Dreaming of a white Christmas Ch. 08

"He's good with Bella's Carly and Michael too and they all went to Spain in the summer together. According to Michael, Kerim and Bella didn't sleep together."

"I remember Kerim's wife died in an accident, what about Bella?"

"Husband, oh what was his name? only wanted a trophy wife did a flit when she started showing with Carly. Silly sod couldn't cope with pregnancy."

"Shame. Could you?"

"Often sees the girls, whenever they want and takes them on decent holiday every year, did three weeks in America in the summer. Does right by them."

"That's good I suppose."

"Could I what?"

"Cope with a pregnancy?"

"Course I could, blokes get it easy don't they? I always wanted children... hey this is Christmas and I get to borrow loads of kids, that'll have to do."

"There we are Tommy Tucker, home sweet home."

I touched my phone while about to open the car and a picture opened in my time line from 2 years before. "Hhh look at this, virtually the same picture I took earlier." I briefly compared the two to see the same group of nine people in the same order and standing in the same place. Three of them were wearing the same outfit same tops.

Standing in the middle of the group was Angie wearing the Father Christmas jumper looking like he's holding her tits and I had to have a little chuckle. However the thing I noticed more than anything else was the difference in size of her... hold on there, I'm guessing you dear reader are thinking I'm about to say tits, but no, the jumper looked quite snug on her and the waistband of her skirt in the earlier picture was very prominent but in the latest picture the ribbing was tight but immediately above it is not tight and nothing was highlighted or presenting any bumps. I made a mental note to check closer when I was on a computer next.

Angie got us safely home and all three of us were indoors out of the cold and safely tucked up in bed, just the right side of midnight. The only bit of conversation I remember; "You really love your sister don't you?" I did remember falling asleep with my hand on the flatter tummy.

Next time I saw the clock it showed 07:18 and Angie was gently snoring beside me, I slipped out of bed, visited the bathroom for a piss and very quick wash then down the stairs and started getting ready for the regular Boxing day with my God children... Oh yes and I got through loads of fruit juice and water to rehydrate after yesterdays excess of alcohol.

I started by laying the dining table with a table cloth, actually two as none of mine are big enough, "Note to self, must get table cloths." I put out place mats, candles, condiments, platter for sauces, Christmas crackers, serviettes and saying their names as I laid cutlery; "Annie, Dick, Cindy, Vera, Andrew, Nigel, Angie, Freddy, Me, oh mustn't forget the new boy Charlie, I wonder if they'll bring a high chair for him." Followed by bread plates. I fiddled about for a while thinking how the old table would have been heavily overflowing by this time.

When I was happy with it I started preparing dinner then seeing it was approaching nine I made breakfast, egg and milk whipped to oblivion and ready to go in the microwave, baked beans in a saucapan, tomatoes to go under the grill with brown bread for toast put the kettle on and prepared mugs with tea bags.

All I needed to do was lay the small kitchen table and find two more to come to eat.

Upstairs I looked into Freddy's room to see him happily sitting in his bed playing with his fingers. "Is it cwismas arncle Derry?"

"Hello Freddy. Yes it is still Christmas. Nigel is coming to play today."

"Yeeeeeeeaah."

I put him on the toilet then pulled his pyjamas back up and carried him to my bedroom, Angie was still sleeping. "Go give mummy a kiss." He crawled over to Angie and kissed her cheek when I placed him on the bed...

"Mmmmmmm, good morning darling."

"Nigel coming to play."

"Yes he is. What time is it?"

"Breakfast in five, make that ten. It's ten to nine."

"Oh, we need to get on they're coming at eleven."

Back in the kitchen I put Freddy in his high chair with milk in his drink cup and started cooking what had become our usual Boxing Day breakfast. By the time Angie found us I was plating up and we joined Freddy at the kitchen table.

"Cheesy scrambled egg, yummy. Thank you Terry. It looks like the dinner is ready to cook too"

We ate our breakfast and washed up. "Right, table..." Angie left the room before I could comment. "Oh you've done it already."

"Yep, what have I missed?"

"Two four six eight ten, who's not coming?"

"You, me, Annie, Dick, twins, Freddy, Nigel and Charlie and Andrew. Ten."

"Eleven... what about Melanie?"

"Oh crikey."

