The Perfect Present Read online

  The Perfect Present

  by

  Jade Winters

  The Perfect Present

  by Jade Winters

  Published by Wicked Winters Books

  Copyright © 2015 Jade Winters

  www.jade-winters.com

  All rights reserved. This short story or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author.

  All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Other titles by Jade Winters

  Novels

  143

  A Walk Into Darkness

  Everything To Lose

  Caught By Love

  Guilty Hearts

  Say Something

  Faking It

  Second Thoughts

  Secrets

  In It Together

  Love Interrupted

  Novellas

  Talk Me Down From The Edge

  Short Stories

  The Makeover

  The Love Letter

  Love On The Cards

  A Story Of You

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  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter One

  Holly stood at the window watching as snowflakes pirouetted like ballerinas performing on a gentle breeze. It was still early enough that no one had walked past the house, and the landscape, carpeted in white shag, remained untouched. It looked so quiet and peaceful outside. A small sigh escaped her lips as she drifted away from the window and walked the few steps to sit on the old rocking chair in front of the roaring fire. The chair was her place of comfort and had been in her family for as long as she could remember. It was like another family member and she loved her stolen moments in it where she could just sit and think things through.

  It wouldn’t be long until the whole town was alive with their morning activities and Holly knew that these few quiet minutes would be the last bit of peace she would have for the entire day. She gently rocked the chair back and forth as she closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the wind as it whistled down the chimney. Without having to open her eyes to see, Holly knew it would be playing games with the embers in the hearth—teasing and tempting them to climb up the chimney to be swept away on the playful wind. She found it soothing. Natural. This was far more what the season was about for her than the sound of bells ringing and people singing Christmas carols on loop. Holly sighed again as she realised there was still another week of the commercial festive season torture to go before the quiet months arrived.

  The grandfather clock that stood in the downstairs hallway chimed and Holly reluctantly opened her eyes. With a heavy heart she pushed herself to her feet and headed out the door.

  It wasn’t until she stepped into the kitchen that her nose was filled with the aroma of freshly baked bread. Holly watched as her mother, Eve, stirred eggs and flipped the bacon at the same time. She was a master at the stove and probably the reason that Holly’s father was clinically obese.

  ‘Good morning, sweetie, I hope you’re hungry,’ Eve said over her shoulder as she turned around with a frying pan in her hand. Holly kissed her mother’s warm soft cheek as she moved past her. Eve always smelt of cinnamon and honey, and Holly breathed in the warm, comforting scent.

  ‘Always hungry, you know me,’ Holly said with a smile. She removed a plate with a cheery print on it from the cupboard and handed it to her mother. ‘Is Dad still asleep?’ she asked, but her mother didn’t have time to respond, as the heavy, loping footsteps behind them was answer enough.

  Holly glanced over at her dad as he entered the room. She was glad that she took after her mother in looks and size, because she had no desire to be overweight and constantly jolly. It was one thing for a man to have permanently rosy cheeks and a rotund body, but it would look rather silly on a woman.

  ‘Morning, Nicholas,’ Eve said as she kissed him. Holly swore that the rosy cheeks got just a little rosier as he smiled at Eve.

  ‘Looks like you’re cooking up a storm in here,’ Nicholas said with a gentle smile on his face.

  Holly watched the loving exchange. It was the same every morning at breakfast. Her parents’ love for each other was so obvious. It had been something that had given her a lot of hope as a child that, one day when she was grown up, she too might find what they had.

  Many years had passed, though, since Holly had considered herself a child and she’d lain to rest any belief that she might find a love as pure as her parents’. It seemed to be a one in seven billion thing.

  ‘We’ve got a busy day ahead of us,’ Nicholas said in his deep, chipper voice, as he sat down at the table.

  ‘It’s always busy around this time of year,’ Holly said with more of a grumble in her voice than she had intended. She stabbed at a piece of bacon as if it had done something to offend her, before popping it in her mouth. As good as the bacon was, she was starting to wish she’d skipped breakfast altogether and headed straight to work. The last thing Holly needed so early in the morning was a guilt trip from her dad, which she knew was coming when he carefully placed his cutlery on his plate.

  ‘I can see you’re already full of the Christmas spirit.’ Nicholas looked over his half-moon spectacles at her, his bushy white eyebrows raised sardonically.

  Holly inwardly groaned and tried not to roll her eyes. She was too old for such a childish gesture, and yet when she was about to get ‘The Lecture’, it was an almost instinctive reaction. Her lips parted, but she didn’t speak. Instead she shrugged her shoulders, before wrapping the remaining rashers of bacon in a slice of fresh bread.

  Holly needed to get out of the kitchen; and fast. She could tell by the way her dad looked at her that he was gearing himself up to repeat all the things he’d said so many times before. Unfortunately, Christmas in the Claus household was like Groundhog Day. She wanted to jump up and shout at him: When will you get it into your head that this is not my destiny?!

