Page 55 of One Snowy Day
The tip-tap of heels had burst through her thoughts a few moments later, when Dorinda had come in, clutching a half-full glass of champagne and wobbling, decidedly unsteadily, on the six-inch stiletto sandals she’d paired with a scarlet, off-the-shoulder, calf-length pencil dress. Alyssa’s first thought had been that if it were her, she’d have had to diet for a month to get into that dress. Her second was that she would break her neck in those heels. Her third was that her mum was clearly tipsy.
‘Darling, I was just thinking I should take the cake out. I mean, it would be a waste of this outfit if I didn’t.’ At that, she’d twirled around, slopping champagne over the side of the glass.
Her next thought had been that ‘tipsy’ didn’t even come close. Her mum was actually pissed as a fart. And Alyssa sooooo didn’t need to be dealing with this.
‘Why would you want to take the cake out, Mum?’
Alyssa didn’t get it. Her mum and Jessie weren’t pals. In fact, she’d always sensed that they didn’t particularly like each other. Then a realisation had dawned on her and suddenly, Alyssa knew exactly why her mother wanted to deliver the cake – she couldn’t help her insatiable need to be the centre of attention.
‘Mum, you’re not taking the cake out.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because there are about to be sixty-five lit candles on here, and if you fall flat on your face, we’ll all go up in flames and I’m too young to die.’
That had sent her packing, muttering something about ‘ungrateful daughters’ and Alyssa had to stand perfectly still for a second and push all the air out of her lungs, then take a new breath and carry on.
Now, five minutes later, she’d just finished lighting the lastcandle when Ginny reappeared at the door. ‘Okay. The singers are about to take a break, and Grandad is over at the microphone ready to kick off “Happy Birthday”. Kayleigh has tracked down Jessie and made sure she’s there, and I’ve just given a thumbs up to Georgie and Grant. Are you good to go?’
Slowly, carefully, Alyssa lifted the blazing sponge. ‘Good to go.’
‘Okay, hang on.’
Alyssa watched as Ginny peeked her head out of the kitchen, gave Grandad the okay signal, then stretched around to the control panel and switched off the café lights, leaving just the candles on the walls, the twinkle of the Christmas tree and the garlands of fairy lights in the windows to illuminate the room.
‘Happy birthday to you…’
Despite feeling like her heart had been ripped from her chest today, the sound of Grandad’s voice belting out ‘Happy Birthday’ made her smile.
Holding the cake in front of her, she walked slowly out of the kitchen door.
‘Happy birthday to you…’The rest of the guests had spotted her now and started singing along.
‘Happy birthday, dear Jessie…’
She crossed the space behind the counter, veered carefully around the serving area.
‘Happy birthday to yoooooo…’
In the dim light, she saw Jessie and stopped right beside her.
‘Hip hip hurray!’
That was the cue to put the lights back on, and Ginny, always great with a production, was bang on time.
‘Hip hip hurray!’
As the lights flashed back on, Alyssa turned her head to scan the room and take in everything, devastatingly aware that thiswould probably be the last big party she’d ever throw in this room.
She saw her grandad, beaming as he roused the crowd. She saw a packed house of guests, all wide-eyed and happy. She saw Jessie, clearly overcome with emotion, tears in her eyes. And Alyssa felt an overwhelming wave of gratitude…
‘Hip, hip, hurray!’
…until she spotted Lachlan Morden standing right in front of her.
28
LACHLAN
