Sunday 8 September 2024

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (032) Christmas Afternoon

 


Ruth was finishing off the dinner while Gwen was getting ready and when she appeared in the doorway she was immaculately dressed and beautifully made up.

“Wow” Ruth said, “you look stunning.”

“I look tarty” she responded morosely.

“No, you don’t” she reassured her “Phil will trip over his tongue when he sees you.”

“What if he thinks I look tarty?”

“He won’t think that because you look gorgeous” Ruth said to her softly.

“I hope so” she replied forlornly and then there was a knock on the door.

 

Danny emerged from the kitchen carrying two glasses of wine and sat down to open their presents.

Molly had never exchanged Christmas presents with a special someone before and she was extremely excited indeed, almost as excited as she was with the Christmas awakening that morning.  

She was already on her hands and knees under the tree by the time Danny entered the room.

“Let’s open these first” she said and handed him a Christmas stocking full of little gifts and novelties.

“Ok but let me sit down first” he said laughing and when he was seated, he took the stocking from her, and they opened them together, and ten minutes of giggling excitement followed.

“Open this one next” Molly said and handed up a little gift bag to him, and when he opened it, it revealed a gold bookmark with a stylized silhouette of a nightingale.

“I love it” he said and gave her a kiss.

“Your turn” Danny said and reached under the tree and brought out a small neatly wrapped parcel tied with a bow.

She untied the bow and loosened the wrappings, then opened the box, and inside was a Charm bracelet, with three charms, a Church, a crucifix, and a book.

“It’s beautiful” Molly said “So, so beautiful.”

“Your turn again” she said and reached under the tree and brought out another parcel.

When he unwrapped it, it was the Black and White quartered shirt of his beloved Abbottsford Town Football Club, and emblazoned on the back was his name “Nightingale”, and the number 3, which was his lucky number, he had been a lifelong supporter of the “Knights” and he was wearing his old shirt when he had the accident the previous January and it got a bit bloody.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” he said and kissed her.

His next present for her wasn’t as exciting but she really loved the box of handmade truffles, from Crazy Chocolatiers.

“I saved the most special one till last” she said and handed him a colourful giftbox tied with a bow, inside wrapped in tissue paper, was a box with a jeweller’s logo on it and inside was a Gold Wristwatch engraved on the back “To Danny, the love of my life, from Molly”.

“That’s an amazing present” he said and joined Molly on the floor and kissed her.

“Ok last present” he said.

“I’ve never had so many presents at Christmas before” she said.

“Well, you have now” Danny said, “Open it, open it.”

“I’m savouring it” Molly said.

When she had carefully removed the paper, layer by layer, she put it on the floor and slowly opened the gift box she looked inside and found a snow globe.

“Wow” she exclaimed “it’s our home.”

“It is” he agreed.

“It’s the best Christmas ever” she said with tears in her eyes.

“Just perfect”

“You make it perfect” Danny said.

“Oh Danny” Molly said, “I really love you.”

“And I love you too” he responded, and they kissed again.

 

David and June never mentioned their near miss of the previous day, in fact it became the elephant in the room for Christmas Day and Boxing Day, instead they had a pleasant Christmas Day afternoon with Janis, who had rallied for a few hours, and a booze free evening, and a similar spell on Boxing Day, the rest of the time they hardly spoke with the exception of small talk in relation to something on TV.

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