“Best serve the kids some quickly before Nelly-Belly eats it all, homemade ice cream is her favourite,” Harry says giving wide eyes to the kids. Lucas and Oscar giggle. Nel examines her empty plate and doesn’t laugh with them. I frown at her obvious discomfort and more so at the fact that Harry doesn’t seem to notice at all.
Lisa starts stacking plates and I jump up to help her, Nel does the same, collecting everyone’s dirty dishes. Harry makes himself busy topping up people’s drinks and refilling the water jugs on the table.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Lisa says as I open the dishwasher.
“Don’t be silly,” I say. “You’ve made this lovely dinner, least I can do is tidy up a bit.” I kiss her cheek and catch Nel watching me, but she quickly turns to start placing plates in the dishwasher.
“Why some pretty little thing hasn’t snatched you up yet, I have no idea,” Lisa sighs wistfully heading back out to the garage, I assume to get the ice cream from the freezer.
I chuckle, helping to tidy the dishes away and collecting the platter along with other bits from the table, before putting the leftovers in the fridge. After I wash the platter by hand, dry it up, and place it back where it belongs in a cupboard in the kitchen island, I notice Nel watching me curiously.
“You certainly know your way around this place,” Nel says, closing the dishwasher.
“Yeah, well I’m here more than I’m at my own place,” I laugh. “Well, at least it seems that way sometimes.”
“Why?” she asks, screwing her face up in confusion.
“Harry is my best friend, I enjoy his and Lisa’s company, I babysit for them regularly, and I don’t like living alone.” I don’t really mean to say the last one and I try to brush it off by clearing my throat.
“You don’t?” she asks, tilting her head.
I stand in front of her, closer than I thought I was, my expression serious for the first time tonight. “Not particularly. It gets lonely,” I shrug.
Her lips twitch. “It’s hard to imagine Jake Partridge lonely. Always surrounded by people, bygirls.”
She’s right. In school I usually had friends with me everywhere I went, and I didn’t go longer than a week without a girlfriend. Although none of them stuck around longer than a month or two at a time. It’s true that I get fidgety in my own company for too long but there are only a few people whose company I enjoy for extended periods. Harry is my best friend and his wife is great, but I have never had a meaningful romantic relationship. Ever. I get suckered into the bubble of new romance; I love the cosiness of intimacy when you’re just getting to know somebody. That brief period where you want to spend every waking moment with them, I love it. But once that’s worn off, I get bored and irritable with sharing my time with someone. No one has ever held my interest, nor have they remained interested in me.
“Jake?” Nel’s gentle voice pulls me from my musings.
“Sorry, lost in thought,” I shake my head.
“Well, I’m sorry you feel lonely sometimes.”
I huff a laugh, “I’m fine, it was just a comment. I’m not crying into my cereal every morning.”
She smiles shyly, looking down before meeting my eye. “Well, I have three housemates, so if you ever need company—
“Penelope Forrest,” I smirk at her, stepping closer so we’re only a few inches apart and lowering my voice as though we are sharing a secret conversation. “Are you suggesting a secret rendezvous in the city?”
Her eyes widen in panic and her whole face flames red. “No! I mean…what? I didn’t mean…you know? I was just trying…b-b-because you’re Harry’s best friend and we’ve known each other since forever, so you’re kind of my friend too…I guess…and I was just trying to…be nice…I—”
I laugh, “Oh, Nelly-Belly, you’re too easy.” I put my arm over her shoulders and lead her back to the table as Lisa emerges with a tray holding an ice cream tub, some sauces, sprinkles, and other accoutrement.
Harry jumps up again to take the tray from his wife at the last minute and puts it down on the table. Everyone makes lip-smacking noises as Lisa makes everyone a sundae, personalised to their individual orders. The boys want extra-large with extra everything. Rhiannon asks that the twins get a single scoop with no adornments, but Luke keeps sharing his sprinkles with them when his wife’s back is turned.
Nel declines dessert and Harry pretends to faint in his seat with shock, which makes everyone laugh. The boys join in, copying their father with delirious giggles until Lisa quietly tells them enough is enough. The ice cream is delicious and I gorge myself until my stomach feels stretched beyond comfort, but hey, that’s what Christmas is about.
“Well,” Lisa says once everyone is finished. “I have not made any plans for this evening so it’s a free for all.”
“Let’s play a game,” Lucas suggests.
“You and your brother are off to bed now,” Lisa says with quiet authority.
“Why do we have to go to bed before the babies?” he complains.
Lisa pointedly stares at the little ones who have both fallen asleep in their highchairs, faces pink and sticky with semi-dried ice cream. I smile at the sight. That is goddamn cute.
“Freddie and Margot are going to bed too, Lucas.” Rhiannon smiles. “We can play games tomorrow though, okay?”
