Page 39 of I’ll Be Home for Christmas

Over the last couple of days, Sarah had begun to think what it might be like to have Meg at her wedding. She didn’t have much family and she’d like her there. If it happened at all, that was.

After her bath, she’d put on some cosy tartan fleece pyjamas and picked up a book to read, but it wasn’t long before there was a knock at her bedroom door.

Her mum hovered in the doorway. ‘May I come in?’

‘Sure.’

Chrissie sat down on her bed. ‘I’m sorry about what happened at the dinner table.’

‘I feel sorry for Grumps and Nanna.’

Chrissie nodded. ‘I apologised to both for the outburst too. I wasn’t expecting to see Meg. After all this time…’

‘She’s nice, Mum.’

But Chrissie ended the discussion about her sister there when she said, ‘I came for you and we haven’t even talked.’

‘I hate it when we fight.’ Sarah’s voice caught.

‘We had words, we didn’t fight. Not really.’ After a beat she told Sarah, ‘Rhys came to see me at work.’

Of all the things she’d thought her mum would say, it wasn’t that. ‘He came to see you? I know you spoke on the phone… but…’

‘He really is worried, Sarah.’

She sniffed, wiped away a tear.

‘Have you changed your mind?’ Chrissie held up her hands. ‘I’m not asking in the same capacity now. Before I was asking whether you were sure, now I want to know how bad things are. Are they so bad you want to call the wedding off?’

‘I don’t know what to do.’ She fell against her mum and now the tears really came. ‘I’ve made such a mess of everything.’

‘Now what makes you say that?’

‘You tried to tell me I was too young.’

‘I wanted you to be sure, but I hate that I might have sent you into a panic.’

She pulled back. ‘I’m so confused. I love Rhys. I don’t want to be with anyone else.’

‘He’s a good guy, Sarah.’

She looked up rather than fiddling with the tissue in her lap.

‘When Rhys came to see me, it was obvious how much you mean to him and that he’ll never hurt you. The boy who came to see me is genuine, he’s in love, and he’s worried.’

‘Mum, he’s a man, not a boy.’

Chrissie grinned at the same time as Sarah. ‘To me, you’re just a girl and a boy.’ She smiled and nudged Sarah the way they used to when they were so much closer, when her mum would come and lie with her before she went to sleep, when they’d gossip about whatever they could. She summoned her courage to add, ‘I came here not to be the one to come to the rescue, but to let you know you can talk to me. I wanted to tell you that I trust you, Sarah, to make your own decisions. If you want to get married, get married, and if you don’t, then I’m fine with that too.’

‘But the wedding is in less than a fortnight.’

‘I’m aware.’

‘His family⁠—’

‘This isn’t about anyone else other than you and Rhys.’ She paused. ‘Do you love him?’

‘I really do.’