Chapter One Hundred and Eight

Today was Christmas Eve as coldness hit the village. Noah walked down the stairs in an unusual cheerful mood. He's been up for most of the night talking to Leanna on video chat. He was really happy about their relationship but he noticed Leanna didn't act any differently towards him. In fact, he had to keep reminding her of their relationship upgrade. His niece Sarah was sitting on the couch with her arms crossed. Kyle and Isaac were making a lot of racket currently with their iPads.

"Stop that or I will tell grumpy" Sarah warned the boys (Grumpy was her nickname for her grandfather Cain).

Though this just made Kyle laugh, he found her nickname for his dad funny. Sarah just rolling her eyes as she looked back down on her phone. Noah soon came into view as he plonked himself next to her on the couch. She noticed him looking slightly happier and was wondering what it was.

"You alright?" Sarah asked him; placing her phone down on her lap. Finally looking at him as she crossed her arms again.

"Yeah I'm fine...Can I tell you something?"

"Sure"

"Okay. I asked Leanna out yesterday and she said yes. That's who I was talking to last night on video chat" Noah told her with a small smile.

Sarah was very happy for him. She knew it was only be a matter of time before he asked. He's been pining after her for ages. Noah himself was feeling quite happy about the whole thing despite her being a bit funny last night on video chat. He was still wanting to go into the army though and he will have to talk to Leanna about that.

"I'm happy for you...I knew you would have to ask her sooner or later" Sarah replied.

"Yeah. Can you not tell anyone though? I don't think she's ready yet"

"Okay. Just don't let her walk all over you"

"She's not like that with me" Noah insisted.

Sarah was less convinced. Leanna was quite a high-maintenance sort of girl. She was quite bossy and could easily walk over someone like Noah. He basically worshipped the ground she walked on, it wouldn't take her much effort to twist him round her little finger. Though because he was happy, Sarah was not going to bring that up right now.

"I'm going to go out for a bit, see ya later" Noah then said; making his way up and towards the door.

"Okay, Romeo" Sarah teased.

He just shook his head with another smile. Leaving the house as he shut the door behind himself.

...

Things however were not quite as rosy on the other end. Leanna came downstairs looking very tired. Noah kept her up for most of the night on video chat and she didn't like it as much as he did. She walked into the living room in her pyjamas, pink dressing gown and her hair up in a messy bun. She noticed her father Liam eating breakfast with Henrietta, he was ready to go to work soon. She just slumped down on the chair, rubbing her eyes slightly to try and wake herself up.

"You okay, Leanna?" Liam asked his daughter with concern; he noticed she looked weary.

"Yeah...Just some annoying friend kept me up all night on video chat. I couldn't get rid of them" Leanna insisted.

This made her father widen his eyes slightly, that didn't sound good. That really is how she saw last night. She felt like she only say yes to Noah because he put on her on the spot and she would have felt bad if she said no. Leanna did like him but not as much as he liked her, she didn't really see him that way.

"Does this annoying friend know you find them annoying?" Liam questioned.

"Maybe...No, no; I shouldn't call them annoying. It's just they kept me up all night and wouldn't let me leave. They have a lot of problems and they sort of guilt-tripped me into staying up late"

"Okay princess. Get some breakfast down you anyway, that will sort you out"

"Sure"

Leanna took some toast from the middle as she began to smother butter on it. Henrietta just looked at her briefly. She semed to twig onto the fact it was something a bit more, Leanna had some boy troubles for once. Though she would ask her about it when Liam was out, no girl wants to wants to talk about that stuff with her father. Not at that age anyway, not a chance.

"Do you have homework to be doing?" Liam then questioned.

"Yes dad...Can we not talk about school? It's Christmas time"

"I know but I just don't want you to get even more behind. You got to focus on this Leanna, you have important exams coming up"

"I know, dad...You think I don't know? Like I would mess it up, I already been held back a year. Which was through no fault of my own!"

"Alright...sorry, sorry. Let's just enjoy Christmas, yeah? Henrietta's doing us a little buffet, aren't you?" Liam asked, quickly dropping the subject.

Henrietta just giving a nod. She was doing them a small buffet, yes. She was well aware Liam was spending the actual Christmas Day with Alex and Leanna (then later Bernice). So she thought she should do a buffet tonight with just them three. Liam felt a bit bad leaving her out so he agreed without any argument.

"Yes. I will set it up later...You can invite anyone you want, Leanna" Henrietta suggested.

"Thanks. I'll think about it"

...

"Cheer up, love. It's Christmas Eve" Bernice spoke to her daughter. Gabby had a right mood on her.

The truth was she just got a few texts from Dee Dee. She was bragging about the sunshine and the fact Australia was out of a strict lockdown. She had taken some selfies on the beach with a small cocktail. Gabby felt stuck meanwhile in freezing England in lockdown with her mother and grandmother. Leanna wasn't exactly cheering her up as she kept making snide remarks about Bernice.

