coming to collect me?
I felt a mixture of excitement and nerves as I replied.
That would be brilliant. See you at eleven! Let me know if you have trouble finding us. We’re the granite farmhouse just along Le Mont in L’Etacq.
Soon, we were descended on by the entire family, bearing their bulging stockings, and then Magnus and I went to church early. We were home by nine thirty, by which point everyone was tucking into pastries and coffee at the kitchen table. I kept checking my watch and at ten o’clock I told everyone that they should go and get ready as I had a surprise in store at coffee time. All sorts of beady eyes looked at me enquiringly – I hadn’t told anyone about the surprise: even the children.
‘Fine,’ Magnus agreed. ‘Everyone can get ready in a minute. But first, let me give you your second surprise,’ he said, reaching for an envelope tucked behind a jug on the dresser, and passing it to me. I opened it up to find a glossy brochure.
‘A cruise,’ Magnus said.
‘Oh, Magnus! I wasn’t sure if it would happen now, with Freja having the baby and everything!’
‘She’s not due until July. I’ve booked it for May. A whole month just you, me and the Med.’
‘That’s perfect!’ I said and I hugged him. ‘But are you sure you can spare the time off work?’
‘It’s all sorted. This is our chance. Before we revert to a house full of baby clobber again. Time for us.’
‘What an amazing present,’ I told him, and I thought nervously about my own surprise. I couldn’t be at all sure that it would go down quite so well.
***
At five minutes to eleven, as I made our bed, I heard the doorbell ring.
‘I’ll get it!’ I shouted, rushing down the stairs. I swung open the door and saw, standing on the step, a strikingly attractive woman. She was in her late sixties and you could tell that (she didn’t look unnaturally young) but she had lovely white hair – smooth and shoulder-length – and beautiful bone structure. Her kindly face was nicely made-up and she was wearing a soft grey dress.
‘Who is it?’ said Magnus, a moment later, calling downstairs.
‘Is that him?’ the lady asked, raising a hand to her chest as if to steady her heart.
I nodded. ‘Come in,’ I said and I drew her into the farmhouse. I gave her a hug. ‘How are you feeling?’ I asked.
‘So nervous!’
‘Me too!’
But there was no time for more because all of a sudden Magnus was in the entrance hall, looking enquiringly at me. I could see him wondering if I’d mentioned an extra guest for Christmas Day – someone from the local community who was otherwise going to be on their own.
‘Hello,’ said Magnus, holding out a hand towards the woman. ‘Happy Christmas!’
‘Happy Birthday,’ she replied, taking Magnus’s hand in hers.
‘Magnus,’ I said, my voice shaking slightly. ‘This is your mother. Your birth mother – Susan.’
I watched Magnus’s face pale; his eyes fill with tears. He gasped slightly and drew his hand away. I looked towards Susan, whose eyes were also bright with tears.
‘I’m sorry,’ Magnus said, searching around for a chair even though there aren’t any in the hallway. He settled for a stair. ‘Just a shock… a very nice shock,’ he said, smiling at last. ‘But still a shock.’
‘I’m sorry,’ I said, concerned. ‘I should have told you. Perhaps it was silly to keep it a surprise.’
Magnus looked at me. ‘This is the surprise you were planning!’
Susan and I exchanged a worried look. ‘Yes,’ I admitted, though there was a bit more to it than that. ‘Originally I was just going to tell you that I’d made contact with your birth mother and leave the rest to you. But when we spoke on Sunday evening and I found out that Susan had no plans for Christmas, I decided to invite her over. I know you’d tried several times to make contact with her and for one reason or another nothing ever came of it. I thought, with you turning fifty, it would be wonderful to try to make it happen. So I did a lot of digging and delving on the internet and finally managed to make contact with Susan through an organisation called Movement for an Adoption Apology.’
Magnus looked puzzled. ‘You’re looking for an apology?’ he asked Susan.
I saw her cheeks redden. ‘I’m sorry. I’m sure you’re the one who feels in need of an apology – not