The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (024) Christmas Shopping

 

The day after they put the Decorations up, they got back down to work following their Christmas sojourn, and they settled down to what would become a familiar pattern.

Every day at the cottage, would begin with an appreciation of the decorations, followed by breakfast, and a productive morning on the book until lunch, then after lunch they spent the afternoon watching Christmas movies, and they were making satisfactory progress with the new project on their very relaxed regime.

In fact, they did so well they had the promised chapters completed by the middle of December, without burning the midnight oil, the first three chapters which they had promised to submit to Max Parsons by New Year’s Day.

 

The next morning Molly and Danny were sitting on the sofa in their pyjama’s when he had a text from his brother Sam.

“Damn” he said.

“What’s the matter?”

“It’s Sam confirming their flight details.”

Sam was his brother who lived in Australia with his wife Emma and three children, and back in the summer, Molly suggested they invite them to Cliff Haven, things snowballed from there and it became a Christmas trip.

Molly was looking forward to meeting them very much, but she had hoped they could have Christmas to themselves.

“Why Damn?”

“I just realized I haven’t got their Christmas Presents” he said.

“I normally order them stuff online.”

“Oh, I can feel a shopping trip coming on” Molly said and giggled.

 

They decided on Abbottsford and took George, Katie, and Nikki along for the ride, the Harrison’s wouldn’t normally both leave the island at the same time because of the livestock, but they had taken on another shepherdess to help out, by the name of Hayley Stock.

Danny was happy with the arrangement as it meant George could do the driving.

They took the Landrover over to the mainland and then swapped it for something more stylish and comfortable in Pipershaven.

They were spending the night at the Abbottsford Regents Hotel, courtesy of Molly, so they drove there first, where they had a long leisurely lunch with publisher Max Parsons, then that evening they saw a play at The Empire Theatre and had dinner at The Wooden Slipper.

 

The next morning, fortified by a good breakfast, they drove to the multistorey car park at the Phoenix Shopping Centre, and it was jammed and when they reached the main concourse that was busy too.

“Oh wow” Molly said, “It’s heaving.”

“It is rather” Katie agreed.

“Have you been shopping here before?” Nikki asked.

“Yes, but I’ve never been here when it’s like this before” Molly said and grabbed his arm and held on for dear life.

“Or looking like this.”

The centre had been dressed for Christmas in tinsel and foil and twinkling lights almost since the beginning of October.

“I’ve never done crowds before” Molly whispered.

“Well, there are a lot of things you had never done before that you seem to have mastered quite nicely Molly” Danny said, and she went as red as a Santa Suit and giggled.

It was only two weeks until the big day and although she had never had a lot of gifts to buy, she had always got them bought promptly so Molly was unaccustomed to leaving it so late.

She liked to get things done early, but she had gotten distracted, not that she was complaining, but this was the first Christmas she had had to buy presents for someone special.

It was not a new experience for Danny, but it had been an exceedingly long time, but now they both had someone special to buy gifts for.

 

They all split up, George and Katie went off together down the escalator and Nikki went in search of the art store, leaving Molly and Danny to go around together.

They soon got all the gifts for the old staff at Lakeside, Danny’s brothers’ family, Katie, Nikki, and George, so he told her it was time for them to go off on their own.

Molly began to speak but Danny interrupted her.

“You’ll be fine,” he said, and Molly nodded.

“So, take a deep breath, look around, and remember where you are, and we will meet back here in an hour and a half” Danny said.

“Why can’t we go round together?” she asked sounding exceedingly small.

“Well not really” he said, “as we’re buying surprise gifts for each.”

“Oh yes I see what you mean” she said, and he took hold of her hand and kissed her which gave her strength.

“Ok then back here at 12.30” he said, and they went their separate ways.

He already had her main present taken care of, so he was buying the extras, so his first stop was Crazy Chocolatiers where he bought her a box of handmade truffles.

Then he went in search of the little extras, and it was the stocking fillers that took the time, those little things that made Christmas morning extra special.

 

Molly was a little apprehensive when she watched Danny walk away but she took a deep breath and said to herself.

“It’s just another new experience.”

Because her grandfather was overprotective, she never experienced the commercial side of the holiday, other people did all of that she just got to enjoy the presents, frivolity, and festivities.

So, no need to go Christmas shopping, buying wrapping paper or gift tags.

She was raised to celebrate Christmas, to a great extent with a traditional Christmas dinner, and going to the Church services, and the religious side of the season was especially important to her.

She thought everything she had experienced with Danny was new and fresh and rather wonderful, so she decided to embrace the occasion.

However, having never done Christmas shopping before, buying presents and treats was totally alien to her and she didn’t know where to start, until she passed a dazzling shop window that held her totally entranced.

 

Danny knew that Church, faith, and a love of books were an important part of her old life and her new, so he found a gift that ticked all those boxes.

 

Molly’s last port of call was a Lingerie Shop, “Silk and Lace,” where she bought herself some new underwear, and as she left, she giggled because she thought it was as much a gift for him as it was for her.

That should have been it but as she was about to get on the escalator her eye was drawn to the jeweller’s window.

“That’s absolutely perfect” she said, and her eyes fixed on the prize.

 

They were to meet back where they had started at 12.30, Danny was there first and Molly trotted up about five minutes later.

“I thought I’d lost you” Danny said.

“Sorry, I lost track of time” she said, “I got a bit carried away.”

“I can see” Danny replied and smiled at the beautiful redhead loaded with bags.

“Once I got started, I didn’t know how to stop” Molly said and giggled.

“I love you” Danny said and kissed her, then they went into the Phoenix Espresso to have a drink and wait for the others.

Then they had a very jovial journey home to the Island, and they were all incredibly pleased with their purchases.

 

The first task after returning was to wrap and pack the gifts for her American friends and when they were done George arranged to have them sent to Colorado.