"I wouldn't worry too much, at least one, little Charlie, won't need a full place setting." Angie rearranged a few bits and added some spare cutlery. I think we're all done time to make me look beautiful."

"Not much needed there then."

She pulled the robe tight across her nearly exposed breasts, stuck her nose in the air and left.

"I'll bathe Freddy while you shower Angie."

"That'll be lovely thanks."

I took Freddy to the bathroom and Angie used the ensuite... Ensuite, I've never lived in a house with more than one bathroom before, suddenly I don't know how we coped for three years. When I'd dried and dressed him I left Freddy with Angie and put the lamb in the oven then showered.

By ten to eleven we were ready willing and waiting for the invasion, half hour later the phone rang; "Hello Annie."

"Are you at home Terry?"

"Yearrh."

"Answer the door then, we've been knocking for five minutes."

"Strange." I opened the door and there was no one there, walking to the gate I could see their car outside the wrong house. "Turn round Annie." I waved and she waved back. "We're in here."

"Oh OK." She closed the call and bit by bit I watched the message being decanted to the others.

The twins started running, Andrew and Dick pushed bits back into the car.

Thump, thump the twins made contact; "Merry Christmas Uncle Terry." They shrieked in tandem.

"Merry Boxing Day." As I hugged them together. They laughed at the same response I've given for years. "Go in."

The car made the short trip, Annie was the first out; "Merry Christmas Terry, what going on here?"

"Welcome, I've moved, sorry I thought I'd said. Go in, Angie is inside, I'll help with bringing things in.

I shook hands with Dick and Andrew then helped take in a selection of bags, boxes and structures.

"Annie. If you didn't know I've moved, does Mel?"

"I'll phone her, I doubt it."

While I was still showing round the house and explaining how a bedroom is still half full of their boxes due to the speed it all happened when Melanie arrived with Nigel and Charlie about ten minutes later

Nigel and Freddy went straight into playing mode with yesterdays new toys so Angie did the tour with Melanie and placed a sleeping eleven month old Charlie and baby monitor in the re-erected cot in the spare room beside the double bed.

When we were all together in the lounge with the usual selection of drinks and established Vera is still wearing a violet hair band whereas Cindy is still wearing a cerise the topic of conversation was obviously the elephant in the room or rather the elephant sized room.

Not surprisingly it was Annie in her usual not quite sreetwise manner asked; "What made you move, are you two together now?"

"Hahhh no we're not 'together'." I used my forefingers to emphasise the word. "In that way. The couple living here are major victims of covid, he went self employed just before first lockdown and Dianna does zero hours contract work and between them got virtually no handouts and... well simply the house eventually got repossessed so

I bought it."

"How much, oh do you mind?"

"That's alright Dick, the estate agents valued it at three-seventy so I offered three-seventy-five hoping they'd accept rather than putting it into auction. And they did"

Dick whistled. "Decent price. You did well there... here."

Annie slapped the sofa; "Did all this come with it?"

"Sort of, well I did a deal with the vendor and bought it off them."

"I like it."

"Right another drink anyone then I must start on dinner."

Annie came out to the kitchen with me and while I made drinks continued talking; "Why did you really move?"

"How do you mean?"

"Well you've lived over the road for how long? twenty-something years and all of a sudden you buy this mansion at very short notice. You didn't even think to tell us."

"Come on Annie look at it, it's terrific, it's in perfect condition and I got it for a steal."

"Is anything to do with Angie? Is there any more news?"

I gave that 'antismile' look with my lower lip out and gently shook my head. "No. She's planning to be well out of here when the flats are rebuilt."

"You won't know what to do with all this space when she goes."

"I'll have to invite you to dinner more often then I guess." I smiled

"That we can cope with."

We carried the drinks through and I returned to get pans heating, Melanie quite unexpectedly came out to help, although there was not that much to help with as most had been prepared earlier.

"So any sign of a partner Mel?"

"No Terry, I was sure that limp headed numb skull was the one for me but I gave him his marching orders a month after Charlie was born."

"Why was that?"

"He was never one to do too much around home but... it's a bit hard to explain... I think he was jealous I spent so much time with Charlie and... all he seemed to do was order me around and demand I made him drinks and food and stuff like that."

"Idiot."

"I told him to go and I haven't seen him since. I'm bloody glad Mum said not to put his name down as father."

"I'm sorry it didn't work out for you."

"Any way how about you and Angie?"

"What about us?"

