Chapter 41
It was freezing as we headed up the street. We didn’t have a clue where we were going and short of knocking on everybody’s door, how were we ever going to locate Mum and Jackson?
‘We should think about finding a bed for the night,’ I said.
‘I could ring around,’ Theo suggested. ‘You never know, we might get lucky.’
As much as I admired his optimism, I didn’t rate our chances and spotting a bench, I took Theo by the arm and led him straight to it.
As we took a seat, he pulled out his mobile and began to research our accommodation options. ‘There aren’t many choices,’ he said. ‘Not looking at this.’
I stuffed my hands into my pockets and sighed. ‘If someone had told me a few days ago, I’d be spending Christmas Day night, in the south of France, with a gorgeous man, this is not what I would have imagined.’
Theo paused what he was doing. ‘So I’m gorgeous, am I?’
I smiled. ‘In my defence I am overdue an eye test.’
Theo chuckled as he got back to his googling while I got out my phone and signed into Mum’s TikTok to see if she’d posted an update.
‘Any news?’ Theo asked.
‘Nope,’ I replied, putting my phone away again. ‘They’re obviously having way too much fun to think of their viewers. What about you? Found anything?’
Nodding, he put his mobile to his ear. ‘Cross your fingers.’
I sat in silence desperately praying for someone to pick up, but as the ring tone evidently continued, Theo had no choice but to end the call.
Watching him dial a second number, I thought back to the previous evening when I’d dreaded the prospect of sleeping in a bona fide stable.
With things not looking good on the hotel front, I’d have willingly spent my Christmas Day night on a hay bale snuggled next to a donkey.
Especially when the only alternative was sleeping upright in Theo’s Smart car.
I glanced at the houses around us. ‘Mum and Jackson could be in any one of these properties,’ I said. ‘They could be enjoying a post-concert night cap with Gisèle and her family. A door could open any second and they could appear ready for the walk back to their hotel.’
‘That would be way too easy,’ Theo said.
I let out a laugh. Thanks to the way things were going, I couldn’t have agreed more. I rested my head against Theo’s shoulder and putting an end to his second attempt at securing us a bed, he manoeuvred his free arm and wrapped it around me.
‘There’s one place left to try,’ he said, making a third call. Theo suddenly let go of me and jumped to his feet. ‘Bonjour, madame.’
My spirits lifted, but while he walked up the street as he talked, I was too cold to move. Letting Theo get on with it, I was tired after the day’s excitement, and I closed my eyes happy to enjoy a moment’s calm. Thinking I was imagining it, I heard a dog bark and someone call out my name.
‘Erin.’
I felt someone’s hand on my arm and my eyes flashed open.
‘What are you doing here?’
‘Mum?’ Confused, I wondered if I was seeing things.
‘And you think you can tell me off for sitting on a bench in the cold,’ she said.
My gaze went from her to Jackson to Roma who, tail up, sniffed at the ground. Overwhelmed with relief, I jumped to my feet and threw my arms tight around Mum. ‘Thank you, Lord,’ I said. Tears welled in my eyes, and reaching out, I pulled Jackson close too. ‘The worry you two have caused.’
‘Great news.’ Theo called out. ‘We’ve got somewhere.
’ He slowed in his step as if assessing who I was talking to.
‘Jackson?’ he asked as realisation dawned.
He suddenly raced towards us while at the same time, Jackson scooped up Roma and ran to his dad.
The two of them embraced in a heartfelt bear hug, with poor Roma squashed somewhere in-between them.
‘What happened to Christmas just the two of us?’ Theo asked as they, at last, let go of each other.
Jackson kicked at the ground as if not sure what to say.
‘Come here.’ Theo grabbed his son and pulled him into another embrace.
‘Call me daft,’ Maeve said. ‘But again, I have to ask what you’re doing here?’
I stared at Mum, incredulous. ‘What kind of question is that? You didn’t really expect us to sit around at home, did you? We’ve been worried sick.’
Maeve sat down on the bench; the joy she’d exuded in her videos nowhere to be seen.
‘Oh, Mum. I’m sorry.’ I took a seat next to her. ‘I don’t want to upset you or spoil your fun. I just want to understand why you didn’t tell me about any of this.’
‘Because you’d have said I was daft and viewed it as yet another reason to put me in a home.
Or taken over, because heaven forbid, I’m capable of undertaking a simple trip by myself.
Before I knew it, you’d be telling me when I was coming and how I was getting here.
Which hotels I’m staying in and for how long. ’
‘There’s nothing wrong with being organised.’
‘You’re right, there isn’t. But it would have turned into your trip, Erin, not mine. Meeting up with Gisèle would’ve been something to squeeze in. Not the reason for being here.’
Listening to Mum, I knew she was right. I would have planned everything down to the last detail and spent more time worrying about the itinerary than enjoying what we were doing.
‘We didn’t start out with Christmas in mind.
But Jackson was going to be on his own because poor Theo had to work and then you brought that blooming brochure round, although the less said about that the better.
’ Maeve sighed. ‘We just thought bugger it. Although if I’m honest, a part of me wanted to show you there’s more to me than afternoon bingo and chair exercise. ’
I let out a laugh. ‘Oh, I think you’ve proved that.’ I took a deep breath and exhaled. ‘I really am sorry, Mum. It’s just since Dad died…’
‘I know. And I’m sorry too. I haven’t exactly made things easy since he passed. But this trip wasn’t just about meeting Gisèle. I needed to reconnect with the Maeve I used to be. I don’t know how to live without your dad, but she does. I thought she could give me some tips.’
‘And did she?’ I asked.
Mum smiled and nodded. ‘You could learn a thing or two from her as well.’ She patted my leg and chuckled. ‘I still can’t believe you’re here. Next time I go on an adventure, I’ll save you the trouble and leave a note.’
‘You’ll do more than that. You’ll talk to me about it. Give me a heads-up before you tell the world.’
Mum’s eyes lit up. ‘Have you seen how well our TickyToks are doing? That lad’s got his own fan club.’ She looked over at Theo and Jackson who chatted animatedly, her expression at once wistful. ‘He’s been through a lot, you know. He needed this break as much as I did.’
As if sensing us watching them, Theo returned our gaze. ‘Any idea where H?tel Maison is? he asked.
‘Do we? It’s where we’re staying. Run by a lovely young couple. élodie and André. The rooms are modern. Almost minimalist. Right up your street, Erin.’
‘Excellent. You can lead the way.’ Theo smiled. ‘I’ve just booked us in for the night.’
‘I thought they only had two single rooms? And we’ve got them, haven’t we, Jackson?
’ Maeve shook her head. ‘Then again, my French isn’t brilliant.
I could easily have misunderstood.’ She sighed and approaching Jackson, linked arms with him.
‘I suppose this means the end of our trip,’ she said.
‘They’ll no doubt want to drag us back home. ’
As they set off walking, Roma tootled alongside.
‘At least you got to meet Gisèle,’ Jackson said. ‘That’s the main thing.’
‘It means we’ll have to find something else to TickyTok about,’ Maeve said. ‘We’re going to have to get our thinking caps on.’
I shook my head and smiled as I watched them.
‘There’ll be no stopping them now, you know.’ Theo placed an arm around my shoulder. ‘Today France, tomorrow I dread to think.’
‘That’s what’s worrying me,’ I said.