Love to Hate You: Three's a Crowd

Chapter Sixteen - All I want for Christmas

Mariah Carey was playing by the time the extended Paxton family gathered to open their Christmas presents. The departure of Amy's family was felt by no one but Ramona, who was embarrassed by the tales of what the younger adults had said to one another, and worried for her antique plate. She really would have preferred Mattie to put the vol-au-vents into a Tupperware for Mrs Groves, instead.

'What did you get?' Vicky asked her best friend, as Mattie tore the paper off a very large gift.

'Waste paper bins. Three of them,' she replied, her voice laced with disappointment. The gift had been quite big. It's size and shape beguiling. She'd hoped for more.

'Waste paper bins?' Vicky repeated incredulously.

'But I might have got something else. Something a little more... special,' she said, because although Rafe had bad form where Christmas presents were concerned, he always got her several things. This year, he'd bought her waste paper bins and... beach towels.

'Towels?' she asked him, holding them aloft in question.

'You kept insisting that I was using your towel when we went away in the summer. I thought "his and hers" towels would save us the argument.' And it was sound logic, but rather dull. Not very inspired. She did not suffer from an excess of glee.

'Towels and waste paper bins?' Vicky said, giving him a pitying look.

'I have got her something else,' Rafe insisted, 'but it's more... personal.' He looked at his wife softly. 'You can have it later, when we're alone.'

'Okay,' she beamed, wondering if he was going to make a soppy declaration. He could be romantic, but he'd never do it in front of anyone else.

'Explain the bins to me, though,' Vicky pressed. Rafe frowned. What's wrong with the bins? There was nothing wrong with them, of course. They needed waste paper bins. He'd chosen one which would match the décor of the living room. One for each side of their bed; the same colour as their bedroom walls. But alas; a waste paper bin does not a gift make. Even Xander knew that. Hell, even Tobias!

'They go with our living room and bedroom,' Rafe explained. 'I chose them carefully.'

'I know you did,' Mattie consoled, wondering who would console her, if this was her life for the next... He was fifty-one. How much longer could she reasonably expect him to live? ...Twenty... twenty-five years? Thirty? 'What did you get?' she asked Vicky, keen to put someone else's husband under the spotlight.

'Bluetooth headphones, that designer blender I wanted, and these earrings. Do you like them?' They were very tasteful. Probably too tasteful for Vicky's tasteless taste, but they were certainly worth boasting about, even if they weren't statement earrings. Or waste paper bins.

'They're lovely,' Mattie nodded, shooting Rudy a smile.

'I did get you that woollen coat you wanted, but I had to order it online and it didn't arrive in time I'm afraid,' he informed his wife.

'The woollen coat?' she asked, with an avid expression. He smiled his lop-sided smile.

'Yep.'

'God, I love you!' she squealed, kissing him firmly on the lips.

'What about you, Mum?' Rudy asked, because he couldn't see a present in his mother's hand.

'I've not given her anything yet,' Carl said, holding Vee close to him; his fingers curling about her upper arm as he pressed her into his body. He gazed down on her face; her expression contrite and full of mixed emotions. 'No one's angry with you, love,' he consoled.