CHAPTER 31

 

“Mum?” Lola asked later that afternoon as she and Cate trudged through the thick snow in the fields at the back of their house. They were going to the carol service at St. Hilda’s Chapel; the sister church to St. Ignatius. Kian wasn’t religious so he’d stayed at home with Mateo and Sierra, who were both too young to attend the service.

Cate wrinkled her nose; she got the feeling that it was going to snow again tonight. She was so relieved that they didn’t have to make the trek to her mum’s house. It was only a few miles away but the roads would be treacherous; they rarely got snowploughs this far into the Cheshire countryside.

“Would you mind if…” Lola kicked at the snow with her fleece-lined boot. “I know you and Dad gave me Jimmy for my birthday. It’s just…I don’t know. It’s probably a really dumb idea.”

Cate gave her daughter a hug, “I’m sure it’s not, really.”

“It feels like we’re on holiday.”

Cate stopped, “I thought you said that you were glad to be home?”

“I was. I thought when we got here that it would feel like home again but it doesn’t.” Lola looked so forlorn, “I miss Seattle, Mum.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” even though it felt like a betrayal to her hometown, Cate knew just how her daughter felt.

“I even miss Mats getting so excited about the dumb ferry boats.”

When she spoke again, Lola’s words tumbled out in a rush. “I want, I mean if it’s OK with you and Dad, to give Jimmy to Auntie Erin. I know he’s not the same as Monty… But they’ve been looking after him for the last few months and I think they really like him. I know Auntie Erin was really upset when he got hit by the car and hurt his leg.”

Cate wanted to see if her daughter was serious about this, “won’t you miss him, sweetie?”

“I will,” Lola hiccupped, “but I’ve been thinking about it a lot and I think it’s the right thing to do. I love Jimmy but he can’t come with us to Seattle. At least this way, I can still Skype with him.”

Cate swallowed the huge lump in the back of her throat, “you make me so proud to be your mum, Lola.”

When they got to St Hilda’s, they both stamped their sturdy boots on the ground to get rid of the snow. The vicar was stood by the front door, welcoming the congregation. She handed them both a programme and they took their seats about halfway back in one of the side pews.

“I tell you what,” Cate whispered, unfurling her thick, woollen scarf. “How about I mention it to Uncle Ben first and see what he thinks?”

“That would be good,” Lola nodded, “I don’t want to make Auntie Erin cry again.”

Cate placed the programme in front of the red, leather-bound bible on the shelf in front of the pew and ran her fingers over the smooth wood, worn down by years of use. It was lovely and warm inside the chapel with all of the flickering candles. She closed her eyes and bent her head, giving thanks for her blessings.

After the service, they stayed behind for tea, juice and biscuits and bumped into Thelma. “Twice in one day,” Thelma laughed, giving them both a hug. “I am blessed.”

It was already dark so Thelma insisted on giving them a lift home. “Nonsense,” Thelma waved away Cate’s protests. “It’s only a little snow. I’ve been driving these roads for forty years.”

When they got home, Liv and Jax were just leaving for Irene’s party. “It looks like it might snow again. I think we’re going to stay at Mum’s tonight.”

“OK,” Cate hugged them both. “Be safe. We’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

Later that night, after all of the children had fallen asleep, Cate and Kian snuck downstairs giggling. “Have you got everything?” she asked, nearly tripping over Mateo’s ferry boat.

It was so strange to think that their story together had started all those years ago on this very day, Christmas Eve.

Kian looked dubiously at the carrot in his hand, “what do reindeer’s teeth look like?”

Even though Lola didn’t believe in Father Christmas anymore, they’d asked her not to spoil it for Mateo and Sierra. Last Christmas, Lola had confided in Cate that she knew that Father Christmas didn’t really exist. “Before Christmas, the shops are full of toys and then afterwards, they are empty. It’s because the mums and dads buy them all and pretend that they’re from Father Christmas, isn’t it?”

Kian had stomped big, icing-sugar footprints across the carpet from the chimney to the Christmas tree, underneath which sat three bulging stockings embroidered with each of their children’s names.

Cate stretched out on the rug in front of the crackling log fire and beckoned for Kian to join her. Their first Christmas together, when Cate was pregnant with Lola, they’d made love right there in front of the Christmas tree.

Cate speared her fingers through his long, black hair, which he hadn’t tied back. She claimed his mouth with hers; their lips and tongues tasted of sherry and mince pies. She thought about how she wanted to celebrate their anniversary and slid her hand up the front of his t-shirt. His skin was toasty-warm. As she scratched her nails just underneath his belly button, his stomach muscles tightened.

