Page 51 of The Christmas Express

Cali

One of the most beautiful things these eyes have ever seen, more beautiful than the Christmas lights over Regent Street, more beautiful than the sunrise glittering off the glass buildings in the City of London, is one of my best friends, on her wedding day, standing in the twinkling snow, under a big, blue Canadian sky.

The cabin we’re all staying in has an out-house which is adorned in white ribbons for the wedding, the inside transformed into a reception room that wouldn’t look out of place in an extremely fancy bridal magazine.

In fact, I’m pretty sure their wedding photographer might work for an extremely fancy bridal magazine, because they keep talking about ‘the issue’ and I don’t think they’re referring to global warming, or that one of Ruby’s cousins has put a tiny suit on the cat and snuck her into the ceremony.

And right now, the bride and bride, in their white-as-snow dresses, are having photos taken with a stunning mountain backdrop.

Most guests are staying in the warm, but me and my friends – yes, it’s early days, but I love that I can call them friends again – have donned coats over our wedding attire and are clasping crystal tumblers of steaming, spiced cider, our boots in the snow, enjoying watching Bryn in her new surroundings.

Which, as great as our time at the townhouse was, this is clearly the place she’s meant to be.

Joss sniffs at her dress. ‘Do I smell like last night’s alcohol?’ she hisses, and we all say no to make her feel better.

Beside me, I spot Luke peeping at me.

‘What?’ I ask.

He is so bloody handsome in his suit. ‘I very nearly didn’t come to Canada.’

‘What changed your mind?’

‘I just wanted to see you again. Even if you hated me, even if you had another boyfriend whose name may or may not have been Luke, even if, actually, you hadn’t turned up, I couldn’t not take the chance of seeing you. You’re like a magnet to me.’

I am pink with warmth despite the frostbite forming on every one of my toes. ‘Well I’m glad you chose to come. Because Fake Luke would have made a terrible wedding date.’

‘He can’t dance?’

‘No, it’s not that... he’s just really partial to sleeping with the bridesmaids.’

I put my mittened hand into Luke’s, my magnet. He and I have a lot to catch up, and the way we can’t stop looking at each other, smiling at each other, talking like there’s no tomorrow, I think we’re going to enjoy every minute of it. And this time, neither of us plan to let it only last a week.

Speaking of bridesmaids... Alex is looking lovely in her long, red-wine coloured dress.

There’s the smallest hint of sadness on her face while she’s lost in thought, but then she catches my eye, does a small nod, and I see the sparkle return as she’s pulled into the photos by Bryn and Ruby.

She’s going to be just fine, as will Ember.

I dropped Ember a message this morning, making sure she’d made it okay to Jasper, and she replied immediately to say everything was good, better than good, and she is so happy with her decision not to come as far as Vancouver.

A little later, Bryn and I flop down in two plush armchairs in front of a log fire.

The sun is dipping in the sky, warm oranges and purples and pinks lighting up the scenery beyond the window.

From this side of the cabin, we’re facing a lake, and the snow-capped Mount Washington with lit-up ski trails looms across the water.

‘How are you doing, beautiful bride?’ I ask as she closes her eyes and leans her head back.

‘So good, I’ve had the best day. Did you have fun?’

‘It was... incredible. Better than that.’

‘I’m so glad you all not only came but that we’re finally all moving forward from that stupid fight. But like I said, it was never really about the fight.’

‘We have spread our wings.’ I nod. Even me, I think, now I’ve started making things happen for myself.

‘Can you believe Sara has a daughter?’ Bryn says.

‘I can imagine she’s just an awesome mum.

’ When Sara told us about Dina at breakfast this morning (Joss of course leaping in there with an ‘I already knew’), it was a wake-up call that we hadn’t made her feel part of our group enough that she felt the desire to tell us.

I never want her to feel like that again.

She might have moved on from us being her closest friends, but we’re still her friends, and I, for one, want to see just how cool this little girl grows up to be. Just like her mum.

Bryn and I chat for a while, and she tells me how scary it was to make the move out to Canada, but it was something she’d always wanted.

She tells me about how she met Ruby in Vancouver and it had been like Canada’s way of telling her she’d made exactly the right decision.

I describe in long, over-detailed detail what it was like going all the way across this incredible country on a train.

And now feels like it might be the right time. ..

‘I saw Ember recently, by the way.’

As soon as the words have left my mouth I feel like a stupid plonker because why would I bring up Ember on her wedding day?

This was exactly the type of thing I was trying to avoid by angling Ember away from coming to Vancouver in the first place!

Maybe I am obsessed with forcing things. Too late now.

Thankfully, Bryn smiles wide, not even a hint of bad feeling on her face. ‘That’s awesome, how is she?’

‘She seemed well.’ I nod. And I force myself to leave it at that. Maybe sometime I’ll fill her in on what really happened on this journey, but not today.

I can’t imagine what the future holds, no matter how many scenarios I daydream up, so I took a risk coming out here.

It was one hundred per cent worth it, because whether you need to forgive, or forget, or channel that Big City Energy or feel some perspective under a sky full of stars, it’s fun to step out of dreamland and keep moving forward.