“How can you be so understanding?” I asked. “After the way she treated you, the things she said.” My family members had been known to embarrass me over the years, but that night Vee had taken things to a whole new level.
“I’ve had worse,” Fin replied. “Your sister’s a kitten compared to some of the chefs I’ve worked under.”
I smiled.
“That’s better,” he said, getting back to his drying up. Picking up a plate, he paused. “Why don’t you give your mum a ring? Gauge if there’s any truth to Vee’s worries?”
“You think I should?”
“It might put your mind at rest, even if it won’t Vee’s.”
“I think I will,” I replied, drying my hands on the corner of the tea towel Fin was using. “And thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being you.”
I collected my phone off the dining table and went through to the lounge. I smiled at the Christmas tree as I entered, allowing myself a moment of joy. But my happiness was soon replaced with anxiety. Scrolling for my parents’ number, I clicked call, at the same time praying that Vee was wrong, that Mum wasn’t hell-bent on having a Christmas grandchild. Not that I planned on asking Mum outright if she was intent on forcing Vee into labour.
“Hello,” Dad said, answering my call.
“Hi, Dad,” I said, surprised to hear his voice rather than Mum’s. More often than not, she was the one to pick up.
“Holly,” he replied. “I’m so pleased you rang. You got to the hotel all right, then?”
“Er, yes, I did,” I said. Thanks to Vee’s extraordinary visit, I’d forgotten that that was where I was supposed to be, and Dad’s reminder caught me off guard.
“Not too far from the terminal, is it?”
“No,” I said. “Easily walking distance.”
“That’s good. Now make sure you set your alarm for the morning. You don’t want to be sleeping in if you can help it.”
I smiled. “I’ll set my alarm, Dad.”
“And you’ve got your passport and boarding card?”
“I have.”
“I’m just checking. You want to be able to get on that plane. And you’re not carrying anything for anyone else, are you?”
I rolled my eyes. “No, Dad.”
“Good. Because goodness knows how much trouble that would get you into. What about liquids? Nothing over a hundred millilitres in your hand luggage?”
“Again, Dad, that would be a no.” I paused, frowning as I considered the information being requested. “Dad?”
“Yes, love.”
“These questions of yours, are they written down by any chance?”
“They are. On a list your Mum put together. Why?”
“Because I have travelled before, you know. I’m aware of all the dos and don’ts.”
“Not to somewhere as far away as the Caribbean, you haven’t. And besides, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of reassurance. You’re travelling on your own, which is enough for us to be thinking about, without all these added concerns.”
Listening to Dad, I felt terrible. There he and Mum were, scared for my safety and all for no reason. I was almost tempted to head to the airport and jump on a plane for real regardless of its destination, simply to give credence to what my parents were going through. “Okay,” I replied. “I understand, ask away.”
