Page 43 of Hope and Hot Chocolate on Mistletoe Lane

I found my voice at last. ‘I didn’t know he’d done that.’ Paul had cared that much, he’d found a way to avoid the school canteen where the kids were being mean about my dad.

‘He still bakes my favourite cupcakes,’ Mr Adams said with a fond look. ‘I bet he’s thrilled you’re back. Thick as thieves, you two.’

‘They really were.’ My mum appeared seemingly out of nowhere. She looked at Mr Adams. ‘I hadn’t realised how badly she had needed a good friend at that time.’

‘Oh yes.’ Mr Adams sighed. ‘The acting head back then was, if you’ll excuse me for being blunt, not very good at his job. We have a zero tolerance policy on bullying now. Not only kids but staff too. Some of them were gossiping just as much back then.’ He shook his head. ‘I’m sorry about all of it, Holly.’

‘Thank… thank you,’ I stuttered, surprised by his honesty and sincerity.

‘I was shocked to hear about it and wished I’d known. It wouldn’t happen nowadays in Birchbrook, I’m sure,’ my mum said.

‘I would hope not,’ Mr Adams agreed with a firm nod. ‘It’s good to have you back in our town, Holly,’ he added kindly.

‘Thank you,’ I forced out, my mind still whirring.

‘We’re being called in,’ Mum said then, gesturing to where Female Pat was waving to us through the café window. She took my arm and steered me with her to the door. ‘I wanted to come in case you needed moral support.’

‘It helps you being here,’ I told her. A bit of the tension in my shoulders slipped out. It was nice to have someone apologise for the past and acknowledge it had been a tough time; I hadn’t imagined it. And things did feel different in town now. I understood more why my mum and Paul, and Willow too, had stuck around.

‘Holly Wynter!’ A woman who looked my age stood in front of me. ‘I heard you were back!’ She pulled me in for a hug before I could react. ‘How has it been ten years?’

‘Sorry about Becky,’ Paul said as he cut through the crowd to join us. When the woman finally let me go, I lifted my eyes to meet his. He looked back at me warmly. ‘She’s forgotten she ignored us when we were at school.’

‘Not true!’

‘It is,’ a man next to her said with a grin. ‘You ignored me too! The popular kids, am I right?’ He threw his hand out at me. ‘We had English together. Sean. This is my wife, Becky. She was best friends with Samantha Wright.’

I involuntarily shuddered hearing that name. She had been the ring leader of the teasing and taunting, revelling in my family’s scandal at every opportunity she could grasp.

‘Don’t hold that against me, please,’ Becky cried. ‘I was young and she was scary! I went along with what she wanted too much, I know, but look, I opened my eyes, didn’t I? I married you,’ she said to her husband. ‘And I’m a good customer too,’ she said to Paul with a grin. ‘Right?’

Paul shook his head. ‘Yeah, you buy too many coffees each day for sure.’

As they bantered, I thought back and remembered that Becky was the quiet one in the popular group. She didn’t join in with what they said about my dad but didn’t say anything to disagree either. Sean was nice to me back then, a loner who wasn’t really in any group. It was kind of shocking to see them together. Maybe they had both changed a lot since then.

‘Tell your mum I’ll see her at Bridge tomorrow,’ my mum said as she carried on walking to greet Female Pat.

My mum was friends with Becky’s mum? I felt a bit like I was in The Twilight Zone but it showed how different Birchbrook was now.

‘I really am sorry for everything that happened back then,’ Becky said in a quieter voice, looking at me sincerely. ‘Honestly, we were all so sheltered in this town, we thought it was all so shocking. Nowadays, I don’t think anything shocks me! I really do wish I’d been more mature and stood up to Samantha. I’m just so glad you had this great guy here.’ She touched Paul’s arm and I told myself not to feel jealous; she was married, for God’s sake.

‘What, this grumpy sod?’ Sean teased. ‘He’s all right after a pint or two but I don’t know how you face him in the morning. I heard he wakes up part-dragon.’

‘All bark and no bite,’ Becky said merrily.

‘All right, everyone having a joke at my expense. I know I can be grumpy but is it any wonder with you all trying to push my buttons constantly? Come on, Hols, Mum has found something she’s desperate to show us both.’ Paul shook his head at his friends and, like it was completely natural, took my hand in his so he could weave us through the people in the café towards the Christmas tree where his mum stood chatting with mine. Everyone greeted Paul like he was part of their family and he either introduced me or just encouraged them to enjoy themselves. There were faces I recognised but also a lot that I didn’t. The town that I had assumed had been stuck in a time warp since I left was a very different place after all.

‘Is this your doing?’ Daisy asked, stepping in front of us so we paused before we made it to our mums. Paul let go of my hand and I missed his reassuring contact. Daisy had her arm around a handsome man who I assumed was her husband Blake. Both had glasses of mulled wine in their hands. Her eyes twinkled as she spoke to me, a warm smile on her lips.

‘What did I do?’ I asked, instantly worried.

Daisy gestured to Paul. ‘Paul’s makeover. The whole town is talking about it!’

‘Oh,’ I said with a laugh. ‘I know, he shocked me when I saw him without his beard.’

‘What?’ Willow came over with Sabrina and stared in shock and horror at Paul. ‘But I was going to ask you to be Santa at the winter wonderland!’ she cried.

‘Why?’ Paul cried in equal shock and horror.