Page 11 of I’ll Be Home for Christmas

She took a band off her wrist and tied up her hair, then went and sat on the arm of his chair, the way she’d done as a kid. ‘Both.’

‘I can appreciate that.’

‘Beautiful in all seasons.’ She recapped how excited she’d been on the plane, then the journey from Bern airport, until Nanna came in carrying a tray.

‘Cinnamon rolls.’ Sarah grinned, her tummy giving an enthusiastic accompanying rumble.

‘Dive in, don’t be shy.’ Grumps poured a cup of tea for each of them from the ceramic teapot.

Sarah took a cinnamon roll and a small plate and sat in one of the single chairs to devour the dough with its swirls of butter and cinnamon, and sweet-tasting raisins. ‘Have you done your deliveries yet, Nanna?’

‘I started them this morning, and then the snow started again.’

‘I could help you.’

‘Are you sure? You’re not too tired?’

What was it with grandparents feeling like they had to check you wanted to help out or spend time with them? ‘I’d be happy to, Nanna.’

‘Well, I appreciate it. If you and I work together we can make the deliveries while the rest of the batch are still fresh.’

‘Have another,’ Grumps urged when Sarah licked her fingers after the first cinnamon roll.

She laughed. ‘Maybe later.’

‘How are the wedding plans going?’ Nanna asked.

‘We’re ready,’ she replied. What else could she say? That she was here because she didn’t know what to do?

‘It’ll be wonderful having it at Rhys’s family home, really special,’ said Grumps.

‘It will be. But I hate that you won’t be there.’ When Sarah’s voice wobbled, she quickly recovered. ‘I do understand though.’ She didn’t want to make them feel more guilty than they likely already did.

‘We hate it too,’ said Nanna.

Nanna had some heart troubles and had been through lots of tests during the past year. She was still being closely monitored, which meant no travel for her, and Grumps had mobility issues – osteoarthritis in his knee – that was worse on some days than others. Even Sarah could see that any sort of long journey would be stressful, painful and too hard for him now. At first, she’d thought they could marry over here instead, but there were complications with that, permissions that needed to be granted, the logistics of it all. And then there was Rhys’s enormous family and his friends and connections. No, England made much more sense.

‘Promise us you’ll record the wedding and send it to us immediately,’ said Grumps. ‘I’m quite good on an iPad these days. Talking of which…’ He picked up his iPad. ‘I need to check the avalanche bulletin.’

‘Avalanche?’ Sarah felt a flutter of panic.

‘Don’t be alarmed,’ said Nanna. ‘He checks it every day, sometimes twice.’

Grumps wasn’t long looking at his iPad. ‘Nothing to worry about,’ he confirmed.

While Grumps opted for an afternoon nap, Sarah and Nanna bundled up in coats and scarves and boots with a good grip for the snow and off they went with more boxed-up cinnamon rolls for the neighbours.

‘At least the pavements have been gritted so we’re not risking life and limb,’ said Nanna.

The little boxes were readily accepted by everyone, although delivery took some time given people wanted to ask about Nanna’s health, chat about Christmas, about the snow.

By the time they got back to the chalet Sarah was grateful for the toasty flames of the fire. ‘I’m not used to this sort of cold.’

‘We’ll have you warmed up in no time,’ said Nanna, with a playful roll of her eyes as they both spotted Grumps still snoozing.

A familiar ping sounded from Sarah’s bag where she’d hung it on a hook in the hallway. It was a message from Rhys, a reply to her earlier text to say she’d arrived safely. She quickly tapped out a message to tell him about the cinnamon rolls, the snow, and then went back to join her grandparents.

She liked that Rhys thought about her so often, that he, like the groom she’d seen in Interlaken, would hold her hand as much as she wanted or needed him to. But she couldn’t get it out of her head that they were rushing things. When he’d proposed, of course she’d said yes, she loved him, but she hadn’t even thought to suggest they wait a while. He’d gone all romantic talking about a New Year’s Eve wedding he’d been to years ago. He’d told her about the dark, the cold, the fairy lights and the magic of the occasion, and she’d been swept away by it all. She’d laughed at the time that he was so excited but as the days went on, her mum’s disapproval came again and again, and as the reality set in, she wished they’d held on for a bit. But they’d gone too far to change things.