  ‘You know sometimes,’ Nicholas said, slowly, weighing his words and shaking his head disapprovingly at his daughter. ‘I don’t understand you.’

  ‘Don’t worry about it. Most of the time I don’t even understand myself.’ Holly pushed back her chair noisily, and rose to her feet. ‘Breakfast was great. Thanks, Mum,’ she said, walking over to her mother and kissing the top of her head.

  ‘You’re welcome, sweetie.’ The warmth in Eve’s smile echoed in her voice. ‘Make sure—’

  ‘—Yes I know, make sure I’m well wrapped up,’ Holly said putting her plate in the sink and hurrying out the door before any more could be said.

  She loved her parents very much but sometimes they were too overprotective, smothering even. Grabbing her jacket and scarf from the coat rack in the hallway, she slipped them on and left the house. The air was filled with a bitter chill, but Holly walked on, unaffected by the icy nip. She had spent her entire life living at the North Pole and this weather was nothing new to her. She let the red and white candy cane striped scarf hang loosely around her neck, only wearing it to appease her mother.

  Holly walked past a group of excited elves that were crowding around an iPad that one of them was holding. Holly glanced over their shoulders as she passed and shuddered when her dad appeared on the screen. He was everywhere!

  ‘Well then workers we
have an important day ahead of us.’ Her dad’s voice boomed from the screen in his bright and cheerful way.

  Holly grumbled a silent protest in her mind. It was the same message he broadcast every year at this time. The one about the importance of hope and good will and how Christmas would ensure both of those things lasted all year round. Holly tucked her chin against her chest and walked on hastily.

  She didn’t need to listen to the rest of the message. Holly had heard it a hundred times before and could probably recite it backwards in her sleep. She walked faster now, with her hands thrust into her jacket pockets.

  As Holly approached a small lodge with a large white, fluffy plume of smoke rising into the air from the stone chimney, she raised her head for the first time and stopped for a few moments. She was struck by how picturesque and picture postcard perfect the cabin looked in its snow covered forest setting.

  Reaching the door of the building she could hear the sound of jingling bells that matched the rhythm of footsteps. Inhaling deeply, she pushed open the door. All activity stopped.

  ‘I thought I told you to wear normal shoes,’ Holly said without trying to mask the irritation in her voice.

  ‘I know but—’ A brown haired elf blurted out, his eyes full of wonder.

  ‘—But what?’ Holly said as her eyebrow rose in frustration.

  A flank of hair came loose from under his green cap and he quickly brushed it behind his ear. ‘But it’s nearly Christmas, Holly,’ the elf said with an annoyingly melodic voice.

  Frowning, she unzipped her jacket and averted her eyes. ‘Like I need reminding,’ Holly said in a tone intended to end the conversation.

  She combed her fingers through her hair, suddenly overcome with guilt as she took in the disheartened face of the elf. She didn’t want to be the bad guy or be seen as the Grinch, but when your dad is Father Christmas how do you even begin to live up to all that hearty happiness? Everyone expected her to be perpetually jolly; and she just couldn’t be—she was not Santa! Why did no one get it?

  Holly retreated to her office and closed the door. She walked straight to her desk and dropped onto the plush seat behind it. Her thoughts were dark; and they weighed heavily on her mind as she gazed around the room. Not that there was much to look at. A Christmas tree decorated by an overzealous elf stood in the corner and all four walls in the small space were covered with drawings children had sent to Santa. To say the room felt claustrophobic was an understatement.

  Holly pivoted around in her chair and caught a glimpse of her vague reflection in the window. Leaning forward she touched her fingertips to the cold pane. Something had to give and soon. She’d go crazy if she carried on living in this eternal Christmas wonderland, but how on earth could she ever possibly leave? Holly exhaled a low groan and sank her face into her hands, feeling more trapped between her dreams and responsibilities than ever before.

  Chapter Two

  Melody shivered as the icy nip in the air pinched at her cheeks. The dull pain of coldness sunk into her skin and slid its fingers around her bones as she quickened her pace to try and get her arduous trip over with. Her shoulders ached; and the boxed Christmas tree that she was dragging through the street seemed to get heavier with every step she took.

  Melody exhaled a breath that seemed to hang in the air. It really was bitterly cold and all she wanted to do was get home, but she had to take a break. Her fingers were numb and her arms were aching. But where to stop?

  The streets were overflowing with people rushing around like busy little ants marching from shop to shop; colliding with anyone or anything that got in their way. Some muffled apologies were made as the colourful ants pushed past one another. Melody rounded the corner and was amazed to see an empty bench sheltered from the recent snowfall by low hanging branches, making the seat snow free. Her spirits immediately lifted and she turned in the direction of the bench, making her way towards it with more vigour in her steps than she had felt for most of her long journey.

