Free Guess Who's Coming to Christmas Dinner by Laura Lockington Page A

with Bella in her panda pyjamas at the kitchen door, holding her hand.
    “Like daddy?” Bella asked, looking up at Sophie with innocent eyes, twirling a strand of hair round and round her fingers. Sophie could hear a suppressed snort of laughter coming from Susi, and she turned to glare at her before answering her daughter.
    “Um, sort of, yes...now come on, kisses all round and hop into bed!” Sophie dragged a reluctant Sophie to her room, and firmly closed the bedroom door. She could hear Susi giggling in the kitchen and hoped that at least Archie had the grace to blush, but doubted it. All he cared about was the loss of Bertha, and nothing else seemed to matter to him at all. Sophie pulled a knitted multicoloured blanket on top of Bella’s duvet. The blanket had been knitted by Aunt Dot, and was a treasured possession of Bella’s. Sophie imagined her Aunt knitting with arthritic hands, a glass of sherry by her side whilst she shouted at those ‘damn fool politicians on the television’, she must call her and find out how she was, she thought to herself.
    After kissing Bella on the forehead, chin, and both cheeks and assuring her that yes, she would leave the door ajar, and that yes, the snow would be there tomorrow, and that yes, if Max wanted to he could sleep on the foot of her bed, Sophie managed to slip out of the room.
    She hesitated at the door of the kitchen, and then abruptly turned back down the hallway and headed to her own bedroom. The stripped bed forcibly reminded her of Laurie. It seemed so long ago, but was in fact only hours. She slumped on the side of the bed, and picked up her phone. Nothing. No texts or missed calls. She stared at the phone on her hands, and realised that she was behaving like a moon struck teenager when she was in fact nothing of the sort. Quite the opposite in fact. She sighed and scrolled down to the number for Aunt Dot. As she waited for it to connect she started to remake the bed, tucking the phone under her chin. There was an ominous silence the other end of the line, but that could just be down to the extreme weather, thought Sophie, glancing out of the window. It was so cold in the bedroom that Sophie shivered, even as she was pushing the unwieldy duvet into the cover.
    The bed made, Sophie hunted around for a cardigan to throw on. Eventually she pulled on a shaggy dark green affair that she kept for walking Bella to Nursery when it was chilly outside. Well, it was bloody chilly inside, she reasoned, shrugging her arms into the sleeves. She started to tidy up her shoes, and hang her nightclothes up on the hook behind the door. As she was reaching up to the brass hook to hang her dressing gown on, the very one that she had so happily made coffee in for Laurie, the door abruptly swung open towards her, nearly knocking her in the face.
    Archie stood there swinging his bag in his hands. He looked a little unsteady on his feet. The result no doubt of far too much scotch and not enough food, Sophie thought sourly.
    “Careful Archie, that nearly caught me,” Sophie said, standing in front of him. He went to manoeuvre past her, but she held her ground, rather to her secret delight.
    “Yeah, sorry ‘bout that... I just want to...” He swung his bag towards the bed, and went to move past her again. Sophie remained exactly where she was.
    “No, I don’t think so Archie. I really don’t.” Archie stared in surprise at her.
    “But, but...s’what you wanted isn’t it? I’m home, aren’t I?” he looked down at Sophie, swaying slightly from one foot to another.
    “Not like this!” Sophie burst out, keeping her voice low, aware that Bella was just next door, even if she felt like shouting, “Not like this at all! Just because your girlfriend’s left you! Do you honestly think you can just swan back in here as if nothing has happened? Do you?”
    “Oh for chrissake Sophe, not now, just wanna lie down...” Archie stumbled towards her, dropping his bag on the floor.