“To be fair, it wasn’t just me looking at you like that.” It was kind of a defence.
“I was only bothered about how you were looking at me. I didn’t notice the rest.” He was still smirking. “We can work things out as we go.”
“We can. We can take our time.”
On Christmas morning I thought back to that conversation and wondered exactly what our joint concept of time was.
A ridiculously large, real Christmas tree filled the window, blocking out what little light Christmas Day in Puffin Bay had to offer. It was just eight o’clock and I was on my third cup of coffee, wondering how much longer I needed to be awake for before I could have a nap. The girls had lasted until half five, and that included both of them in bed with us, feet in spleens and me hanging off the edge of the bed. Cas had slept with Mia’s foot in his face, and the Alsatian pup on his feet. Scooby was the latest resident of the schoolhouse, acquired on a Saturday morning two weeks ago from the woman who ran the cat charity Thane fostered for. He’d been abandoned somewhere in Snowdonia on a really cold day, and it’d been touch and go for a few hours if he’d make it. Cas had been out with Thane, who’d mentioned it and I came back from swimming with the girls and Deryn to find an eight week old puppy on the rug in front of the fire, his tail wagging and looking like it was already Christmas Day.
“Do you think they like their presents?” Cas peered out of the lounge into the room that’d become the playroom across the hallway. It was a third reception room, probably once used as a formal dining room, but it’d become the girls', a place they could have their toys that wasn’t the lounge, which was staying as an adult cross puppy room, more puppy given the size of Scooby’s bed.
“I like their presents.” I stretched out on the sofa, pulling a blanket over me. “You know what else I like? Sleep.” I got myself comfy on a cushion, intending to grab at least half an hour’s nap, else I wasn’t going to make it through to Christmas dinner, which Cassian was cooking, Deryn and her boyfriend joining us for it. Usually, we’d go to the Puffin Inn with half the town for Christmas dinner, but this year the girls had wanted it in their new home. There would’ve been no chance of getting them toleave the playroom now anyway, given it looked like a street of dolls’ houses and pony palaces, everything they could both want for setting up make believe worlds. Deryn had bought them a little wardrobe of dressing up clothes, which sensibly she’d sourced from charity shops and second-hand sellers rather than pay a fortune for them. I’d gotten each of them an individual present, and Cassian had gotten them a set of books each too, just from him. Ever the teacher.
He bent down and rubbed Scooby’s belly. The puppy was exhausted from what had been a very exciting morning of excited children and exciting wrapping paper, which he thought was a wonderful gift and didn’t even eat any of it.
I was excited about not having an emergency trip to the vets.
“Scooby’s got a present for you.” He turned back around to face me, holding a small velvet box.
“That’s earrings, isn’t it?” I sat up, suddenly not tired.
He wriggled his eyebrows. “You’ll have to see, won’t you?” Cas sat cross legged on the floor, the dog nuzzling at his hands.
I got off the sofa and sat down on the floor opposite him. “We said we wouldn’t rush anything.”
“You moved in here four weeks after I did and we thought that was long enough.”
That was true. We went on our holiday, had an amazing time, and then both girls had cried when Cas dropped us off after the airport at the cottage and came back here.
We’d had a week when we were either at his or he was at the cottage or at football training – or work which meant the girls were at school – and then we dropped the idea of us all living in the schoolhouse.
Deryn had been thrilled. The town had almost had a party. The chair of governors who’d appointed Cassian as head teacher decided it was all down to him, so we hid from the townsfolk for a week while they all calmed down.
“So do you want to see what’s in this present or shall I wait?” He held the box between his fingers in front of me.
“Of course.”
He put it in my hands, watching me open it with a huge grin on his face.
It was, as I expected, an engagement ring.
“Hey, Heidi! Mia! Get yourselves in here! I need your help.” He yelled the words, causing the puppy to get up and start barking furiously and I thanked the stars we didn’t have neighbours.
Heidi and Mia appeared, still in their Christmas pyjamas, not matching because they couldn’t agree on a pair they both liked.
They giggled, rushing to sit next to Cassian so the three of them looked like an over-excited interview panel.
“We think you should marry Cassian.” It was Mia who started the persuasion. Her shyness was almost all gone, leaving her with a spine of steel.
“Cassian wants to marry you and we want to be bridesmaids.” That was, of course, Heidi.
“Cassian loves you and we know you love Cassian, because you said so when you were cleaning up the beans he spilt all over the cooker last week.” Mia also had no fear at throwing anyone under a bus if it would get the desired outcome. She would go far.
“And we love Cassian. Plus, I’ve decided I want a baby brother.” Heidi folded her arms.
I looked at Cassian who was thoroughly entertained with all this. “I didn’t tell them what to say, honest. I didn’t know about the beans either. If you marry me I’ll always clean up the beans when I spill them.”
I didn’t say anything, partly because I didn’t know what to say.
