24th December 1930
Elizabeth was lying on the floor in front of her bed, painting the Big Ben as a tentative knock on her door. She just finished the twelve before she looked up and saw Matthew standing in front of her. "Are you coming?", his voice was low, his eyes knew exactly what he meant and without saying a word, she put her drawing things on the bed and put on her jacket and cap. Silently, they went down and even Mrs. Fisher did not say something as they both went outside, because she knew where they go.
The children strolled through the cloudy, foggy city and did not speak a word. Although they had only done this for three years, it had become a small tradition. They hung in their thoughts or watched the people as they made the final preparations for Christmas or greeted their loved ones who had just arrived. Matthew stopped at a flower stand and bought a small bouquet of white roses. He always had a little bit of money, since he occasionally earned himself some by sweeping the street or delivering letters. After half an hour they arrived at their destination: the cemetery.
Slowly it started to rain and Matthew opened the umbrella. As they made their way to a certain grave, pity eyes fell on them, the people knew the two children - at least the people who came from their area and visited their deceased relatives. Matthew's fate was known throughout the neighborhood and it still hurt people to see him alone. Elizabeth looked up at him and, despite he was over a head taller than she, saw the sadness in his eyes. It was not long before they arrived at the row of tombs they wanted. You could see that the poorer ones had been buried here, but one grave stuck out - it was kinda big. No wonder, because there were four people buried: Henry, Emma, Peter and Colin Miller. After handing her the umbrella, Matthew went to the wood panel, knelt in front of it and picked up some stray leaves before placing the roses in a small, broken vase. Like the last few years, Elizabeth waited at a bench several meters away and removed her cap. She knew he wanted to be alone with his family, even if he did not admit it. Even though he was very small when all this happened, he still missed them incredibly and wished they were still alive. Liz felt the same way: she would like nothing more than a real family. She could also be adopted- if she had someone she could call family. She knew from Matthew and the others that they would not like to be adopted because they would rather have their real family back again. Elizabeth was the only one who had never met her parents and spent her entire life in the orphanage.
"Merry Christmas," Matthew said quietly before returning to Elizabeth and taking her umbrella off. They were never there for more than five minutes- he did not want to.
On the way back, they did not take the direct route and strolled around the city as they wanted to see the beautifully decorated shops. Everywhere there was a glitter and sparkle and people brought their Christmas trees home. It was not an upscale, but not a poor quarter - it was something in between. It would be a beautiful picture if there was snow. 'I could try to draw it', the girl thought and a smile crept onto her lips.
When they arrived in a upper class part of London, they were either completely ignored and overrun or got condescending looks. It was obvious that they were not from the upper or middle lass: the clothes did not fit properly and were partially tattered, the hair was not tidy and was disheveled at both. At first they tried to ignore this, but when they looked at the toys in a beautiful window, a man ran out of and yelled: "Get away from here! No one need scum like you! And don't dare to touch or steal something! "
"But we want-" Matthew started before shouting, „GET AWAY!"
They ran away. Why were they so unwelcome here? They did not do anything to anyone…
"You know, Liz ... sometimes I wonder if money really makes you as happy as everyone says." The boy said when they stopped running.
"What?" She asked, cocking her head.
"Well... I mean people in areas like this never look really happy. The rich kids in the park are never allowed to play properly. The parents shout at them, if the clothes are dirty or broken ... And then I see people like Bert, who do not have so much money. They still seem so much happier to me. Do you know what I mean?"
She looked at him - sometimes he was just like an adult. How he talked, how he behaved… just everything was sometimes so ... grown up. And lately that happened more and more often, which scared her. „Yes, I know what you mean…"
The sun was already setting when the children returned to their neighborhood. Elizabeth hesitated, holding Matthew by the arm. „Wait", she smiled mischievously, "we don't have to go to the orphanage."
On his questioning expression, she just answered „Come with me!"
It didn't took long before they arrived in a street that they knew too well: it was the one in which Bert lived.
"You serious, Liz?"
"You can wish him a Merry Christmas, right? I owe him that."
"You do not even know if he's there. Maybe he's also visiting someone."
"We'll just knock and then we'll see", she protested, moving on to the small block of apartments.
Once there, they walked around the corner and looked up: the window was open and there was a light. "You see, he's at home." Just as she was about to go the door, she had an idea and she began to whistle Chim Chim Cheree.
Bert stood in his kitchen and did his dinner when a tune came into his ear that he knew only too well. With a wry smile he went to the window to look for the source of the sound.
"Well, if that's not Lizzy and Matthew."
