and pressed the top slice of
bread onto the last of the sandwiches.
Maybe he’d get a pleasant surprise when Bobby arrived home. Maybe he’d got all that nonsense out of his system and was now ‘normal’. Noel fervently hoped so. He cut the
sandwiches in half and arranged them on the plate, then went into the sitting room to put another few logs on the fire. It was good to come home to a blazing fire. By making the effort he was
acting in a forgiving manner, he comforted himself. God would surely be pleased with him. He heard the crunch of tyres outside the window and saw Carrie’s car pull to a stop in the drive.
Noel peered out eagerly, hoping to see a smartly dressed, ‘normal’-looking young man get out of the car.
An apparition dressed in a brown leather jacket and a beige floaty silk scarf got out. Noel stared at Bobby’s hair. The last time he’d seen his son his hair was its ordinary brown
colour. Now it was different shades of blond. Just like a woman, Noel thought in dismay.
‘O Mother of God give me patience and strength,’ he prayed as he heard Carrie’s key in the door. ‘This is a hard cross to bear.’ Bobby had become even more
outrageous. He hadn’t straightened himself out one bit. If anything, he was a thousand times worse.
‘Hello, son,’ he said heavily as Bobby came through the door. He didn’t even bother to shake hands. What was the point? If his only son wouldn’t even try to make an
effort on his visit home, why should he bother?
‘I’ve made sandwiches, they’re in the kitchen. Help yourself; Carrie will make you a cup of tea. I’ve to go and see Father Doyle about something. I’ll see you
later.’
Just for an instant, Bobby looked crestfallen as Noel went into the hall to get his coat. ‘See,’ he whispered to Carrie. ‘He can’t even bear to be in the same house as
me.’
‘Don’t forget it’s Christmas Eve. There’s always a lot of things to do in the church,’ Carrie said lamely, hurting for him.
‘Nah.’ He shrugged despondently. ‘Some things never change.’
10
‘Mammy, Daddy! He’s come, Santa’s come!’ The shrieks of excitement penetrated the fog of sleep that shrouded her, and Carrie struggled to come to
consciousness. Beside her Dan snored contentedly.
‘Wake up.’ She gave him a dig in the ribs as Olivia and Davey danced into their bedroom, light from the landing shining onto their faces, which were radiant with excitement.
‘Daddy, I got a chopper bike!’ Davey could hardly get the words out he was so excited.
‘Mammy, Mammy, I got a bike too and a Barbie Bride. Look, she’s got a veil and everything.’ Olivia was in ecstasy as she waved her doll under her mother’s nose.
‘And we got sweets in our stockings, real chewy toffees.’ Davey’s cheeks were bulging.
‘Give us one,’ Dan said groggily, hauling himself up into a sitting position. ‘What time is it, Carrie?’
Carrie squinted at her alarm clock. ‘Four thirty-five. Ten minutes later than last year.’
‘Dad, watch me cycle up the hall,’ Davey urged.
‘Come on so,’ Dan agreed, flinging back the duvet. ‘If you give me another one of those sweets.’ He smiled at Carrie and she smiled back at him as she lay against the
pillows with Olivia snuggled in beside her. This is happiness, she realized. That rare fleeting moment when everything is just perfect.
Della gazed with dismay at the heap of puke-stained sheets and clothes strewn in her bath. She ran the shower hose over them then piled them all into a basket and headed for
the kitchen and washing machine. This was the third time that Kathryn had puked. The girl in the crèche had told her that there was a bug going around when she’d gone to collect her at
midday.
When she’d taken her to the doctor he’d just given her Dioralite and told her to keep Kathryn hydrated and not to let her mix with other children for a couple of days. Her daughter
was sleeping fitfully now, after her
bread onto the last of the sandwiches.
Maybe he’d get a pleasant surprise when Bobby arrived home. Maybe he’d got all that nonsense out of his system and was now ‘normal’. Noel fervently hoped so. He cut the
sandwiches in half and arranged them on the plate, then went into the sitting room to put another few logs on the fire. It was good to come home to a blazing fire. By making the effort he was
acting in a forgiving manner, he comforted himself. God would surely be pleased with him. He heard the crunch of tyres outside the window and saw Carrie’s car pull to a stop in the drive.
Noel peered out eagerly, hoping to see a smartly dressed, ‘normal’-looking young man get out of the car.
An apparition dressed in a brown leather jacket and a beige floaty silk scarf got out. Noel stared at Bobby’s hair. The last time he’d seen his son his hair was its ordinary brown
colour. Now it was different shades of blond. Just like a woman, Noel thought in dismay.
‘O Mother of God give me patience and strength,’ he prayed as he heard Carrie’s key in the door. ‘This is a hard cross to bear.’ Bobby had become even more
outrageous. He hadn’t straightened himself out one bit. If anything, he was a thousand times worse.
‘Hello, son,’ he said heavily as Bobby came through the door. He didn’t even bother to shake hands. What was the point? If his only son wouldn’t even try to make an
effort on his visit home, why should he bother?
‘I’ve made sandwiches, they’re in the kitchen. Help yourself; Carrie will make you a cup of tea. I’ve to go and see Father Doyle about something. I’ll see you
later.’
Just for an instant, Bobby looked crestfallen as Noel went into the hall to get his coat. ‘See,’ he whispered to Carrie. ‘He can’t even bear to be in the same house as
me.’
‘Don’t forget it’s Christmas Eve. There’s always a lot of things to do in the church,’ Carrie said lamely, hurting for him.
‘Nah.’ He shrugged despondently. ‘Some things never change.’
10
‘Mammy, Daddy! He’s come, Santa’s come!’ The shrieks of excitement penetrated the fog of sleep that shrouded her, and Carrie struggled to come to
consciousness. Beside her Dan snored contentedly.
‘Wake up.’ She gave him a dig in the ribs as Olivia and Davey danced into their bedroom, light from the landing shining onto their faces, which were radiant with excitement.
‘Daddy, I got a chopper bike!’ Davey could hardly get the words out he was so excited.
‘Mammy, Mammy, I got a bike too and a Barbie Bride. Look, she’s got a veil and everything.’ Olivia was in ecstasy as she waved her doll under her mother’s nose.
‘And we got sweets in our stockings, real chewy toffees.’ Davey’s cheeks were bulging.
‘Give us one,’ Dan said groggily, hauling himself up into a sitting position. ‘What time is it, Carrie?’
Carrie squinted at her alarm clock. ‘Four thirty-five. Ten minutes later than last year.’
‘Dad, watch me cycle up the hall,’ Davey urged.
‘Come on so,’ Dan agreed, flinging back the duvet. ‘If you give me another one of those sweets.’ He smiled at Carrie and she smiled back at him as she lay against the
pillows with Olivia snuggled in beside her. This is happiness, she realized. That rare fleeting moment when everything is just perfect.
Della gazed with dismay at the heap of puke-stained sheets and clothes strewn in her bath. She ran the shower hose over them then piled them all into a basket and headed for
the kitchen and washing machine. This was the third time that Kathryn had puked. The girl in the crèche had told her that there was a bug going around when she’d gone to collect her at
midday.
When she’d taken her to the doctor he’d just given her Dioralite and told her to keep Kathryn hydrated and not to let her mix with other children for a couple of days. Her daughter
was sleeping fitfully now, after her
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