‘Wh-wh-what?’ he stuttered, his face falling.
Karen reached out for his hands, helping him to his feet.
‘Greg, please sit down. We need to talk.’
49
Holly was readying the table for Christmas dinner. It was set with all her mismatched china, and mismatched glasses and, she thought ruefully, there was no denying it looked more like a rummage sale than the height of elegance. She lit the candles in the middle of the centrepiece: a small holly wreath with a few red berries on it. She felt Danny sidle up next to her. ‘Wow, it looks great Mom!’
She hugged him. ‘You really think so?’
‘Yeah, it looks cool, like a real Christmas table!’
Holly squeezed him tightly, her little man, he saw the joy in everything.
‘Thanks honey.’
There was a knock at the door and he rushed to answer it.
‘Mom!’ he called out from the living room. ‘Nana’s here! And some strange lady.’
‘OK … here we go,’ Holly mumbled to herself, going to the door to meet her Christmas guests.
Eileen had Danny enveloped in a bear hug, and then she quickly pushed her friend into the apartment. ‘This is Madame Vera Treynovitch,’ she said proudly. ‘Vera, meet my lovely family.’
‘Nice to meet you,’ Holly said, her eyebrows rising.
She graciously extended her hand to a very old, grey-haired lady wearing glasses with huge lenses that made them look more like goggles. She wore a short black skirt over leggings and a purple wrap stole beneath a short fur coat, which looked barely enough to keep her warm. Her hands were shrouded in long leather gloves as she took Holly’s hand.
‘Thank you so much for inviting me.’
Holly looked quizzically over the woman’s head at her beaming mother. ‘No problem, can I take your coat?’
Vera happily gave up her coat and peeled off her gloves. As she did, her bare hands briefly touched Holly's. ‘Thank you again … oh!’
‘What is it?’ Holly asked anxiously. ‘Are you OK?’
‘Yes – it’s just …’ She looked at Eileen. ‘I am also clairvoyant, and when I feel the naked flesh, ‘ she clutched her chest dramatically.
Eileen hid a smile as Danny led his grandmother away to show her his new iPad.
Perturbed, Holly gently tried to slip her hand away, but Vera clung on.
‘You are going to meet someone, tall … dark—’
‘And handsome, I’ll bet?’ Kate interrupted from where she sat on the sofa, trying not to laugh.
Vera suddenly gripped Holly’s hand tighter. ‘Yes,’ she gasped. ‘Yes, handsome, but … I know him … Iknowhim and he believes he is bound for another but … ’
Holly looked helplessly at Kate, who shrugged and made the universal sign for crazy behind Vera’s head.
‘With another … but there is a puzzle … ’
‘I’m sorry. I really have no idea,’ Holly said politely.
‘Yes, a puzzle – literally!’ Vera enthused. ‘A crossword puzzle.’ Still grasping Holly's hand, she then spotted the charm bracelet and stroked it with her fingers. ‘Is this yours?’
‘That’s right,’ Holly said, feeling slightly unsettled at the mention of the crossword puzzle, especially in view of the one she’d been working on earlier that morning.