"You know Dee Dee is spending Christmas on the beach?" Gabby asked her.

"Yes. She texted...It does make you wish you were there but hey, we are going to have such a good time here. We are going to have a lovely meal with gran and granddad. Isn't that good?"

"Granddad's coming?"

"Yeah. He's a lot better off here anyway than with Nicola and her rowdy lot. Anyway, he's coming here and we are going to watch some Christmas movies, how does that sound?"

"Good I suppose"

"I tell you what. We should take pictures of ourselves eating our lovely meal and send them to Dee Dee. She's missing out on a hot roast dinner if nothing else and that will make her jealous back. Charlie's an awful cook you know" Bernice told her with a smile.

Gabby just nodding in return, she supposed that was the only thing she had over Dee Dee. A nice home cooked meal. She was just dreading having to spend an entire afternoon with Leanna tomorrow. The girl would no doubt have a lot more to say, she won't let the celebrations stop her.

"Sure thing, mum" Gabby relented as she forced out a smile.

...

"Hiya handsome" Meena spoke as she came into the shop with her usual smile. She really had taken a liking to David.

He seemed more himself lately. Talking with her have been like some sort of unpaid therapy for him. He even got some of his joking side back as he looked behind himself as if to say 'Who are you talking to?'. Meena just giving a laugh in response as she sat at the table in her usual chair. She really was a breath of fresh air and he's not been able to be like this with a woman for a long time. It was late morning by this point, nearly noon but not quite.

"You still up for soppy movies tomorrow?" David asked her with a smile.

"I'm always up for soppy movies" Meena assured him.

The shop door opened up as a face he's not seen for a short while came in. Henrietta hasn't seen David since she gave him the scan picture. Though she felt rather bad for him and was coming here with good intentions. Meena just giving her a slight glare, she didn't know who this was but whoever it was killed the mood.

"Henrietta...Long time, no see. How are you doing?" David nervously questioned; his happy-go-lucky mood gone.

"I'm doing alright, David. How are you doing?"

"I'm getting by. I erm...Was a bit shocked by you last time for obvious reasons but seeing the scan picture has brought some closure so thanks" David answered.

Meena caught on quite quickly to who this was. She was quite a lot older, had blonde curly hair and knew about the scan picture. This had to be the mother, didn't it? She thought she had a bit of a nerve. She wasn't happy, that's for sure. She just ruined the mood in Meena's eyes.

"Yeah, so you can go now" Meena spoke up to her; thinking she was a very unhealthy reminder (and in a way, she was).

"Meena. It's alright" David spoke up; he didn't mind Henrietta really. The woman was just as clueless as him to the whole Jacob situation.

"No, it's not alright. He was in a really good mood before you came in. Does it make you feel better to come and check in on things? To see what your freak of a daughter left behind? Talk about sad" Meena carried on.

Henrietta's heard that all before. She just gave a ghost of a smile as she turned towards the woman. David sure knew how to pick women sometimes, not like Meena is as bad as that. Though she does have a nasty side to her sometimes. Meena wasn't quite use to people besides Manpreet sticking up to her.

"Listen to me, love. You don't know what we went through in those days and you don't know the amount of hurdles we had to jump over. If David wants me to go, he's more than capable of telling me that himself. Alright?" Henrietta responded back firmly.

"I was just sticking up for him because nobody else has it seemed" Manpreet uttered back, backing down slightly.

She didn't expect that, she expected her to just cower.

"Okay. I understand that but I'm not having you talk to me like that. You don't even know me, you only know what my status is" Henrietta spoke to her; getting just a shrug back; she turned back towards David and told him

"David, I came in here to invite you to a buffet I'm having at mine with Liam and Leanna tonight...I just thought I would invite you and your dad. You're more than welcome to come"

"Thanks but erm...We got plans already. I appreciate it though" David managed to speak.

"Alright. That's all I came in for really. Oh and to buy this" Henrietta replied as she put the milk carton the desk.

Meena suddenly was quiet. She totally misread that situation and the woman Henrietta was. She really did think David didn't want her in here, that's why she got nasty. The young woman just thought Henrietta was there to cause trouble and nothing else. Though she soon understood that wasn't the case. It was nipped in the bud straight away and all that was left was an awkward silence.

"Alright, bye David; you know where I am if you change your mind" Henrietta finally said. Taking her milk.

The man just giving her a nod as he watched her leave.

"Oh my God...I'm sorry. I saw who she was and just thought you would hate her being here" Meena told David as soon as she left.

"It's okay, it's fine. She gets straight to the point, doesn't she? I will tell you Meena if I don't like someone. I know you were only doing it because you thought it was the right thing but well...you know what happens"

"Yeah I do know. I feel stupid"

"She will get over it" David told her simply with his arms crossed.

Meena just giving a slight groan. She was still slightly red in the face from humiliation.

...

TBC