Cosy Nights & Snowball Fights (Little Duck Pond Cafe #36)

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

The night of Sylvia’s surprise birthday party had finally arrived, and as I got ready to join everyone at the café, I couldn’t help feeling nervous for her.

It was her eightieth birthday today. How was she feeling?

How would she cope with Mick diverting from the restaurant where she was expecting to enjoy a cosy dinner for two – and bringing her to the café instead, where a crowd of happy, cheering party guests would be waiting to greet her? And where, like it or not, she’d be required to be extra-sociable for a long period of time, while being reminded over and over again of the milestone age she’d rather forget...

I’d mentioned casually to Ellie the day before that I’d heard Sylvia say she didn’t want a fuss made of her birthday. But she’d just smiled and said, ‘People always say that but they always ended up loving a surprise party that’s been organised just for them. Sylvia will have a fab time, seeing all her family and friends together in one place.’

I only hoped she was right. Sylvia’s sister, Agatha, and other family members were in on the secret and were travelling up from the south coast specially for the occasion. I hoped it wouldn’t be a wasted journey for them. Zak and Maisie were also related to Sylvia – Zak was her great-nephew – and I knew he’d had a hand in ensuring the party would go with a swing.

We were all to be there, at the café, by six. And Mick was going to bring along the guest of honour at six-thirty, which I guessed was when Sylvia imagined she’d be in the restaurant ordering an early dinner.

Fresh snow had fallen that morning – the wintry spell was showing no signs of abating – and I hoped it wouldn’t hamper people’s journey tonight. Although as soon as I drove into Sunnybrook and looked across the green to the little café car park, I could see it was already full. As I parked on the high street and got out of the car, I could hear the music drifting over. It sounded like Elvis and ‘Suspicious Minds’ and I smiled to myself, thinking about Olga and Bertha choosing the playlist. I guessed we’d be hearing a lot of the songs that were popular when Sylvia was younger.

I was greeted at the door by Primrose and her cute little boy, George. ‘Hi, Laurel. Come in out of the cold and get yourself a drink.’ She pointed over to the counter and – peering through the throng of people already gathered – I spied Olga and Bertha behind the ‘bar’, dispensing laughs and merry welcomes along with the drinks.

I smiled. ‘The party’s in full swing already, then.’

She nodded. ‘So many people wanting to wish her well! I only hope she’s okay with a surprise party. She hasn’t been quite herself recently, although she keeps saying she’s perfectly fine and to stop fussing.’

‘I’m sure she’ll love it,’ I said with a smile, because what else could I say at this late stage? Sylvia was Primrose’s grandmother, and they’d found each other only a few years ago in an emotional reunion. I knew that Sylvia absolutely doted on little George, so it was good that he was here.

I smiled down at him. Dressed in a dinosaur T-shirt, he was holding Primrose’s hand and sucking a lollipop. ‘You’re being a very good boy,’ I told him. ‘Is that lollipop nice?’

He stared up at me for a moment, then he nodded, pulled away from his mum and darted off before she could stop him.

She groaned, keeping her eyes on him until he was rescued by his dad, Sam, who laughed and swung George up high so that he squealed with delight. Primrose shook her head, laughing. ‘So we’ve had the “terrible twos” and in a couple of weeks he’s going to be three. Jaz calls them the “three-nagers” and she says they’re even worse. I think George is just about there already!’

Looking over at the pair, she grimaced. ‘Oh, no, not chocolate. I warned Sam not to give him too much sweet stuff. He’ll be bouncing off the walls till midnight at this rate.’ She grinned at me. ‘Sorry, Laurel, I just need to go and spoil George’s fun.’

‘Go!’ Laughing, I shooed her away and she dashed off.

I looked around, wondering if Josh might be among the crowd. But next moment I dismissed this as very wishful thinking. Of course he wouldn’t be here. Unless Marcus knew Sylvia and had brought Josh along. But no, that was too much of a stretch. And anyway, it wasn’t as if Marcus and Josh were joined at the hip!

There was a group of people I didn’t recognise and I assumed they must be Sylvia’s sister and her family. Then I spotted Maddy, Katja, Fen and Jaz, standing with their partners in a group over by the window. Fen’s parents were currently babysitting their twins so that she and Rob, who was Mick’s son, could enjoy a night out together.

Maddy waved at me and I signalled that I’d get myself a drink and join them. Glancing at my watch, I realised I’d better hurry up. In ten minutes or so, Sylvia and Mick would be arriving.

*****

The lights were out, the blinds were drawn, just as if the café was closed. As we all waited in suspense in the semi-dark, I found I had an acute case of butterflies.

When the car engine cut out, several people were still whispering. One person giggled loudly and was quickly shushed. And then came the sound of car doors closing and Sylvia saying something to Mick. She sounded wary, although that might have been my imagination. I’d heard Mick mention to Ellie that he planned to reveal the surprise en route to the café, and she’d agreed it was a good idea. They’d both decided that the shock of everyone shouting ‘Surprise!’ might not be the most relaxing party introduction for a birthday girl of more mature years.

So Sylvia probably already knew what to expect.

