The family had other plans for Christmas – could a change of scene restore Nancy’s festive spirit?
Nancy forced the lid of the case down. Whatever she’d forgotten to put in, it would have to do. “All done?” Jim smiled from their bedroom doorway.
“Yes,” she replied tersely.
Jim sighed. “We’ll have a good time, love. You see if we don’t.”
He put his arm round her shoulder and she shrugged him off. “Christmas is family time. We shouldn’t be spending it with people we don’t know.”
In the kitchen, she gripped the edge of the sink and stared out into the garden. She felt ashamed of herself. It wasn’t his fault the family had decided they had better things to do this year. And she should be more appreciative of his efforts.
Holidays were something they’d never been able to afford until recently when Jim’s mum died and left him a small sum of money.
A summer holiday somewhere warm and sunny would be lovely, but Austria in the middle of winter? What good was that? They’d be sitting on their own in a hotel room wondering what to do.
She’d taken no interest when he’d produced the holiday brochure. Had only taken a cursory glance when he was out of the room one evening. Christmas in Vienna. That’s what they called it.
She’d rather stay at home, even if they were on their own. At least they would be able to relax in comfort.
She sighed. What was wrong with her? Jim was the kindest husband any woman could wish for, and she loved him dearly. But Christmas with all the family round her was something she’d looked forward to. The same as every year for as long as she could remember. The only thing that had changed over the years was the arrival of grandchildren.
This year they’d let her down badly.
Only last week, Mark had announced he would be spending Christmas this year with Lidia’s family in Devon.
“They ask us every year,” he’d said. “And we always tell them we can’t because we always come to you. Lidia’s put her foot down this year.”
Nancy had forced a smile and told him she understood. But she didn’t. She liked Lidia and hoped the relationship would last. But he could at least have told her before she’d ordered the turkey.
It was Jim she moaned to later. “It won’t be the same without them.”
Jim had smiled. “We’ll still have the others here.”
It soon appeared that they wouldn’t.
Their younger son, Richard, wa
