Chapter One Hundred and Ten

Today was Christmas as the villagers were awake and giving out gifts. Bernice was currently helping her father Rodney carry a sack full of presents. He was going back to see his daughter Nicola and granddaughter Angelica. He got presents for the boys Elliot and Carl as well of cause, he would feel rotten if he didn't. Bernice was looking forward to later, Liam would be coming round in the early afternoon. Rodney giving a knock on the door.

"Happy Christmas you two! Come in...The kids will be happy to get some more presents" Nicola declared with a grin as she stood to on side, Jimmy giving a wave as he was sat on the couch with his son Carl.

"Alright?" Jimmy asked them both casually.

"Oh yeah, I'm feeling great. Gabby's at Laurel's so I thought I would help dad with the presents" Bernice replied.

The children rushing over when they noticed the sack. Angelica seemed to have gotten the most amount of presents as always. Though the two boys weren't that upset, they understood Rodney wasn't their actual granddad. Besides, he's got a soft spot for his daughters and granddaughters, everyone knew that. He treated them all like spoilt princesses.

"Got you pretty good stuff this year, lads...I have to say" Rodney insisted with a wink.

"Are you back tonight, granddad?" Angelica asked as she began to snoop through the bag. Getting outt he presents with her name tag on them.

"Yes, I'm back tonight. Just had to spend last night with Gabby" Rodney informed the child.

"Oh. Well you missed daddy falling over the tree last night, it was so funny"

"Did I? What a pity"

"It really hurt actually" Jimmy called over as he gestured towards his back. He was still recovering he felt.

Nicola just rolling her eyes as she stood next to Bernice. Leaving the children and Rodney with the presents. As they began to unwrap them, Bernice wasn't in the mood for Nicola today. She only came round to help her dad and see how her niece was doing, that was all. Mocking from her sister was not something she came round for.

"Liam with his son today?" Nicola asked; getting on her sister's wick straight away.

"Yes but you already knew that, don't you?"

"Gabby may have mentioned something on WhatsApp last night, yes. I take it that you won't get to see your step-son for a while. He still has grandmother Stepney to see first, doesn't he?"

"He's not my step-son...Me and Liam aren't married yet"

"No but you will be soon. And then that's it, you will have to share the day with granny Stepney every year like clockwork. A fun life for you ahead" Nicola dared to tease.

"The only reason I'm not slapping you right now is because of your daughter. So watch out what you say to me when if we are ever alone" Bernice quietly hissed.

"Good job we aren't alone then, isn't it? You know I'm right though, don't you? You will get use to it though in time. You, Liam, Leanna, Gabby, Alex and granny Stepney" Nicola spoke, laughing out loud on the last sentence.

Bernice giving her a slight shove.

"She's winding me up, dad. So I'm going home" Bernice announced as she took her leave. Nicola still laughing as she watched her sister go out the door.

She turned her attention back to the room when she was gone. Giving a simple a shrug as if to say 'Don't know what her problem is'.

...

Liam and Leanna were in fact with Alex. Sadly though, he couldn't hug him or anything. He had to be kept at a distance. Though he understood as he was part of the medical profession. Alex was sat in his wheelchair as he opened up some presents he got, he got slightly more this year as Henrietta chipped in too. The only thing Maya did for him in the last two years was pass over money for his presents on special occasions.

"Do you like them, Alex?" Liam asked his son with a smile.

"Yeah I do! This one is my favourite though!" Alex answered with a smile.

He has just opened a pikachu stuffed toy present. He was into Pokemon at the moment and that's mostly what he got from his father and sister. He had some of the old movies on DVD which he was allowed to watch on his televison. The children each got to choose certain things for their room, depending on the income of their parents and things. They also used the centre as a sort of school, so they tended to have slightly older technology.

"You're going to love grandma's house...Are you still okay with meeting her after the new year?" Liam questioned.

"Yes...Is other grandma and granddad seeing me soon?"

"Yeah. They are going to see you next week" Liam explained.

That was his parents (Leanna's grandparents). They had broken up now but they kept civil together (despite his father's affair). They saw Alex as much as they could do, they had to cut it down though due to current crisis. They were taking it in turns with their son (and now Henrietta next year too). Alex sometimes didn't know if he was seeing daddy, grandad, grandma or other grandma.

"That sounds fun, Alex. You get to have more presents coming" the nurse chimed in. Trying to get him excited for it.

"Ye?"

"Yeah"

"Cool. Will mummy's mummy be coming soon too? Cause she don't know what things I like, I can give her a list" Alex suggested.

Making the room laugh slightly. He sure knew how to milk special occasions, that's for sure. The nurse saying to him..."Maybe you can just write her one special thing you really want"

"Okay"

...

Due to hardly anything being open but supermarkets. A rather lonely Henrietta was sat on her own at home. She couldn't even see her grandson until the new year, what could she do? She usually spent Christmas down the pub, sometimes with John if he managed to make it to the next pub. Though this year, she didn't even have lonely older men to talk to. She had nobody. She was just drinking wine currently and watching television, not feeling great about herself.

...

TBC