Page 88 of A Christmas Wish for the Village Midwife

‘For God’s sake!’ Billie huffed as she took her daughter out of the way.

Zoe wondered if she ought to go and see if everything was all right, but judging by the look on poor Santa’s face, he was more traumatised by the incident than Louisa was.

‘Oh dear,’ was all he could say, watching mournfully as Billie marched Louisa out of harm’s way.

Zoe looked at Alex, he looked at her… and then they both burst out laughing.

18

In the end, they’d decided they were all too tired to go to the carol service tonight; they’d go tomorrow morning instead. Alex was now flicking through the TV channels, while Zoe was looking at photos her mum had posted online of her festive cruise with her new man when Billie came into the living room.

‘She’s gone down,’ she said. ‘Straight to sleep – she must have been knackered.’

‘I’m not surprised.’ Zoe looked up from her phone. ‘I feel like that myself. It’s all the fresh air we’ve had today.’

‘It’s all that mulled wine you had.’ Alex settled on a channel and tossed the remote down.

Billie went to sit next to him and nuzzled in. ‘Thanks, Dad.’

He wound a bemused arm around her shoulders. ‘What for?’

‘For such a nice day.’

‘I’m glad you enjoyed it.’

‘I did. It was freezing, but it was fun. Once Louisa had stopped crying, of course. She really hates Santa.’

‘She definitely has issues with him.’

Zoe put her phone down and smiled at the two of them cuddled together. Alex looked so happy, more positive than he’d done in weeks – perhaps since Billie had returned from her visit to Luis’s parents a couple of months before. ‘Shall we do the Christmas Eve presents?’ she asked.

‘Not yet,’ Billie said, closing her eyes as Alex wrapped his arms a little tighter around her. ‘I’m too comfy to move.’

Alex glanced up at Zoe, a broad, contented smile on his face.

‘I’ll go and make a drink,’ Zoe said. Not because anyone had asked, but because she sensed that this was a moment for them to share, father and daughter, and the best thing she could do was to gift it to them.

When she went back in a few minutes later with a tray of mugs, Billie was sitting up, staring into space, and Alex looked as tense as he had during the days leading to this. Zoe glanced from one to the other, silently begging an explanation. Something had gone wrong in her absence, and it had escalated quickly.

Alex seemed to take a moment to collect himself, and then turned to Billie. ‘I only want you to be happy, and if that’s what makes you happy, then I’ll do whatever I can to help.’

‘You’re not angry?’ Billie asked.

‘How could I be angry?’ He pulled her into a hug.

Zoe put the tray down and sat across from them.

‘I’d never be angry. I’m sad; that’s only natural, and I don’t want you to feel guilty about that. But I’ll get used to it.’ He glanced at Zoe. ‘A wise woman told me this day was coming and I’d have to deal with it, because it’s only right and natural and how things should be. So that’s what I intend to do.’

Zoe took her tea and stood up. ‘I should probably let you two talk. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.’

Voluntarily banished to the kitchen once more, Zoe decided to peel the sprouts for lunch the following day. It would be something to do and one job less in the morning. But as she sat in the lamplight at the kitchen table, she could hear the voices of Alex and Billie in the living room. She couldn’t tell what they were saying, apart from the odd snatch that told her what she needed to know. Billie had finally come clean about her wishes for the coming year, and what she wished for, above all else, was to leave Thimblebury. Though Zoe was anxious that the discussion would be calm and rational, she was proud of the way Alex had finally taken it. She knew she’d have to support him more than ever when the day came, and that she’d have to support Billie as best she could to make the transition too.

It was funny because they hadn’t really been in Zoe’s life all that long, but Billie and Louisa’s absence would leave a huge hole for her too. She’d got so used to having them around, enjoying watching Louisa grow, and now some other family would get to do that. She supposed they’d get to fly out on occasion, and she had to admit there were worse places to visit.

She was putting the peeled sprouts back in the fridge when Alex and Billie came into the kitchen.

‘I’m going up,’ Billie said. ‘Goodnight, Zoe.’