Sure enough, when Ellie switched on the lights and everyone shouted, ‘Surprise!’ Sylvia just smiled and nodded. She didn’t exactly look overwhelmed at the reception that was waiting for her, and I found myself holding my breath in suspense.

It could have been awkward. But then Primrose rushed forward with George in her arms, and he shouted ‘Gang-ga!’ and reached out to her to give her a hi-five with his sticky little fingers. Everyone laughed and I saw a smile spread over Sylvia’s face as she buried her face in her great-grandson’s neck and blew a gentle raspberry which of course delighted George no end. He wriggled in his mum’s arms wanting to be down.

Sam came to the rescue, scooping George up, as Primrose linked Sylvia’s arm and guided her and Mick into the crowd waiting to welcome them. Ellie and Fen brought out glasses of champagne and passed hors d’oeuvres around on trays, and I was relieved to see Sylvia smiling and seeming to enjoy herself as she chatted to everyone. Perhaps Ellie had been right and it was just the thought of a party organised specially for them that made some people wary. Once they were there, they couldn’t help but enjoy seeing the folk they loved all gathered together in one place...

Tables had been set out in the function room for a formal dinner. But before we went through, Primrose clapped her hands and cleared her throat and made a little speech. She spoke about how she and Sylvia had found each other and how their bond seemed to grow stronger all the time, and how much she adored seeing the love little George had for his ‘Gang-ga’. Then she announced that they’d been practising something as a family, especially for Sylvia.

Sam brought George over to join her, and between them, they encouraged him to sing with them the ‘Happy Birthday’ song they’d been teaching him.

When he got to ‘Happy birthday, dear Gang-ga,’ there truly was hardly a dry eye in the house. I looked over at Sylvia and she was beaming with pride, her eyes full of tears, and I felt like I had a golf ball stuck in my throat!

The food was exceptional. Zak had hired a caterer and Sylvia’s favourite dishes – salmon en croute and Black Forest Gateau – were on the menu, along with steak pie and a filo pastry parcel filled with ricotta cheese, feta, dill and spinach as a vegetarian option.

Afterwards, everyone had their glasses charged and Mick stood up and made a toast.

He spoke about how being with Sylvia had made him so happy and that he couldn’t imagine his life without her now. And then, as if George’s singing hadn’t been enough to wreck me, he paused, cleared his throat and said, ‘Sylvia, there’s a question I need to ask you.’

There were a few gasps from the gathered crowd and my heart almost stopped.

Sylvia was staring at him, looking quite perplexed.

‘I know you’ve been a little down lately, thinking that life has revealed all its surprises to you and there’s nothing left but a descent into old age. But I’m here to tell you that nothing could be further from the truth. Age, as they say, is just a number, and you, my love, are the most wonderful number I’ve ever met!’ He raised his glass to her and there was a murmuring of ‘aahs’.

‘Convincing you that we’d be perfect together is the best thing I’ve ever done.’ He gave a sheepish smile. ‘And I’d get down on one knee for this – if I wasn’t genuinely afraid that I’d never be able to get up again!’

People chuckled in sympathy at this, and when I glanced at Sylvia, her eyes were wide with shock.

Mick cleared his throat. ‘As eighty-year-olds go, you’re an absolute belter. I think that’s what the young folks say these days.’ He smiled, his eyes looking suspiciously watery. ‘You’ve got years and years left – and I want to share every single one of them with you. We’ve got lots more memories to make before we’re finished, you and I! So...’ He cleared his throat again. ‘Sylvia, will you marry me?’

Everyone looked at Sylvia expectantly. She was opening and shutting her mouth like a goldfish, overcome with emotion at what was clearly a totally unexpected proposal.

‘For goodness’ sake, say something, woman!’ Mick laughed, although he sounded a little uncertain, and I prayed she’d say yes.

Sylvia nodded.

‘Is that a yes?’ asked Mick, sounding hopeful.

‘Yes.’ Her voice was croaky. ‘Of course it’s a yes, you silly man.’

She got up then and embraced him tightly, and everyone burst into cheers and applause, expressing their delight – including little George who escaped his dad’s clutches and ran up to hug his Gang-ga’s legs and get in on the act, much to everyone’s amusement.

Sylvia and Mick scooped him up and a tear slipped down my cheek, seeing them so happy together. Far from hating being eighty, Sylvia would surely remember this milestone birthday with joy now, thanks to Mick’s wonderful proposal...

Someone touched my arm and I turned, laughing and wiping away a tear.

It was Maddy. ‘There’s someone wanting to see you. She’s waiting outside.’ She looked a little wary. ‘She... wouldn’t come in.’

‘Who is it?’ I asked, although the plunging despair I was feeling inside told me I already knew.

‘Jackie?’ Maddy frowned. ‘Are you all right? You’ve gone absolutely chalk white.’

I nodded, feeling as if I was floating in a dream. Or rather a nightmare.

Why the hell would she come here, of all places? How did she know where I was? After I’d received her letter, I’d thought it must have been Auntie Viv who’d let it slip where I was working...

‘Thanks,’ I murmured to Maddy, and I walked quickly from the room.