Chapter Thirteen #3
“You can play it with anything,” James said, setting the boxes on the floor in front of the fire, where everyone would have a good view of them.
He framed them with cushions, gesturing to Maddie for the broccoli.
She tossed it to him. “Who’s going first?
” he asked. Pip and Bluebell raised their hands, glaring comically at each other.
Maddie, Marley and their parents laughed.
Bluebell and Pip were the Whittle’s most competitive family members.
When they were younger, their mother had once hidden a games console they’d been given on Christmas morning part-way through the afternoon because they were arguing over it with such volatility.
Unaware of their competitiveness, James told them both to turn around, checked they weren’t looking in any reflective surfaces, then put the broccoli in the box on the right, the one Bluebell went to when they were told to take their seats.
She offered to be the one who looked inside the box, took a peep, then slammed the box shut theatrically.
“I’ll keep this box,” she said.
“Are you sure?” James asked.
“Yes, it has broccoli in it,” she said. Pip narrowed his eyes at her. Bluebell avoided his gaze, sipping her wine.
“She’s bluffing,” Pip said, surveying the room for clues. “There’s no broccoli in that box.”
“There is,” Bluebell said.
“I don’t believe you.”
“Swap me, then?” Bluebell said, smirking. Pip faltered. Her reaction had thrown him.
“Are you double-bluffing me?” he asked. Bluebell shrugged, tapping her wine glass with her fingernails.
Maddie tried to keep her face straight as she admired her sister’s ability to bluff.
If Pip tried too hard to figure out what she was up to, Maddie was fairly certain Bluebell would win the game.
His absolute best chance was to guess. “Oh, God! Maybe there isn’t broccoli in the box,” Pip said.
“Don’t swap me then,” Bluebell said, in the same indifferent tone.
Pip eyed her suspiciously. “You blinked funny that time. I think you do have the broccoli in the box. I want to swap.”
“Are you sure?” James asked.
“No!” Pip shouted. Everyone laughed.
“You should swap with me,” Bluebell said. “There’s broccoli in my box.”
“I don’t believe you,” Pip said.
“Would I lie to you?” Bluebell asked.
“One-hundred-fucking per cent you would.”
“Pip,” Marley warned, nodding at Benjamin.
“Sorry,” Pip said. “Don’t say that word, Benjamin, it’s naughty.”
“Are we swapping boxes or not?” Bluebell asked.
“Yes! No! Yes! Yes, swap boxes with me.”
“Are you sure?” James checked.
“Yes! No, I’m not.” Pip paused, clearly thinking hard.
He stared at Bluebell’s box, as though trying to see through the cardboard.
Maddie, who really didn’t care who won, was thoroughly enjoying watching her siblings behaving so seriously over something so trivial.
There had been a time when there’d been no room for frivolity in this house.
For so many years every shred of the time and space within it had been taken up by fretting, then by grief.
She stared around the living room at the people she loved most in the world, realising she was grinning goofily and had been for some time.
She did not correct her face. Instead, she reached for her mother’s hand and squeezed.
Emma turned to look at her, and Maddie saw tears in her eyes and a small smile on her lips.
She knew they were having the same thought.
“How lucky we are,” Emma said. Maddie nodded, squeezing her mother’s hand once more.
Pip’s protests interrupted their moment. “I’m not swapping the box. Bluebell is a liar, there is no broccoli in the box.”
“Are you sure?” James asked.
“Stop asking me that,” Pip said irritably. “I’m bloody sure. I’m keeping my box because my box has broccoli in it.”
“All right, Pip! Open your box and reveal the broccoli.”
Pip dramatically whipped his box lid open to reveal the vast emptiness within.
Before it was even part-way open, Bluebell had jumped in the air, victorious.
“No!” Pip shrieked, throwing himself to the floor.
He rolled onto his back and closed his eyes in what Maddie knew was an attempt to shield himself from Bluebell’s gloating.
Her sister was jumping excitedly up and down, waving her hands in the air with glee.
“Rematch!” Pip demanded.
“No, sorry,” James said. “Pip, you’re out. Emma and Ben, you’re up next! Once everyone has had a go we’ll start the next round. Winners play winners, until one person emerges victorious. It’ll be me, obviously. Let’s go!”
* * *
There was an odd number of adults, so Jennifer offered not to play.
Instead she perched on the edge of the couch, positioned as though she were about to bolt at any moment.
