‘How about next year we don’t go to your family or mine for Christmas?’ you suggested. ‘We could go away on holiday instead. Somewhere hot. Just the two of us.’
‘Sounds good to me,’ I said. ‘How are you doing, anyway?’
‘Fine,’ you said. ‘Why do you ask?’
‘You were very quiet during dinner.’
‘I was eating.’
I hesitated for a moment, uncertain whether I should bring this up or not. ‘You know Arjan wasn’t trying to be rude to you,’ I said at last. ‘He was probably just—’
‘I don’t give a fuck about Arjan,’ you said. ‘There’s something sort of tragic about him, don’t you think?’
‘No, not really,’ I said.
‘You don’t think he’s a bit deluded?’
‘In what sense?’
‘His dreams of making it big in Hollywood.’
I said nothing for a moment, wondering whether you actually believed this or had simply decided to spin his remarks to fit your own design. ‘Actually, I thought he seemed quite realistic about his future,’ I replied finally.
‘You fancy him, don’t you?’
I rolled my eyes. ‘Please tell me you’re joking,’ I said, hating where this conversation seemed to be leading.
You stared at me for the longest time and then broke into a wide smile. ‘Of course I’m joking,’ you said. ‘Lighten up, Edith! It’s Christmas!’
I pulled away from you but, before I could say anything, the doorbell rang and I heard Mum call out to me from the living room, asking me to answer it.
‘Excuse me,’ I said, trying to move around you, but you were pressing me against the wall. ‘Maurice, you’re in my way,’ I said, raising my voice a little, and now you stepped a little to the side, just enough to let me pass, and I walked towards the front door and opened it. Standing outside, the light from the overhead bulb shining down on him as it snowed, was Robert. He was wearing a grey overcoat that looked brand new and the sort of scarf that could only have been a present from his mother. He’d had a haircut too. The style was a little too youthful; it would have looked good on someone ten years younger but, on him, it seemed a little desperate.
‘Hello, Edith,’ he said. ‘Happy Christmas.’
‘Robert,’ I said, standing back a little, surprised to see him there. ‘Nobody mentioned that you … Is Rebecca expecting you?’
‘I may have forgotten to tell her that I would be stopping by.’
‘Right.’ I stood there, staring at him, uncertain what I should do next, which was when you appeared behind me.
‘Hello, Robert,’ you said.
‘Maurice.’
‘You look cold, mate.’
‘Well, I’m freezing my bollocks off, actually. Can I come in?’
‘I’m not sure,’ I replied. ‘Do you think it’s a good idea?’
‘Of course you can,’ you said, opening the door wider. ‘You’re still family. Come in.’
I stepped aside as he walked into the hallway, taking off his coat and scarf before reaching forward to give me an awkward kiss on my cheek. His cold lips made me shiver a little. ‘You haven’t been drinking, have you?’ I asked. ‘You’re not here to cause any trouble?’
‘I’m perfectly sober,’ he said. ‘I had lunch with my mother and didn’t touch a drop of alcohol as I wanted to drive over to see the boys.’
‘They’re just in there,’ you told him, pointing towards the living room.
‘They’re quite tired,’ I said. ‘They’ve been playing all day and practically ate their body weights over dinner.’
‘Robert,’ said a voice from behind me, and I turned around to see my sister standing there, her face a mask of annoyance. ‘What the fuck are you doing here?’
‘Happy Christmas,’ he repeated, stepping forward to kiss her too, but she backed away and held her hands in the air as if to keep a careful distance from him.
‘Don’t happy Christmas me,’ she said. ‘I asked you a question. What the fuck are you doing here?’
‘Full of the season of goodwill, I see.’
‘Robert, I—’
‘I wanted to spend a little time with my sons,’ he said with a sigh. ‘Is that a criminal offence?’
‘No, but we already spoke about this. They’re yours all day on the twenty-seventh.’
‘But it’s not the same thing, is it?’ he said. ‘I missed out on seeing them opening their presents this morning. That’s the first time I haven’t been there for that.’
‘Well, I was there. And so was Arjan. So everything was fine. They didn’t need you. They didn’t even mention you, actually.’
‘Rebecca, that’s just cruel,’ I said, and she turned on me now, pointing her finger in the air and telling me to keep my nose out. She was a little drunk and her tone brought me back to our shared childhood, when she would turn on me without any warning and the scene could rapidly descend into violence. The memory frightened me.
‘I just want to see my children,’ said Robert quietly. ‘Can I go in? Please?’
‘No, you cannot,’ she said. ‘If you go in there now, you’ll only get them all excited again when I was planning on putting them to bed soon. It would be best if you just left.’
‘But Rebecca, he’s come all this way,’ I protested. ‘Surely a few minutes wouldn’t—’
‘Oh, here we go,’ she said, rolling her eyes. ‘You always take his side, don’t you?’
‘I’m not taking anyone’s side,’ I said. ‘But it’s Christmas Day, after all.’
‘See?’ she said, turning to Arjan, who had joined us in the hallway but was standing back a little, looking uncertain what his role, if any, in this conversation should be. ‘This is what I have to put up with. No one ever supports me.’
‘I’m honestly not looking for an argument,’ said Robert calmly. ‘Hello, Arjan, how are you?’
‘I’m well, thank you,’ replied Arjan. ‘And you?’
‘Never better,’ he said. ‘I had a slight head cold earlier in the week but it seems to have—’
‘Can we please stop with the small talk?’ asked Rebecca, raising her voice now.
‘You want to take a little cold and flu medicine,’ you said. ‘This time of year, if you catch something it can lay you out for days.’
‘I have some Nurofen, if that would help,’ said Arjan.
‘Thanks, Arjan,’ said Robert. ‘But I think I’ll be all right for now.’
‘Well, I can give you a couple to take with you if—’
‘Arjan!’ roared Rebecca, and I jumped a little. ‘Can you …’ She stopped talking, closed her eyes and breathed in deeply through her nose. It was the kind of thing I imagined a therapist might have told her to do in moments of stress.
‘It’s only right that I see my children,’ said Robert. ‘Even Edith thinks so.’
‘I asked you to leave Edith out of this,’ you said, stepping forward and putting your arm around my shoulders.