'A very merry Christmas to such a wonderful couple.' Leah's heart warmed as she read the message on the Christmas card she and her partner Mark had received.
It was from her parents, but Leah's mum Helen did all the festive organising for the family.
It was their first Christmas together as a couple, so this year, Christmas felt extra special.
There was only one problem.
Who were they going to spend Christmas with?
“I'm looking forward to having you and Mark here,” Helen had twittered. “He'll love our games afternoon!”
Board games were a seasonal family tradition at The Denton's.
Everyone of all ages joined in – parents, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins. Whether it was Scrabble, Twister, charades, or Snakes and Ladders, it always ended up in gales of rowdy laughter.
Leah had kept quiet concerning her mum's assumption because she and Mark hadn't made any firm plans.
She recalled a similar conversation last weekend with Mark's mum, Anne. With his Dad firmly kept in the background, she was also a Christmas organiser.
“I'm sure Leah will enjoy carol singing with us this year,” she'd chirped confidently.
Mark's family, The Baxters, liked to spend their Christmas by gathering around the piano and belting out a selection of jolly carols. There was a mass gathering of relatives there, too.
Mark had shifted his seat. “We'll need to put some time aside to visit Leah's parents.”
Anne waved a hand. “Of course. But that won't take long, will it?”
***
“Both families expect us to see us on Christmas Day,” Leah said. “I never realised that the situation would call for such a fine balance.”
“Why don't we ask everyone along to my parents' place?” Mark suggested. “Your family can sing with us this year and then next Christmas at The Dentons, my lot can join in with the games.”
She grinned. “Problem solved!”
So approaching the mums on separate occasions, the couple cautiously ran the suggestion past them.
“You sing carols?” Helen looked faintly aghast as she addressed Mark.
“I think carol singing would be a very refreshing change,” Leah said.
“I'm sorry Mark but it's not something us Dentons would do,” Helen explained.
Leah and Mark had fared no better with Anne.
“Oh no. Games aren't a Baxter kind of thing at all.” Anne had given a tight, polite smile.
He'd folded his arms. “Well, I think board games sound like fun.”
It was no use.
No amount of persuasion could make The Dentons and The Baxters mix.
“We can't invite both groups round to our small flat,” Mark said. 'There just isn't enough space to accommodate our big families.”
“I can see everyone trying to cram onto our sofa!” Leah chuckled.
“And our dining table only seats two,” he added.
So Leah and Mark had come up with a different approach.
They decided that Christmas morning and afternoon were to be split between each family.
When they brought this up, as Mark and Leah suspected, this carefully considered compromise didn't suit.
Both sets of mums wanted the couple to spend the entire day with their clan.
A one year Christmas Day/ Boxing Day rotation idea didn't go down well either.
***
“What if we picked a family and held an early Christmas, just for them?” Leah suggested later. “We can host the day about a week before, with gift giving and a Christmas lunch.”
“Hey, I never thought of that,” Mark replied.
Yet this idea too, was dismissed by Anne and Helen.
She sighed. What an earth could they do?
It was a common enough problem, but Leah and Mark just couldn't find a way around it.
Trying to please everyone was proving impossible!
***
The dilemma couldn't be forgotten about.
It was now December and the couple still hadn't reached a decision.
“There's only one solution,” Mark announced. “You spend Christmas with your family Leah, and I'll spend it with mine. That should please everyone.”
Apart from us, Leah thought sadly.
However later, she rallied. What did one day matter?
They'd open their gifts in the morning, go their separate ways and re-unite in the evening.
Mark was right - it was the only answer.
Yet when they dropped into The Dentons, Helen didn't seem happy when Leah outlined their plan.
“So, you and Mark will be apart for the majority of Christmas Day,” she reflected.
“Yes.” Leah blinked back tears.
And when they popped round to The Baxters, Leah sensed that Anne wasn't that thrilled about this new development either.
In fact, strangely, she seemed kind of sad.
***
It was the third week of December.
The town was lit up with colourful lights, radio stations blasted out Christmas pop songs and the air was heavy with excited anticipation.
Only Mark and Leah were utterly miserable... then they received a phone call from each of their Mums, with the same request.
“Could you meet us at Clancy's this Saturday at noon?” they asked.
Clancy's was a local, elegant hotel, well- known for making their guests feel welcome, but especially so at Christmas.
***
On Saturday, the couple waited anxiously by the grand sparkly Christmas tree in the foyer at Clancy's.
Helen and Anne arrived and the group settled with a coffee in the lounge.
“Before we go any further, we'd both like to apologise,” Anne began.
“I bumped into your mum when I was out Christmas shopping, Mark. We swapped numbers, and we met and talked,” Helen outlined.
“We've been very selfish,” Anne admitted. “We admit that we've lost sight of the Christmas sentiment of peace and goodwill.”
'We've been demanding and bossy too,” Helen confessed. “We're both really sorry.”
Mark and Leah exchanged glances. What a surprise!
“Apologies accepted,” Mark said.
“Now, will you listen to our idea?” Helen asked.
“Of course,” Mark replied.
Leah knew that secretly, he'd be worried. She felt the same.
She just hoped they wouldn't be expected to book an expensive last- minute Denton/ Baxter family bonding holiday to the North pole!
“If everyone chips in, we can all spend Christmas day here!” Helen exclaimed.
“They have a full programme of events - including games and carol singing,” Anne gleefully reported.
“Don't forget a gorgeous four- course lunch with wine,” Helen went on.
“Sounds great, but I thought Clancy's would be fully booked at Christmas time,” Mark stuttered.
“Yes, everyone thinks that, so they don't bother enquiring.” Anne, now relaxed, sat back and sipped her coffee.
“But we did,” Helen added.
“That's brilliant! You two are so clever!” Leah cried.
Mark smiled while Leah heaved a huge sigh of relief. Phew!
“Thank goodness that's all sorted!” Mark grinned.
“There's only one condition, That Mark and Leah both spend Boxing day with us, The Baxters,” Anne stated.
Helen looked up in surprise. “Oh no. Boxing day is exclusively reserved for The Dentons.”
Mark and Leah grasped each other's hand.
It was time to take a stand.
“Leah and I are starting a new Christmas tradition,” Mark announced. “Boxing day is for us two. We're spending the day at home, entirely by ourselves.”
The mums were too taken aback to speak, so the couple picked up their coffee cups and simultaneously toasted.
“Merry Christmas to us all!”
No comments:
Post a Comment