Emma kept trying to engage her in polite conversation, but Jennifer would reply with just one or two words, doing just enough to not seem rude, but plenty to make it clear she was not fully comfortable being here.
The winners of the first round were Bluebell, Ben, Autumn, James and Lilly.
Ben beat Emma, Autumn beat Marley, James beat Maddie and Lilly beat Katherine.
The second round saw Ben beat Bluebell, James beat Lilly and then — because they were odd again — they voted Autumn should play Pip, since he was most desperate to carry on playing.
She beat him, much to his dismay. That left three people in the final: Ben, Autumn and James.
They agreed everyone would play everyone and then they’d go from there, but since James was the only one who won both of his games, he was crowned victorious. He was not a gracious winner.
“You’re all speechless, I know,” James said. “I am actually the Carrot in a Box’ undefeated world champion and now I’ve aced ‘Broccoli in a Box’ as well, so clearly I’m a legend at this.”
“Nobody likes a bragger,” Autumn said.
“Spoken like a true loser,” James said.
Autumn reeled comically. “Marley, defend my honour immediately.”
Marley looked between the two of them. “James, you take that back right now, or else,” he said, in a tipsy and lacklustre manner.
Everyone laughed, including Jennifer. She covered her mouth as though she was trying not to be amused.
That made Maddie smile. Autumn rolled her eyes at Marley, who shrugged. “I really like James.”
The living room burst into lively chatter among groups while everyone stretched their legs and replenished their drinks.
Emma left the room to plate up some spicy roast potatoes she’d put in the oven, returning ten minutes later with several plates of snacks balanced precariously on her outstretched arms and in her hands.
Maddie and Jennifer rushed to unburden her.
“Thank you, ladies,” Emma said, inviting them to take a plate each.
Maddie loaded hers up, topping it with a dollop of red-pepper hummus.
Jennifer took hardly anything. They sat down on the sofa.
“What are your plans for tomorrow?” Emma asked Jennifer.
It was the first question Emma had asked that hadn’t made Jennifer wince.
Maddie’s mother was wearing her down with mulled wine and cheery chatter.
The two women were sitting so close to each other a stranger might think they’d been friends for years.
Maddie loved this side of her mother. Emma was a genuinely good person — she wanted everyone around her to feel as comfortable as possible and would go out of her way to make sure it happened.
She was a first-class charmer and an immensely perceptive woman.
She knew exactly what an individual needed in any given situation — affection, attention, someone to listen, someone to agree — and would make sure she became it in order to bring out the best in them.
“We don’t have any plans,” Jennifer said. “I have no real interest in Christmas. James has been away travelling for years, so it was always just Mum and me, but I lost her this year, so I have no real idea of what Christmas looks like from now on.”
Emma nodded. “I’m sure James has already told you, but you’re very welcome to celebrate here with us,” she said.
“There’s plenty of room for you to stay the night.
We don’t do a great deal on Christmas Day.
We eat, drink and play games, just like we have tonight. We would love to have you, honestly.”
Jennifer looked a little sheepish. “I get a bit wallowy at Christmas,” she said.
“So do I,” Emma said. “We can wallow together. Please, think about it. I think James really wants to be here — he’s struck up quite a friendship with Marley, Maddie, Autumn and Bluebell — but I know he’s reluctant to leave you alone.”
Jennifer looked surprised at that. She blinked pointedly at Emma, her eyes darting between Maddie and her son, who was now chatting animatedly with Lilly and Katherine.
“Did he say that?” she asked. Emma nodded.
Jennifer’s gaze found Maddie, who smiled gently and nodded.
“I’m shocked,” she said, holding her hand to her chest. “We have a... strained relationship.”
“Oh,” Emma said, as though she had not known that. “Well, that is a shame. I’m very sad to hear it. But I promise, I’m not lying to you. James was adamant he would only celebrate with us if you agreed to come too because he didn’t want you to be alone at Christmas.”
Jennifer shuffled in her seat and took a sip of her drink.
Maddie thought she could see tears in her eyes, but she couldn’t be certain.
Because she’d been told Jennifer was cold and avoidant, she expected James’ mother to make excuses and leave the conversation, but she didn’t.
Instead she composed herself, cleared her throat, and spoke in a tone that sounded both uncertain and eager all at once.
Maddie could tell she was desperate to get what she was saying off her chest, but she was also very worried about doing so.