  Even though she was wearing thermals under her jeans, the cold made its way through the material and she shivered. Melody whistled a clean note whilst shaking her head. She couldn’t believe that she was sitting out in the snow with a Christmas tree. Not only that, it was gaudy. The standard fake, plastic tree that had tinsel, and baubles spewed all over its artificial branches. She hated everything that it stood for, and yet here she was, fingers freezing into ice cubes, arm muscles aching, whilst she dragged this awful thing across town. She must be insane.

  Melody’s small, ski-jump nose wrinkled with disgust as she looked at the image on the front of the box. It would be unrealistic for her to even attempt to be as happy as the laughing family sitting around a Christmas tree. Melody knew it was unobtainable and she didn’t even want to try. ‘Bah humbug,’ she said aloud.

  A harsh wallop of wind hit her across the face, forcing her to jump to her feet in surprise. A personal slap in the face from Christmas itself. Just what I need. Melody clenched her jaw in frustration as she fought the urge to leave the tree on the pavement for a true believer to pick up. Someone who would take it home and make the picture on the box a reality.

  No, she needed to finish this icy mission. Melody exhaled a deep breath, picked up the end of the box and carried on walking. The tip of the box swished on the snow covered pavement, leaving patterns in its wake.

  It seemed to Melody that it had taken her ten times longer than it normally did to walk the mile back to her flat as she pulled the heavy tree behind her, but she finally made it to her destination and thanked God that she could take the lift up to her floor. There was no way she could possibly have dragged the gaudy tree with its bobbly baubles up the stairs.

  Melody rested the box against the wall as she waited for the lift and thought about how happy Rae would be when she got back from work. She had been begging Melody to buy a Christmas tree for weeks, but Melody had insisted that it wasn’t going to happen. She had been adamant—until today that was. Melody had felt the burden of guilt begin to erode at her resolve. This year they were spending Christmas together at Melody’s flat, so why should wonderful Rae have to suffer because Melody couldn’t let go of the past?

  Melody smiled to herself as the lift doors opened and she walked into the confined space. She rested her head against the back wall as the lift ascended. Stepping out on the fifth floor, she pulled the box excitedly towards the door of her flat. She was home with all the comforts that it had to offer.

  Melody pushed the door open, dropped the Christmas tree just inside the doorway, and headed straight for the kitchen. Rubbing her frozen hands together, she decided she needed something to warm her up. What could be better than a large mug of milky hot chocolate with either marshmallows or Maltesers floating on the top?

  Melody took a bottle of milk from the fridge and emptied it into a pan on the hob. As she turned on the gas and watched the white liquid begin to bubble, her mind wandered, imagining the look on Rae’s face when the Christmas tree was seen.

  Suddenly a noise from the bedroom interrupted her thoughts. She removed the pan from the heat and hurried to the hallway.

  ‘Rae is that you?’ She walked towards the bedroom. If it’s not Rae, you’ve got some serious problems Melody!

  ‘Yeah, it’s me, baby. I thought you were working late today?’ Rae sounded out of breath as she spoke. Melody’s shoulders dropped in relief that it was not some burglar helping himself to her meagre belongings.

  ‘I changed my mind. Is everything okay?’ Melody asked as her forehead wrinkled into a gentle frown. ‘You sound a little panicked.’

  ‘Everything’s fine, baby, I’m coming now, hang on a sec,’ Rae said.

  Melody cocked her head as she struggled to hear what Rae was whispering.

  ‘I can’t hear you, Rae, why on earth are you whisp…?’ Melody pushed open the bedroom door and the words caught in her throat. ‘Oh.’ Was all she could think of to say as she took in the sight before her.

  ‘Thi
s isn’t what it looks like, Mel, really it isn’t,’ Rae said quickly as her eyes dashed between Melody and a redheaded woman who was sitting naked on the bed.

  ‘I’m a hundred percent sure it is exactly what it looks like,’ Melody said in a deadpan voice.

  It was strange. It all seemed distant somehow yet Melody was pretty sure she could actually feel her heart breaking.

  ‘You don’t understand,’ Rae said with pleading eyes.

  Melody looked at the woman who was sitting on the clean sheets that Melody had only changed that morning. It seemed like a lifetime ago now. The woman was pretty. Her red hair contrasted against her snowflake skin and made her look like a porcelain doll.

  ‘I think you should leave,’ Melody said when the woman met her eyes.

  ‘I think that’s up to Rae,’ the woman replied in a snarky tone as she looked at Rae’s pale face.

  ‘I think you’ll find that I own this flat and if you don’t leave, I’ll get the police to carry you out naked if they have to. Does that make it a little clearer and easier for you to understand?’ Melody said in an even voice that hid none of the threat behind it.

  The woman nodded and quickly stood up. Melody watched as she unabashedly picked up her clothes that were strewn across the room. She glanced at Rae with a thunderous expression on her features but Rae’s eyes had not left Melody’s face since she had walked into the room. The redhead carried on picking up her discarded clothes without saying another word.

  A heavy silence hung in the air. It filled Melody’s lungs, head and heart, making it hard to breathe or think.

  ‘So that’s how it is?’ Melody asked Rae when she finally found the strength to speak.