"Buying this place together."

"No. I bought it; well put an offer in and arranged deals and so on, before I even mentioned it to Angie. She told me I was being silly as she didn't expect to be with me much longer."

"But only one bed made up..."

"Busted." I laughed.

"So?"

"As I said she has every intention of leaving when her flat is re-built, we had a very long chat about it before I signed on the dotted line."

"That's good."

"Good? Why?"

"I think she's too young for you."

"If I didn't know better..." I stood with my hands on the worktop looking at her. Red was only just a good enough description of her colour. "Oh Mel your jealous."

"Oh hell no. I'm not jealous at all, I think it's good to see you two together like you are."

"Come 'ere." We both walked to the side of the island unit and I pulled us together for a hug.

"I've embarrassed myself by questioning your love life Uncle Terry."

"Honestly..." I pulled away slightly so I could see her face. "I feel flattered you are looking out for me."

"I'll never forget that Christmas we spent here and you and Aunty Molly looked after us then Aunty Marion. Now Angie seems a bit weird."

"Is that because of my colour?"

Melanie pulled away from me like I was on fire.

"Oh. Erm. No... no no...Sorry."

"It's OK Melanie I don't own Terry and I know how much he loves you and your family. I also feel flattered you are looking out for him."

Melanie went very red again. "I'm erm... being silly."

Angie walked over and hugged a hesitant Melanie firmly. "Mel, Terry is as free today as he was before we met. Oh and one bed... didn't you see the piles of things in the other rooms that we haven't had time to sort out yet? We have only been in here for two weeks and Christmas has filled half of that. Also his office stuff is there until the room full with boxes is emptied. I am incredibly grateful for the way he has opened his home to me in my hour of need, just as he did for you." Angie looked over to me before continuing,

"You understand he's given me a wonderful home for three years, yes? My baby doesn't know anything different, yes? And he won't take a penny for rent, yes?

"Yes."

"Yes we are sharing a bed...and... I'm sure you understand... we both have needs so occasionally yes we share other things too... yes?"

"Yes."

"And it's the only thing... THE only way he will let me say thank you. Yes?"

"Yes."

I had a little tear in my eye when Melanie moved in to hug Angie.

"Yes... thank you Angie."

"Hey Mel no tears here."

"Yeah."

"I only came out here for another beer for your brother." The girls parted "Need any help Terry?" Angie got a bottle from the fridge and popped the top.

"No I don't think so." I looked around at the pans and the clock "This should be ten to fifteen minutes, just about one o'clock then."

I have to say dinner was good and with eleven of us round the bigger table was far more enjoyable without being totally squashed into a tangle of arms. I know it's a boring old thing but we started with a prawn cocktail then Roast lamb -- as always since the family had shared Boxing Day with me and I felt no reason to change the tradition. The selection of vegetables did vary but of course Yorkshire pudding. Dessert was a selection of home made cheesecake, apple crumble, fruit cocktail and Christmas cake, all very typical of our annual gathering.

The afternoon was spent opening presents and playing games, Melanie fed Charlie a couple of times but other than that he seemed to spend most of his time asleep. Then we had the traditional cold meats, pickles and mash for tea and the same selection of left over deserts from earlier.

That was followed by a few more drinks and after promises of the walk next day and New Year wishes the house went quiet about eleven pm. The last thing I remembered was noticing my hand was again on Angie's tummy and I tried to work out if that had been the case for the last three years or something new.

I woke to see a smiling face just a few inches from me.

"I love watching you sleep Terry. From that first time you came to see me."

"Hmm. I gave you plenty of time for that."

"You were so nervous when you arrived. I sat and watched you and even then I knew you were not like the others."

"What made me different?"

"Well for a start you apologised, for not having the extra money, not for falling asleep."

"Hhhn." I smiled.

"Then the fire and I remember your first words."

"Which were?"

" 'Are you OK and Freddy,' and 'Can I do anything.' You came to me, not for sex or milk." She touched me with a clenched fist. "You came to me... to help... you came to help me... the last thing on my mind when we spoke was me, or Freddy for that matter, sleeping in a proper bed that night."

"Careful what you say about that sofa bed." I smiled.

I held the fist and kissed the knuckles. "I've enjoyed every single minute of the time I've shared with you and Freddy... Talking of sharing," I checked the time, "In three hours we're going out for a walk."

