* * *
An hour later,Ali’s black Docs squeaked on the shiny corridor floors as she carefully carried two coffees back to the waiting area. When she arrived, Mrs Scott stood there, red eyes, mascara streaked down her face. Ali almost dropped the coffees, but held on. When she put them down, Mrs Scott wasted no time in pulling her into a bear hug.
“I can’t tell you how grateful I am to you both!” she said when she let Ali go. “You calling the ambulance right away, being there on the scene, then calling us, too. You really saved the day. Luckily, we were already here, so we didn’t have far to go.”
“Have you seen Morgan?” Ali needed to know.
Mrs Scott nodded, her wiry bob static. “I have. She’s fine. I mean, shook up, but more concerned about the other driver. Who is also fine. You two know him, I believe?”
Ali nodded. “He was on our flight back. The one we never took. His daughter lives in Dartmouth.”
“Apparently he was on his way to get cranberry sauce from the corner shop, and he was checking his sat nav and not looking where he was going. He was very apologetic, and luckily, they’re both walking away with cuts and bruises, but nothing else.”
Relief soaked Ali to her very core. Ever since she walked out the door of Morgan’s family home last night, she’d had a sense of foreboding she’d done the wrong thing. Even when Tobias and her mum pointed it out, she was still on the fence. But this accident had shown her what was important to her.
That was Morgan.
It had always been Morgan.
Her whole body filled with warmth at that thought. She needed to see her, to tell her what she felt. To tell her she’d changed her mind. She really hoped it wasn’t too late. What if Morgan had banged her head and realised the past few days were something to be chalked off? There was only one way to find out.
“You must be so relieved, Diane,” her mum said. “I know if that was Nicole or Ali, I’d be frantic.”
Diane threw up her hands. “I know! Both daughters in hospital on Christmas Day doesn’t sound promising, does it? But luckily, they’re both fine. One of them, in fact, has just given birth.” Her face lit up as she spoke.
“That’s wonderful news!” Her mum hugged Diane.
They’d known each other all their lives, too. Standing at the school gates. Toasting their daughters’ successes. Lifting them back up after they fell down in whatever way. Ali was suddenly immensely grateful to them both. These wise, wonderful women. She hoped she became half the woman they both were.
“What did she have?” Ali asked.
Diane’s smile, if it were possible, got even wider. “A girl. They’ve called her Camille, after my mother. Born on Christmas Day and named after the woman who simply adored Christmas. It really couldn’t be more fitting.” She leaned over. “I’m going back to see the new arrival and her parents. Roger’s in with Morgan right now, but poke your head in. She’s been asking for you. She knows you were there. Kick him out, have a little time for yourselves. Just the two of you.” Diane wrapped her fingers around Ali’s hand, held her gaze, and squeezed. “I think she’d really like that.”
CHAPTER31
If cooking dinner solo hadn’t been how Morgan anticipated spending her Christmas Day, a car crash and a hospital stay trumped that by a country mile. If she’d seen a script of her life over the past week, she’d have sent it back to the writer’s room, telling them it was too far-fetched. But it was real. Morgan had the bruises to prove it.
She stared out the window. It was snowing. Where was Ali right now? Was she still here, or was she back at the pub, staring out at the snow? She still wasn’t sure it was romantic, but she’d always remember the last few days as just that. Whatever happened next.
When she’d opened her eyes and seen Ali’s scared face in front of her own, Morgan had panicked. Did she look that bad? Was her leg about to fall off? She was in shock. Maybe the pain would come later. But none of it had. Instead, she’d been whisked away in an ambulance, and she was still very much alive.
Someone clearing their throat made Morgan look up. When she saw who it was, the sun came out in her heart.
“You came.” She sounded croakier than she’d imagined.
Ali gave her a shy smile. “I did. I was hardly going back to my Christmas Day after seeing you in a crash, was I?”
“I hoped not.” But Morgan hadn’t dared to dream. “Are you coming in?” She patted the edge of the bed beside her. “Sit, please. But don’t judge me. I might not look my best.”
Ali shook her head and followed Morgan’s instructions.
When Morgan saw what was in her hand, a grin spread across her features. “Are those for me?”
“I couldn’t turn up empty-handed, could I? Especially not for the chocolate-giving queen.” Ali put the box of Celebrations on Morgan’s bedside table. “It’s about time someone brought you a box of these, isn’t it?”
Morgan nodded as hope bloomed inside. “Nobody ever brings me chocolates.”
“Maybe that’s about to change.”