"Merry Christmas, Bert," the girl called up and waved.
"Come in. I have enough food for all of us."
Elizabeth directly went into the house, followed by Matthew. As she ran up the stairs, the boy trotted slowly behind. As they Arrived at the door Liz hugged Bert. The chimney sweep returned the hug until he saw Matthew. "Not in A Christmas mood, Mr. Miller?"
„I am, but I don't want to bother you..." he admitted.
"Oh, you are not bothering me! On the contrary! It's nice to have someone with you on Christmas. Please sit down. Have only cooked soup. And I have gingerbread and tea! Everything is in the kitchen. "
Liz glanced at her friend, her look said something like, 'I told you!' Bert was just closing the door and the two kids were just going to the kitchen when there was a knock.
The orphans did not notice it at all, they were too fixated on the gingerbread - but Bert had a guess and started to smile. He whirled back elegantly, pushing the latch down and in front of him stood no one less than, "Mary!" He said softly, his smile turning into a grin.
"Hello Bert...", she also answered in a low tone. The children had not noticed her yet - and she did not the children.
"What are you doing here? Not that I'm not happy but... I thought you were with a family in Leeds?… Come in."
"That's right...", she put down the umbrella and took off her jacket, "But I don't need to return until New Year," she said softly, "I did not want you to be alone at Christmas," at the end her voice was not more than a whisper. And that sentence made Bert's heart do somersaults - did she just say that? They just smiled for a moment. They used to spend almost every Christmas together, but this changed after the Millers incident.
"Even if you may wonder, I'm not alone today."
"Oh ...", she really had not expected, "I can-"
"No!", He held her instinctively by the wrists, "No ... please stay." He realized how desperate he sounded. "I think she will be glad if she sees you."
She, did he have a visit from a woman and why would she be glad to see Mary? As soon as she entered the small kitchen, someone called her name: "Miss Poppins!"
Shortly after, she felt a hug: "Hello Elizabeth", as she parted, Mary now saw the other visit, "Matthew too? - So you are Bert's visitors?"
"Yes! Here", the girl poured her tea into a cup and handed it to her, "for you."
The nanny took it with a hearty smile: "Thank you!"
Liz made it, of course, not without taking a piece of gingerbread, to the sofa and Matthew and Mary joined her.
Bert realized again how small his apartment was. He stood in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room and looked closely at the scene: on the sofa could barely fit three people and at the dining table was even too small for one person. As much as he wished, he could never afford a family. And he often thought about it since Mary returned last month, he even thought about it almost daily. Because only with her could ever imagine a family. But these were wishful thinking that would never come true. And yet he now spent Christmas Eve with the woman he had loved for so many years and two children. Yes, he loved Mary - with all of his heart! He became aware of this in recent years and especially in the last month. And it really tore him apart, not hearing anything from her for years. It was painful to hold back the feelings for her, because he knew very well that she would never return them. But it did him good to see her more often lately and he simply enjoyed this time. He was so lost in thought that he did not realize that Mary was standing in front of him and wanted to pass him- she looked at him: "Are you alright, Bert?"
„Yes… I'm alright" he gave her his sweetest smile as he took the cup from Mary and put it down. Mary looked at him again and was about to say something when a sound came from the sofa. They turned and saw Elizabeth leaning over the backrest - she wore a mischievous smile.
"What?", She did not answer Bert but simply looked over the two of them. The adults followed her gaze and opened their eyes: over them hung a small mistletoe. How did it even get there? Bert never had mistletoes!
"You don't want to break the tradition, do you?"
Bert once glared at Elizabeth before turning to Mary with an apologetic look and kissing her on the cheek when Liz spoke again: "Kisses on the cheek does not count!"
Meanwhile, Mary blushed and couldn't move. 'What's going on here !?', she just wanted disappear or run away, but she couldn't ... or didn't she want to?
'You little beast!' He thought to himself. But he got an idea! Gently, he put his hands to her waist, pulled her closer and kissed her lovingly on the forehead. As soon as his lips touched her skin, both closed their eyes. So he lingered there. It felt like a eternity- a pleasant eternity.
"Not what I meant but okay", Liz sat back down.
Mary and Bert stopped for a moment and silently enjoyed the closeness. A kiss on the forehead was something meaningful, both knew that.
He also thought that he would not be alone in the coming days, as in recent years.
Bert realized again that he needed and wanted nothing more than to have the people around him he cared the most about.
Here is the Christmas chapter. I am a little late but better later than never haha
The next chapter will be a New Year's Eve / New Year's chapter :)