Page 3
On cue, voices sound from the back door, and people start spilling into the room. Paisley kisses the top of Millie’s hair as she passes by; Harri tickles Millie and makes her squeal; Blair, still in her suit, flops into a chair before pulling Millie in for a hug; Lettie starts handing out Christmas bookmarks she’s made, with a special one for Millie cut into the shape of a ballet dancer. And then, to Millie’s delight, Darcey comes in and gives her the second-hand pair of ballet shoes she promised her last time Millie went to her class. Millie immediately asks to put them on, and I don’t have the heart to say no, so I start doing up the ribbons.
Soon all eight of us are taking our seats, pouring the wine, and helping ourselves to the mince pies. After choosing a Christmassy scene of a log cabin in the snow for the TV, Dad tries to say no when Emma offers him one, but he doesn’t take much persuading to change his mind.
“Before we get started,” I tell them, “I have something to ask you all. It’s about the Christmas Fair.” It’s an old tradition in Port Evermore. On Christmas Eve, we have a Farmers’ Market in the town centre, with lots of stalls and late-night shopping. There’s often some entertainment, too. Mum always used to organise it when she was alive. This year, I’ve picked up the baton.
“Well,” I continue, “I’ve organised a few performers to wander around the fair doing magic tricks and juggling. A local folk band is going to play some music from two until five p.m. But I don’t have anything after that, and I was wondering whether we could do something.”
They all look around at each other, startled.
“What could we do?” Emma asks with a nervous laugh. “I can’t act.”
“Darcey can dance,” Blair says, “but I’ve got two left feet.”
“We could sing Christmas songs,” I suggest. “Like a small choir. Get the kids to join in.”
“Easy for you to say,” Emma teases. “You’ve got a voice like an angel, and you used to be in the church choir, didn’t you?”
“I did, but we’re all friends, aren’t we? We don’t have to sing like a church choir. Just like friends singing together.”
“Ooh,” Cate says, “that’s a really good idea. Paisley, would you be in charge?”
Paisley owns a music shop that sells instruments, scores, and second-hand vinyl, and she also teaches music lessons. She nods and gives a big smile. “I’d love to.”
“I can’t sing,” Harri, the boat mechanic, admits, “but I can play the guitar.”
“Perfect,” Paisley says.
“I’ve got a brilliant idea,” Emma announces suddenly. She gives my father a mischievous look. “As you’re Rudolph… and there are eight of us… why don’t we all be reindeer?”
“The Sleigh Belles,” he says. “With an ‘e’.”
We all squeal. “That’s terrific!” I get up to give him a kiss. “You’re a genius.”
“Well,” Emma says to me, “no prizes for guessing which reindeer you’ll be!”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve got to be Vixen, right?”
I laugh. “I suppose that was an easy one to decide.”
“We’ll work out the rest later,” she says. “This is going to be fun!”
I smile at the thought of us all working together. “It will.” I know how lucky I am to have so many friends. I don’t think I’d have got through the past six months without them.
“Right, bedtime,” I tell Millie.
“Aw…” She pouts. “Do I have to?”
“One last performance,” Darcey says. “Show us the basic positions.”
Millie stands in front of us all and promptly moves through the five ballet positions. Her earnest face flushes as she finishes with her arms above her head.
“That was perfect!” Darcey claps her hands, and everyone else joins in with a cheer.
“Aw… Vix!” Emma gives me a hug as she sees me struggling to contain my emotion.
I give a little laugh, wipe under my eyes, then pull my daughter close for a cuddle. “You’re so grown up. It seems like only yesterday you were a baby.”
