping, I see a handle. A brass “LB” charm. I rip the rest of the covering off in a frenzy—and it is. It’s the portmanteau. I can’t believe it.
“Wow!” exclaims Suze. “That’s phenomenal! Where did you get that from?”