Chapter Twelve
JACK
Christmas
Kennington Park Road
Despite the rocky start, me and the infuriating doctor somehow pulled it off, and the first Blackbird Christmas party at Francis’s place was a roaring success.
Everyone brought something to eat or drink, and the mix of guests, although wildly varied, worked surprisingly well.
On top of the whole crew, we also had Emma and her husband Ben; poor William, who finally got to enjoy an evening out without any drama; and even Sebastian’s dad, Evan Arnette, who showed up with his new wife, Mary.
Seb hasn’t spoken to his mum in years, but he’s decided to give Evan a second chance.
The man does seem genuinely sorry for his past mistakes, and now that he’s about to move to the US with Mary, Seb wanted to make sure there’d still be a place for him in his life, with Remi and little Leo by his side.
Honestly, Sebastian is the absolute sweetest. Now that I know him better, I’m not even surprised he managed to forgive Evan. And Evan, for his part, seemed not only grateful, but genuinely fond of the three of them, Seb, Remi, and their adorable little boy.
Leo and Adele brought some much-needed chaos with them today, and after nearly blowing up the poor inflatable Santa, they even managed to splatter the chocolate and raspberry cake all over the kitchen floor, the very one Francis and I had tracked down after scouring half the bakeries in London.
I’m starting to think that cake is cursed. Every time it tries to make its way into the Starkey household, something tragic happens to it.
Before leaving, everyone helped tidy up, and now that the little one is fast asleep in her cot, I’m helping Francis unload the dishwasher before heading home to pack for Stratford.
I’m not sure if anyone picked up on the shift between us, but even if they did, no one said a word. That said, judging by the glances we were getting here and there, I’d bet good money that at least Seb, Remi, Ollie, and of course Ludo, suspect something.
It’s not that I want to keep it a secret or anything like that… I’d just like the chance to talk to my brother and my parents about it first.
And speaking of them, my phone, resting on the counter, starts ringing, and I immediately see the caller ID flash up: home.
“Sorry, Fran, it’s my parents,” I say, moving over to the worktop. “I really have to take this.”
“Of course,” he replies, shooting me a wink. “I’m not going anywhere, don’t worry.”
As soon as I answer, I know something’s not right. Mum’s voice is oddly low, and there’s none of her usual brightness or energy.
“Hi, darling… did you have a nice Christmas?”
“Hi Mum, yeah, it was great. What about you? You sound weird… are you okay?”
I barely get the words out before she launches into a fit of coughing so intense it leaves her completely breathless.
“Mum?” I say, alarmed, just as Francis drops everything and steps closer, clearly unsettled by the tone of my voice.
“Actually, your dad and I caught a nasty flu from one of the children I look after…” she explains, and in the background, I can just about make out the sound of my father coughing.
“I was calling to let you know, we tried Ian first, but he didn’t pick up… Honestly, it’s a good thing you didn’t come today. We didn’t even make it to your aunt’s. If you had, you’d both have caught it too.”
“But… are you sure it’s nothing serious?” I ask, just as Francis wraps his arms around me from behind. As I lean back against his broad chest, most of the tension that had been building at the idea of my parents being unwell seems to melt away.
“No, love, don’t worry. We’re in touch with our GP and it’s just a regular flu. Annoying, yes, but nothing dangerous. Still, you and Ian should definitely wait until we’re properly better before visiting.”
“Are you sure?” I ask, uncertain. “I don’t want you to spend the whole holiday on your own…”
But even between coughing fits, she still manages to let out one of her typical warm laughs.
“Oh, we’ll be just fine, don’t worry. Your father’s just a bit grumpier than usual, but that’s my problem. You focus on living your life, my sweet Jack. And isn’t tomorrow the birthday of a certain little girl you’re rather fond of?” she adds teasingly.
I can almost picture her smile as she says it, that cheeky, mischievous glint she gets in her eyes sometimes that makes me love her beyond words.
“It is, actually…” I reply, smiling, as Francis continues to hold me and presses a gentle kiss to the top of my head, nuzzling his nose into my hair and making me giggle uncontrollably.
I shoot him a glare before continuing, “Actually, we celebrated it today, during the Christmas party, since tomorrow, Fran, uh, Dr Starkey, is taking her to Sennen Cove to finally meet her grandfather, as well as her uncles, aunts and cousins.”
“Oh, so what about you?” Mum asks. “I hope you won’t be on your own, sweetheart.”
“No, no, I’ll probably stay with Ian and the rest of the Broadwick Street gang…” I reply, hoping they’re not all off on some romantic date. But I keep that part to myself.
I don’t think my mum would be thrilled at the idea of her son being seen as a heartbreaker, though it would be a pretty accurate description.
“All right, sweetheart. As soon as your dad and I are feeling better, you two need to come over and spend some time with us… We miss you both, more than you know. But we’re really glad you’re well and that you had a lovely Christmas, I mean it.”
I snuggle a little closer into the arms of my infuriating doctor and agree, “Yeah, we had a wonderful Christmas. Take care, Mum, and you both get some rest. And if Dad gets too grumpy, just call me and I’ll sort him out myself!” I add with a laugh.
“Promise?” she replies, and without another word, the line goes dead.
I start to turn towards Francis, but before I even manage to, I hear his excited voice: “Come to Sennen Cove with me!” he says, his eyes sparkling as he cups my face in his hands.
“W–What?” I stammer, eyes wide, not entirely sure I’ve understood him properly.
But he looks completely serious. He leans in, and just before he kisses me, he whispers, “Come to Cornwall with me, little fox. I want you to meet my family.”