“What are you doing?” Kian asked hoarsely.

Cate dipped her fingers inside the waistband of his jeans; she could feel the blunt head of his cock. “What do you think I’m doing?” she gave him a womanly smile.

“The condoms… fuck!” Cate unbuttoned his fly, freeing his jutting cock. “Upstairs.”

Cate pushed his jeans down to mid-thigh. “We don’t need them,” she teased.

“Happy anniversary,” Cate licked at the salty pre-come leaking from the tip of his cock.

“Is this my present?” Kian folded his arms above his head, “not that I’m complaining at all.”

“Nope,” Cate shook her head, her glossy black hair trailing over his bare thigh. “It’s mine.”

Kian couldn’t take his eyes off his wife as she feasted hungrily on his manhood. “Fuck!” he felt her delicate fingers stroke the patch of nerves under his balls.

“You need to be quiet,” Cate teased, her eyes smoky with desire. “The children are asleep upstairs.”

Kian bit down on his fist, his hips thrusting urgently as Cate sucked him to the back of her throat. He reached down and brushed her inky-black hair away from her face. There was something about seeing her soft lips wrapped around the base of his engorged cock… Her eyes sparkled with delight as she felt him begin to lose control.

As the back of her throat massaged the blunt head of his cock, he yanked her hair, “angel, I’m going to…”

“I know,” Cate swirled her tongue up and over the wet tip.

She swallowed every last drop of his hot, salty essence and then sat up, proudly licking her lips. Kian fell back on the rug and lifted Cate up on top of him. “Did you like your anniversary present?” he teased, nibbling at her swollen lips. He sucked her tongue into his mouth, savouring the taste of his junk.

Cate smiled against his lips, “you know I did.”

The following morning, Cate woke up to the sound of Lola and Mateo giggling. She opened her eyes and cursed, she and Kian must have fallen asleep on the rug in front of the fireplace. Panicked, she quickly looked down at Kian’s groin but fortunately, he must have tucked himself back in before he went to sleep.

“What are you two doing awake?” Cate asked hoarsely. When she licked her lips, she could still taste Kian’s junk. Ugh, she couldn’t kiss her children yet – she needed some toothpaste ASAP.

“Duh,” Lola rolled her eyes. “It’s Christmas, Mum.”

“Kiss-mas,” Mateo clapped his hands.

Cate quickly gulped, feeling her emotions threaten to overwhelm her. A few months ago, when she’d been in the midst of her depression, she’d thought that she’d never again be able to feel such astonishing joy and happiness. She’d thought that the depression had changed her permanently so that there would always be this big, black cloud hanging over her. But now, as she looked at her beautiful children, both of them brimming with excitement at the bulging stockings with their names on by the Christmas tree, she was so unbelievably glad that she’d been wrong.

“Merry Christmas,” Cate gave her children big hugs. “I love you.”

“Mama, did you see Santa?” Mateo asked eagerly.

“I must have fallen asleep, sweetheart,” Cate ruffled his hair. “It looks like Rudolph really enjoyed the carrot you left out for him though.”

“Wow,” Mateo’s eyes widened, “Rudolph must have really big teeth.” He jumped on Kian’s chest, “did you see him, Dada?”

“I’m going to go upstairs and get your sister. Why don’t you both choose which present you want to open this morning before we go to Granny Reen’s for lunch?”

“I can’t believe we fell asleep,” Cate groaned as she and Kian ran upstairs.

Kian spun her into his arms, “I saw that look, angel. I’m so glad that the first thing you thought of when you woke up on Christmas morning was my cock.”

“Stop it,” Cate blushed crimson. “I haven’t brushed my teeth. It’s Christmas morning and I couldn’t even kiss my children.”

“Why don’t you go and brush your teeth and I’ll change Sierra’s nappy?”

“Thank you.”

Before Cate could rush off to the bathroom, Kian pinned her up against the wall for another kiss. “Merry Christmas, angel,” he said softly, nibbling at her lips. Cate wound her arms around his neck.

“I love you,” Cate whispered. “With everything that’s happened this year…”

“Mum,” Lola called from downstairs, “Mateo wants to open two presents before we go to Granny Reen’s. Will you tell him that he’s not allowed?”

Cate rested her forehead against Kian’s. Kian shouted back, “it’s one present only. I’ll be down in a minute, Lo.”

“I love you, angel,” Kian stroked her cheek, “that’s never going to change. Never.”

“Dad, he’s trying to open one of his presents already.”

Cate giggled, “why don’t you go downstairs and try and stop World War Three happening and I’ll look after Sierra?”