Page 65 of Christmas Ever After
‘Despite the fact we’re closed for the holidays, Raphael asked to see us this morning. He told us everything, including the secret behind the snow globes and the fact that you didn’t reveal the information when you could have done. He delivered a petition signed by every shopkeeper on Ever After Street and as many customers as he could find, which was quite a few in the run-up to Christmas, and don’t get me started on the momentum that’s building online from his social media accounts. You must havethousandsof mentions today from the many, many people demanding your shop be reinstated immediately.’
My eyes well up without my permission. The thought of Raff forcing the councillors into work on Christmas Eve, and pounding the streets canvassing for signatures on my behalf… I’d just been thinking about starting a petition, and he’s already gone and delivered one, and used his own following to boost the signal too.
‘He also handed me his keys and forfeited his place here.’
‘What?’ The shock cuts through all the warm fuzzy feelings and the tears stop instantly to make way for sheer horror instead. I look up at him, but his poker face gives nothing away. ‘No, he wouldn?—’
She holds a hand up. ‘Don’t worry, we didn’t let him. Nor did we much fancy the idea of every other shopkeeper going on strike, as they’ve all assured me they will do if we don’t make this right.’
I look over at the group of my colleagues, who are all grinning, whooping, and victory punching the air, and it makes my heart swell so much that it feels like it’s going to explode all over the cobblestones.
‘Mr Hastings and I have decided that if your shop can elicit such a frenzied response to the threat of eviction, then you must be doing something right,’ Mrs Willetts continues. ‘So maybe you’d like to keep doing it? We’d be delighted to have The Nutcracker Shop stay on Christmas Ever After, along with Love Is All A-Round, of course. Raphael tells me that youbothhave plans to inject some much-needed new life into our beloved little street.’
‘We do…’ I was intending to give her a big speech about the different directions we both want to take our shops in, but the lump in my throat is bigger now and the words catch, so she just shakes my hand and steps back, leaving me looking up at Raff again.
‘What are you doing?’ I repeat.
He looks down from the stool he’s standing on and flashes me that Disney prince smile. ‘Time travel.’
My face must show nothing but confusion, because he clarifies. ‘I asked you what I could do to change things, and you told me – time travel. And I thought… Well, that’s not impossible, so here we are.’
‘Pretty sure time travelisimpossible, Raff…’ Even as I say it, I can’t help smiling at his cocky grin as he beams down at me. Only Raff could hear a sarcastic, flippant comment like the one I made yesterday and take it literally.
‘I make magical snow globes, and you make nutcrackers that almost definitely come to life at night. Nothing’s impossible.’ With that, he steps off the stool he’s standing on and walks towards me, the bunch of mistletoe in his hand. ‘I thought we’d have a do-over of December the first. The original video will be deleted and this one will take its place. Mitch was… delightfully overjoyed… to agree to getting rid of his viral video.’
I glance at Mitch. ‘Delightfully overjoyed’ is notquitethe description I’d use for the scowl on his face.
‘What happened on Sunday was wrong, and you’re sorely mistaken if you think I’m going to let you go that easily.’ He fiddles with the mistletoe as he talks, belying that despite his wide smile and confident stride, he’s actually quite nervous, and it makes me want to hug him. ‘I’ve just realised that sounded vaguely threatening, which wasn’t my intention at all. A lot of things haven’t been my intention lately, Fran. I didn’t intend to hurt you on that first day of December, but other things have happened in the past few weeks that I didn’t intend to happen either…’ His eyes drop pointedly to my lips, making a tingle fizzle up my spine with the memory of the other night in the castle gardens. ‘If Icouldgo back in time, I would, but with the tedious confines of reality, this was the closest thing I could come up with.’
‘How did you get everyone involved in this?’ I look around the scene, which is set up as much like the first time round as it can possibly be.
Cleo waves from where she’s standing with the other shopkeepers, along with Bram, and Marnie and Nina, Ali and Imogen, Mandy, and Mrs Coombe. Even Jorge is there, and someone’s cajoled him into wearing a Santa hat.
‘Everyone loves you and wanted to support my nonsense.’ He looks over at the gathering of our fellow shopkeepers and friends. ‘Apart from the band. I paid them a vast sum of money,assured them of a link to their website on the video, and promised them a spot at next year’s Christmas market. Mitch isdelightedwith me.’
I glance at Mitch again. He’s screwing a fist into his opposite palm, and has a look on his face that suggests, were it not for the Santa outfit he’s wearing and the possibility of children being nearby, he’d be shouting a string of obscenities too.
‘See? He’s positively bubbling over with Christmas joy. Never has there been a happier Santa.’
When I look back at Raff, his fingers are shredding one of the mistletoe leaves, and I force myself to ask him about what Mrs Willetts has just said. ‘Why would you do that, you fool? Offer to give up your shop for me?’
‘Because when you said that about it being you versus me, I realised I’d rather it be youthanme. I’ve been thinking of moving on for a while and you haven’t. You deserve this space. You deserve to give your nutcrackers a fighting chance, and honestly, Christmas Ever After deserves a set of Spice Girls nutcrackers on sale next year.Thatis the gift that keeps on giving.’ His eyes flick up to mine but he quickly looks downwards again. ‘And I’m the one who screwed everything up. We both had that fight, but I let my frustration get the better of me and stormed off without looking where I was going, and…’ He shakes his head like he can’t think of a way to finish the sentence.
‘It’s okay.’ I reach over and still his hands before he minces every sprig of mistletoe in the bunch. ‘You don’t need to apologise again.’
‘Oh. Good, because I’m not apologising. I’m not sorry.’
I raise an eyebrow, but he sticks with it. ‘I meant what I said on Saturday – bumping into you was the best thing I ever did. I’m sorry – ridiculously sorry – that you were hurt, but I will never, ever regret doing something that brought you into my life.’
I can’t help the ‘awww’ that pops out. I wondered where he was going with that sentence, but he finds the sweetest way to save it.
‘Three weeks ago, I didn’t believe in love. I didn’t think it was possible to feel the way about someone that my gran and granddad felt about each other. I didn’t believe that, one day, I’d run into someone and my whole world would stop and my life would turn upside down and magically become better, but then… it did. Because I bumped into you – literally and metaphorically. So yes, I’m sorry forthis.’ He reaches out to touch my elbow, lifting it while carefully avoiding the splint. ‘But I amnotsorry for anything else because it brought us together, and who knows if we’d ever have spoken a civilised word to each other if it hadn’t happened, and that would be unthinkable.’
I’ve been trying to suppress a smile while he talks, but it breaks loose, and I’m having to blink fast in an attempt to stop myself welling up yet again. ‘It’s okay, Raff. I’m sorry too. I’m sorry for holding such a grudge against you for so long, and I’m sorry for the way I reacted on Sunday. I was overwhelmed and didn’t knowhowto react, but over the past couple of days, I haven’t stopped thinking about you. When that gnome knocked on my door just now, I was plotting to start up a petition to save my shop, and trying to pluck up the courage to come and apologise to you.’
He’s grinning at me and he looks like he wants to say something, but he lets me carry on without interrupting.
‘When you came into my shop and cockily announced that no one would have a bad Christmas on your watch, it felt impossible, but you’ve turned this month around from the worst possible start to the best Christmas I can remember. You’ve made me forget about my hand, you’ve made me reconsider everything I thought I knew about falling in love, and about Christmas and working here, and even though I didn’t intendto either, I think you’re pretty special, Raphael Dardenne, and I accept your non-apology and your non-moving snow globe, and?—’
