Page 49 of So This is Christmas

SOPHIE

Sophie knew she should climb out of the bath soon, but the water was so wonderfully relaxing.

Who said you had to party on New Year’s Eve?

She was planning a quiet night in and looking forward to it.

She’d messaged Jessica to thank her for her kind offer and to let her know that she would be spending the evening with Jennie from Vienna.

Well, that’s quite a development, Jessica had said in reply and wished her a happy New Year.

Sophie’s relaxation ended when she heard a knock at the door downstairs. She ignored it – Jennie wasn’t expected for another hour – but when the knocking continued she climbed out and wrapped herself in a towel.

‘I’m coming, I’m coming – hold your horses!’ She peeked behind the curtain at the side of the door to make sure it wasn’t a madman, seeing as she was about to open the door in only a towel, but it was Jennie.

‘You’re early.’ She opened up and ushered her inside as the cold hit her bare skin.

‘You took ages to answer the door, it’s kind of freezing out here.’

Sophie laughed. ‘I’m aware. I was in a nice, hot bath.’

‘I’m sorry. I know I’m early, but there’s a reason.’

‘Everything okay?’ She already knew from her previous text message that things had gone well with Gwendoline.

‘Yes, everything is fine.’

It was then that Sophie realised Jennie was a little overdressed for a quiet night in.

‘You look fantastic. There I was thinking I could put on my pyjamas for this evening.’ Jennie’s hair was styled beautifully, all loose, dark waves around her shoulders like she’d just stepped out of a salon, and beneath the coat she had on black velvet trousers with a silky emerald-green blouse.

‘I was sitting in my hotel room wondering what to wear when I reminded myself that it was New Year’s Eve. I decided it’s high time we dressed up and got a bit of a life rather than hiding ourselves away.’

‘What have you got planned?’

‘I’ll tell you when you’re ready. All I’ll say is that you are coming out with me. I think it’s time we stopped fitting our lives around our guilt, around other people and their behaviours.’ She stopped, suddenly seeming a little unsure of herself. ‘Do I sound too dramatic?’

‘You know I almost believed your speech until you asked that at the end.’

‘But you get the idea, yeah? So what do you say? Can we please go out, have a good time as friends, and try to see in the New Year as two women who have a second chance at this mess called life?’

‘All right, you’ve convinced me. But can you at least give me an idea of what to wear?’

Jennie grinned. ‘Nothing too skimpy, it’s too cold for that. Go on, get ready!’

Sophie would quiz her more when she was dressed. She ran up the stairs. ‘Make yourself at home,’ she called back over her shoulder. ‘Give me half an hour to make myself beautiful!’

Sophie thought about what Jennie was wearing and pulled her midnight-blue velvet skater dress that went well with tights and boots from her wardrobe. She had a quick go over her hair with her wave wand and with a touch of make-up, Bea’s necklace and a spritz of perfume, she was ready to go.

She came down the stairs, favourite leather boots clutched between her fingers.

‘Are we getting a taxi? I can walk in these boots, but not for miles.’ She set the boots down by the front door.

‘Or should I wear trainers and change my footwear when we get to where we’re going?

’ She went into the lounge. ‘I need guidance, Jenn?—’

She came to a stop in the doorway because rather than seeing Jennie sitting there waiting for her, instead she was greeted by Jennie, Nick and Walter. Walter and Jennie were on the sofa and Nick was standing at the back door, looking out into the garden.

‘Surprise!’ Jennie sprang up and came over to Sophie as Nick turned to face her. ‘This pair weren’t ever going to let me come here on my own to apologise to you. They just needed a bit more time to get ready to leave Vienna so I came ahead so I could meet with Mum too.’

The Wynters were all here in her little house in Greenwich. It felt surreal.

‘Sophie, you look beautiful,’ said Walter. ‘Doesn’t she look beautiful, Nick?’

‘Yes, Dad.’ He rolled his eyes in Sophie’s direction but he smiled at her, really smiled.

Sophie hugged Walter when he stood up. ‘You flew all this way. For me.’

‘Worth every minute of the turbulence.’

She asked Walter, ‘Was it that bad?’

‘Awful. I might need a sedative on the return flight.’

Sophie could feel Nick watching her the whole time Walter filled her in on the details – feeling like he was going to lift out of his seat, passengers’ drinks sliding off trays, tightening his seat belt and checking it over and over again.

Walter took her hands in his and he squeezed both of them. ‘We all owe you an apology, Sophie. We were in shock when that ghastly woman showed up, otherwise we might have been able to stop you.’

‘Jennie has explained everything.’

Nick stepped closer. ‘We had to apologise ourselves.’

