"Have fun," Steve said as he gave Kate a kiss before she got out the car.
"Will do," Kate replied as she closed the car door. She stood on the pavement and gave Steve a wave as he pulled away.
Looking at her watch she realised she had a few minutes before Josh's arrival so she entered her flat and set about getting their meal ready. She only really needed to put the oven on, having done most of the food preparation the previous day before going to Steve's.
As it was just the two of them, they were going to have a roast chicken with the usual seasonal accompaniments, although Josh had protested at sprouts. Kate had just put the food in when the front door went. She opened the door to find Josh with his father.
"Hiya!" She greeted her son as she gave him a hug. "Go on in," she said to him and he trotted off happily leaving Mark still on the front step.
Three years after finally separating for good, things were still a bit stilted between the former couple. "How are you?" Kate asked.
"Good,".
"Good,".
"Well I'll be off. Pick him up about 9? He's got school tomorrow,".
"Yeah fine," Kate agreed before closing the door. She found Josh on the sofa in the living room. Despite thinking she was going to be spending the day by herself, she had made an effort and put a tree and decorations up.
"How are you?" she asked as she ruffled her son's hair as she took a seat next to him.
"Alright,".
"Alright? Is that all you've got to say?" Kate asked as she reached out and tickled Josh. He squealed with laughter as she continued her attack until he begged her to stop. She did and they hugged. "Fancy opening your presents?". Josh's eyes lit up. There were perks to have divorced parents. "Go on then," she said and watched happily as he scooted over to the tree where his gifts were lying.
Paper was soon covering the floor in shreds as Josh tore in to his presents. "Thanks mum!" he said gleefully when he found he'd been given the latest computer game.
"Is that the right one?" she asked.
"Yeah," Josh replied whilst reading the back cover.
Kate wasn't totally enthralled with her son developing an increasing passion for computer games. She would much rather him be active and playing sport. It had caused a few arguments with Mark, but he was the main care giver at the moment so computer games it was.
With his other presents opened it was time to eat. "What're you going to be doing with your dad on Christmas Day?".
"Usual," Josh replied, tucking in. It meant spending most of the day by himself playing on his computer.
"Visiting Grandma and Grandpa?". Mark always visited his parents over the holidays.
"Don't think so,".
"Oh," Kate said a bit surprised.
"Jackie will be with us,".
"Who's Jackie?" Kate asked and Josh stopped eating, realising he'd said too much. Kate had already guessed who she was. "Is she your dad's girlfriend?". Josh looked down and nodded. "It's ok, Josh," Kate said as she put her hand on his back and gave it a rub. "Your dad and I are going to meet new people,". She wasn't going to mention Steve just yet. Two dates was much too soon, but at least she was laying the ground for introducing him. "Is she nice?" Kate asked. That was the most important thing to her. Any new girlfriend of Mark's was going to have to be good to her son, otherwise there would be hell to pay.
"She's ok," Josh replied. As much as any woman who wasn't his mum could be. "What are you doing at Christmas?".
"I'm spending it with a friend. Remember Steve who I used to work with?" Josh nodded. "I'm spending it with him,".
"Good. I was worried you were going to be alone," Josh admitted.
"Don't worry about me," Kate urged, touched that Josh was concerned about her. "I'll be fine,".
The rest of the day passed way too quickly for Kate and before she knew it Mark was ringing the doorbell to collect Josh. "I'll give you a ring on Christmas morning, ok?" Kate told Josh as she gave him one last hug. Josh nodded before she let him go. She wanted so badly to make some sort of comment to Mark that she knew about Jackie, but she let it go. Kate didn't want to get in to another argument in front of her son. Mark could also get angry at Josh for telling her and she definitely didn't want that.
She watched them go until they disappeared completely from sight before closing the door. The flat seemed so quiet now Josh was gone and she flopped on to the sofa sadly.
Before the loneliness could set in, her phone rang. It was Steve. She smiled as she answered. Trust him to know she needed to speak to someone right now. "Hi," she said.
"Hi," Steve replied. "Josh gone?".
"Yeah,".
"How was your Christmas together?".
"Good," Kate replied. "Over way too quickly,".
"You ok?".
"Yeah,".
"You're saying yeah, a lot," Steve noticed. That usually meant she wasn't ok.
"Yeah," Kate teased. She wasn't up for a deep conversation just at the moment so instead said the obvious and hoped Steve would understand. "What have you done today?".
"Not much. You still up for spending the actual Christmas Day with me and my folks,".
"Yeah,".
"Good. Called my mum. You're down for a place around the table so no backing out now ok,".
"Yeah,".
"Kate?".
"Yeah,".
"You're still doing it,".
