Page 59 of Festive Flings

How dare she! How dare she try to ruin the one true happiness I’ve ever had?

I march back into the lounge, ready to get to the bottom of this once and for all. “Why do you hate me so much?” I shout at her. There is a fleeting look of panic in her eyes but then she continues to look bored thereafter. “Are you going to say anything? Why are you so bitter and nasty, Mum? Why do you say those horrible things?”

“Stop being so dramatic, Lauren. I don’t say horrible things. I state the truth, but you can’t handle the truth.”

So, there you have it. The truth, or at least, my mother’s truth. She truly thinks I’m fat and disgusting and the only way I’ll get a man is if I pay him.

“Dorothy… ENOUGH! That’s not the truth. You hate her because she is a carbon copy of you. She reminds you so much of yourself that you cannot stand it. You despise her because she is happy with the things you could never accept about yourself. You hurt our girl to try and make yourself feel better about who you are.” My dad has never, ever raised his voice in front of me before. He’s never stood up for me before either. My mother’s face is a picture as he finally finds his backbone and stands up to her.

He doesn’t stop there, now he has found his gumption. Everything pours from him like lava from a volcano.

“This stops right now, Dorothy; you’re hurting our daughter and we are going to lose her if you keep pushing her away. Lauren, my little lollipop, please forgive me. I will try to be a better man and, most importantly, a better dad.”

My dad walks over to Tim and holds out his hand.

“Thank you, Tim. I couldn’t have wished for better for my daughter. I know that you’ll love her and look after her from the way you have just stood up for her and protected her. I hope in time I can change your opinion of me through my actions, too.”

When Tim shakes his hand, hope flows from my heart right through my veins and throughout my whole body. It doesn’t matter anymore what anyone thinks or says. With Tim on my team, I’ll always have a home, right in his arms.

“So, you're getting married, Lollipop! Congratulations to both of you.” My father’s attempt at smoothing over what just happened is appreciated but it's not enough. My mother sits on the edge of her seat like she has a rod up her ass and purses her lips, making it look like she is chewing a wasp. While she passes no further comments about my appearance or unlikability, she also doesn’t acknowledge that I am getting married either.

We sit uncomfortably for a few minutes, but when my dad offers to make tea, I stand and refuse. “We are hoping to set a date soon, and I would be happy to see you both there. But if keeping a civil tongue is too hard, I ask that you simply stay away.” I hug my dad goodbye. “Your Christmas presents are in the bag in the hallway. I love you.”

I walk away holding Tim’s hand. In some ways, I feel relieved; this was long overdue. In other ways, I wonder if I ever get the blessing of a daughter, will I become as cold hearted and cruel as my mother?

When we reach the train station, Tim pulls me to him. “That was interesting. Let's not do that again in a rush.” I smile at him, the man who has my heart and the first person to show me what unconditional love really looks and feels like.

With him, I have everything I will ever need.

~ Jamie ~

Christmas Eve arrives and today is the day I have been dreading: the day of Carl’s wedding. However, Owen is coming with me, Billie and Jonty will be there and once we have stayed for an acceptable amount of time, we can leave, and Christmas will really start.

This will be our first Christmas, and we are going to spend the day at Billie’s house. I asked Owen for this one thing, to celebrate Christmas with my family before we leave for New York, and he graciously agreed. It upsets me that next year I may be in a different country to my niece and nephew. Every Christmas since they were born is etched in my memory; I want this one to be spectacular.

Owen and I will be leaving for New York the day after New Year. Our tickets are booked, our bags are mostly packed and we discussed booking a suite until we signed for our apartment, which all came as part of Owen’s resettlement package. However, it turned out to be unnecessary since the apartment, our new home together, is ready and waiting for us. I am still having trouble believing this is happening.

When Owen asked me to go to New York with him, I could think of a million reasons why I shouldn’t or couldn’t, but I instantly said yes anyway. I really love him and want to take this chance. I don’t want to live a life of regret, a life filled with what ifs.

The following day, I marched into the CEO’s office and demanded a transfer… I was amazed that they agreed to a temporary contract. I later found out that Owen had been trying to secure my job for me, too, and that made me so happy because it confirmed that he didn’t just ask me to move with him on a whim, but that he truly wants me by his side.

Owen is dressed in an expensive suit and groans when he sees me in my dress. “You’re not meant to show the bride up, Jamie. You look out of this world, babe,” he tells me as he appreciates the effort I have made. As I fix his tie, I catch a glimpse of us in the mirror and smile. We look perfect together. “Why are you smiling?” he asks me with a look of amusement on his face.

“I just saw us together in the mirror, and we look so good.” He kisses the top of my head and holds me close to him. My body instantly starts to flame with desire, and the feel of him hardening against me confirms he feels the same, too. “Come on, let’s get this done and then we can have some fun.”

Carl’s wedding reception is at the Alexander Palace. I am hoping for two hours of toffee-nosed mingling at a maximum and then we can leave. Who gets married on Christmas Eve? It’s a major pain in the ass. At least we don’t have to suffer through the service and wedding breakfast, too.

Trepidation starts to fill me as we get closer to the venue. All these people will know that this marriage came from Carl cheating on me, and it makes me embarrassed and self-conscious.

The venue looks over the top but beautiful. Guests are greeted with flutes of champagne and a brass band. Carl and Francesca stand near the doors shaking hands and embracing their guests as they arrive. “Jamie, I’m so glad you came.” Carl seems to look at me with genuine affection, and when he turns to Owen and extends his hand to him, I think this night might actually be okay.

“You look beautiful, Francesca. Congratulations.” She gives me a tight smile, and I leave it at that. I quickly spot Billie and Jonty but groan when I realise they are sitting at a table with my father and stepmother.

“Jamie. I didn’t think you would show. You’re looking well. And who is this?” My father, a man of many words but they are all generic, non-committal words. The last time I saw him was when I broke things off with Carl and my dad visited me to instruct me ‘to not make a scene’.

“Hi, Dad, this is Owen, my boyfriend. Owen, this is my Dad, Ted, and his wife, Marceline.” My Dad continues to make standard small talk as we take our seats.

“We are surprised you actually came. I told Francesca we didn’t know you had a boyfriend, and we were shocked to hear you were bringing someone. It’s a bit trashy, Jamie!” Marceline comments, without invitation

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