"And I need the loo." Angie pulled her hand from mine.

"Me too." We briefly touched lips for a kiss and left the bed in opposite directions.

After visiting bathrooms we met in the kitchen and between us we threw together a cooked breakfast. As I put my cutlery down on an emptied plate we heard; "Arncle Derry."

"Wait a minute Freddy."

Angie smiled and gently shook her head as I stood. Freddy was waiting at the baby gate at the top of the stairs. "Cheeky monkey, he'll be calling you Daddy soon."

I stopped in my tracks and stared at her eyes for a moment. "Since you've been here I realise what I've missed out on."

"Seriously?"

"Oh yes... yes. Yes seriously, especially now I'm not working anything like as much as before."

I didn't recognise the look on her face; it was full of expression but nothing I could read.

"I'm coming Freddy."

"Yerrrrh."

It must have been ten minutes before I carried him down to find Angie had prepared his favourite cereals, warm Weetabix and Ricicles with crushed Cadburys Flake sprinkled on top.

I went to ablute followed by Angie and Freddy, it's very easy to shower a toddler when he thinks he's having fun in the water and if the shrieking was anything to go by he sounded like he was having lots of fun. I worked on some sorting out and managed to empty two more cartons, I don't actually know what Angie and Freddy were doing upstairs but all too soon it was time to dress up for the walk.

We greeted people at the park we hadn't had any contact with for two years as well as those from the last few days and after the mulled wine and mince pies the walk was on. Angie was lost in the sea of friends, a deep cut cleavage was flashed just like last time which seemed to 'break the ice' for others lucky enough to see. As the walk progressed and the walkers were spread thinner Annie started her interrogation; "Why did you really move house?"

"I said yesterday, it's a bargain and my savings covered it. It's a real no brainer."

"So what happens when Angie moves out?"

"Trust you to spoil it."

"How?"

I know it's going to happen one day but I've really loved sharing with her and Freddy."

"Is he yours?"

"No. I said before but I'd be proud if he was."

"And the next one?"

"Next one? How do you mean?"

Annie smiled. "How would you feel if you and Angie had a baby together?"

"Hmm. Pipe dream, that is a hole in the bucket list I'm afraid."

"Well, what if?"

"Yes that would be magic."

"You're mad Terry. Just make do with all those around you."

"Not the same though, not mine to show off."

"You should be showing off grandchildren."

"But I'd have to have children for that."

Mel appeared; "What's that about grandchildren?"

"Ah Mel I'm just telling Terry 'caus he says he want's children at his age."

"Yeah I know, Angie was telling me what he said." Mel linked her arm through mine as we walked. "Are you serious Terry?"

"Totally, I love kids, but I couldn't eat a whole one."

"I thought she was having a laugh. You can always borrow Charlie."

"Oh I expect I'll get my duties there alright."

"I'm banking on it uncle T."

As the narrow path opened into a grassy area Annie, too, placed her arm in mine; "What is it with you suddenly wanting babies?"

"Simple Annie, I've been living with Freddy for three years and I realise what I've missed out on."

"What? Shitty nappies, puke on your clothes, all the rooms being made baby proof, smell of piss, shall I go on?"

"The nice things too, like this morning when Freddy woke and called for Arncle Derry. I'd love to hear the call for 'Daddy'."

"It's over rated Terry. As much as I'd love to have a god child with you they are a lot of hard work."

"Even Danni was having a go the other day Annie but I see you with your happy brood and Danni with hers."

"As much as I think you're crazy I have to agree there's nought like flesh and blood."

"Thanks Annie." I hugged my arm against hers then did the same to Mel on my other arm. We caught up with Angie at a stile as it had been tricky for Andrew and Dick to lift Freddy, Nigel and Charlies buggies over for some unknown reason. I released the pressure against their arms then assisted each of them over the stile before following them.

The conversation came to an abrupt stop at that point and following a change of walking partners I found I was pushing a buggy containing one totally sparked out Nigel.

"That is one gorgeous arse."

"Yep Dick I can but agree there, Mel has one lovely arse."

"I'm talking about Angie."

"Oo yeah smashing."

"You are one lucky fucker Terry pulling a cracker like her."

"Appearances can be deceptive, as much as it seems like it, I have not pulled Angie. Only a couple of days ago she was talking about me rattling around in a big empty house when she leaves."

"Shame, you look good together."