‘I can’t believe you both went to these lengths to do it. You could’ve just called me.’

‘Not the same,’ said Nick. ‘Jennie filled us in on what’s happened with Amber.’

‘Karma caught up with her,’ replied Sophie with a smile as she sat down with Walter.

‘You have become special to us,’ said Walter. ‘I knew you would from the moment you showed up with the Christmas letter. Greta would’ve loved you.’

‘I think I would’ve loved her too.’ Tears came to her eyes all over again. ‘Don’t let me cry, I’ve got make-up on now.’

‘I’ll do my best,’ said Walter.

Sophie thought about her transformation upstairs. ‘Were you guys waiting outside when Jennie knocked on the door earlier?’

Nick made an awkward face. ‘If you have neighbourhood watch, we might get reported.’

‘I’ll get the word out that it’s all innocent,’ Sophie assured him.

‘Right.’ Jennie stood up. ‘We should get going.’

‘Where are we going, by the way?’ Sophie asked.

‘Somewhere very special,’ said Walter.

And Sophie knew there was no way any of them were going to spill the secret until they actually got to their destination.

* * *

‘You’re serious?’ Sophie looked up at the London Eye.

It was New Year’s Eve, a day when she usually worked and rarely ventured out, and here they were in England’s capital, about to get into one of the pods and soar over a hundred metres high above the London skyline.

It wasn’t yet dark but the last rotation wasn’t far off.

After that, the area would be closed for the city to prepare for the New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Walter presumed rightly that the question was directed at him. ‘Greta came to me in my dreams and told me to do this. What can I say?’

When he joined the queue Jennie whispered, ‘More like Nick called in a favour from a hotel contact and sorted us last-minute tickets, and when Nick said that Walter shouldn’t feel pressured to do it if he didn’t want to, he was having none of it.

He didn’t want to miss out on an experience of a lifetime with his family, he said. ’

Sophie’s emotions churned at the family reference as they climbed into the pod, Nick the last to get in. He was right next to her. ‘I hope you don’t mind, but I put a couple of bottles of champagne in your fridge when you were upstairs. We’re hoping we can all go back to yours.’

‘We’ll call it the after party,’ Walter chipped in.

‘I’d really love that,’ said Sophie, her eyes fixed on Nick.

Jennie leaned around Walter to add, ‘And I’ve ordered food to be delivered at 7p.m. All you have to do, Sophie, is let us spoil you.’

The door closed and she looked around. ‘It’s just us four?’

‘Private pod,’ said Nick.

‘Wow.’ She moved closer to the glass.

‘Have you been on before?’ Nick came to her side as Walter and Jennie on the opposite side were trying to work out in which direction the iconic buildings would be once they lifted into the air.

‘I have, but not for over a decade. I don’t remember it, really.’

The wheel began to move, slowly, surely, and soon they were rising into the air, unforgettable 360-degree views of London spread out around them. They marvelled at Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Shard. Thank goodness for a clear day, after all the rain they’d had.

This was a London Sophie knew but hadn’t seen that much of in a really long time.

She’d spent most of her time as a single mother trying to survive, then she’d cared for her own mum in her final days, and along with work, that was where she’d put all of her energies.

It was only now she was beginning to see that there could be more to her life, so much more.

They were almost at the highest height they could be when Nick asked quietly, ‘Is Jennie really all right after seeing her mum?’

Somehow him asking about Jennie tugged at Sophie’s heartstrings. He cared, really cared about his family. ‘She sent me another text yesterday to say their meet-up went really well and they’re starting to talk a lot. And judging by the way she’s smiling tonight, I’d say she’s in a good place.’

‘And what about you?’ He asked the question as they both gazed out over the city.

‘Thanks to Greta and Bea and Walter all meddling, I’m starting to find my way.’

‘I’ve taken some time off from the hotel.’

‘You have?’

‘I’ve got three weeks, longest holiday I’ve had in ages.’

‘What are your plans? Are you going to LA?’

‘No,’ he said. ‘Not this time. Henry is in Florida with friends. He’s coming to Vienna at Easter so I’ll see him then. I was going to hang around in England. I thought you might like some company.’

She gulped. ‘I’d really like that.’

They both began to laugh when a lively debate behind them began between Walter and Jennie. Walter was sure he could just about make out Windsor Castle in the distance; Jennie said he was mistaken.

‘They’ll be arguing over this for the rest of the evening,’ he said softly so only Sophie could hear.

‘Do you think we should help them out, see what we think?’

‘No way, I think we should stay right where we are.’ He put an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him.

And they were still like that as the pod returned to ground level.