A Simple Christmas

I tried to recall a time I was this nervous at Christmas. I thought of the time I was seven and praying for a PlayStation, or the time I brought my black ex-girlfriend to Grandma's for the first time. Neither of them even came close to this.

I rang the bell and we stood waiting. My palms were sweaty and I pulled at my collar; how had it got so tight?

"Keep calm. It's just Christmas lunch." Jane said to me in a rather poor attempt to calm my nerves.

"I know, I know," I said. "I just want a nice simple Christmas day."

We stood there on the doorstep. Luckily for us the awful weather forecast by the weatherman yesterday had turned into a rather grey sky and drab affair.

"Merry Christmas!" Mum smiled as she opened the door. "Come in, come in." She ushered us in with a big smile. It seemed much larger when she looked at Jane than me. "Jane, you look gorgeous! Just look at that dress."

She got Jane to do a little twirl in the hallway. I could hear Dad in the kitchen, slaving away at the turkey he'd had been talking about all month. Mum's smile briefly dropped when she remembered the kids aren't here today. They are at Jane's parents this Christmas. Strange idea to separate the kids from parents, but it makes sense. Something we'd have to get used to eventually.

I left Mum and Jane to praise each other and went into the kitchen to say hello to Dad.

"Merry Christmas, old man!" I said with outstretched arms.

"Happy Christmas."

Happy Christmas, he always said Happy Christmas.

"Come here, Son." He smiled as we embraced.

He felt frail. Something wasn't right.

"How's the turkey coming along?" I asked, trying to change to subject to distract from his frailness. Dad had always been in peak physical fitness, but that one hug suggested a very recent and drastic change.

"Turkey's fine. No one's cried yet," he said, waving away as if shooing such a question.

"Not Christmas until someone cries."

"Exactly!" His smile lit up the room kitchen. "How was the drive?"

I told him something along the lines of the drive was fine. But I couldn't be sure. My mind was elsewhere.

As always, Dad offered me tea and put the kettle on. He was old fashioned and preferred one which sat on the stove, and whistled.

Jane and Mum walked in smiling as they both chatted away. Mum had always adored Jane, even as far as crying when I told her I was going to propose. I'm still fairly certain she gave Jane the heads up.

There was a pile of presents under the tree, all with the same paper apart from five. They were for me, Jane, mum and the kids. I couldn't help but smile when I saw them. Dad loved the concept of Santa and would always do gifts "from Santa". The three of us played along, although the kids were verging on the age of no longer believing, something Dad was slowly accepting. Though I knew he would keep doing it anyway.

Me, mum and Jane were already sat at the table when Dad called from the kitchen to say the turkey was ready. Jane went to stand up but mum told her otherwise.

"Don't get up, Jane. He can help his father." Mum nodded her head towards the doorway.

I pushed the chair back and got to my feet.