Merry Christmas, Mum
Cassie’s sons had a chequered past when it came to gift-giving – surely this year was going to be different…
When Cassie’s four boys were little she had cherished every grubby, handmade offering they had given her for Christmas. But now they were adults she couldn’t help hoping for something better.
“Have you tried telling them what you want?” asked husband Joe when she voiced her concerns in the run up to Christmas.
Of course she had tried that!
In the past, the dropped hints for a pretty umbrella had produced a huge unwieldy golf umbrella bearing the logo of the garage at the end of the road.
Slippers? That subtle suggestion had resulted in a giant pair of monkey feet, also from the garage. The request for a scented candle had resulted in a novelty candle shaped like a pint of beer smelling suspiciously of petrol.
“The problem is, not only do they have no taste of their own, they do all their shopping on Christmas Eve when only the garage is open,” she grumbled. “Despite my constant reminders.”
“You got that hat from Nick, last year,” said Joe. “You love that hat.”
She did. It was a gorgeous hat, warm and cosy and made of the softest wool.
“I’m pretty sure Lucy bought it.”
Lucy was her daughter-in-law. Cassie’s gifts from her eldest son had improved no end after he got married.
Actually, that got her thinking. Her gift from her second eldest, Josh, had been pretty good last year, too. At the time she’d had her suspicions that it had actually been bought by his long term girlfriend, Kaylee.
That was it! Cassie’s boys were rubbish at gifts. But having a woman in their lives made a huge difference. Nick and Josh were happily settled. But Zach and Ryan maybe needed a little help…
A week later Zach returned from an errand, annoyed. “So I went to the garden centre, Mum, just as you asked.”
“Thanks love.”
“They’d never heard of aspedonias.”
“Oh? Are you sure,” said Cassie. “Did you speak to Hailey?”
“I did. She remembered talking to you. In fact she remembered that you were less interested in plants and more concerned to know if she was single.”
The garden centre had some gorgeous gifts. Cassie had her eye on some dog-walking welly boots.
“No aspedonias?” She tried to look disappointed. “So what did you do?”
“Actually we talked for ages and I asked her out,” Zach grinned.
Excellent, thought Cassie. Just one more son to sort out.
“Ryan?” she called. “Can you take the dog out?”
“Why me?”
“How about because he’s your dog?”
“OK, OK,” he grumbled.
“To the park,” Cassie said when he appeared. “At six every night.”
“Seriously?”
“He needs a routine.”
And with a bit of luck Ryan and his pooch would bump into that nice cocker spaniel, who just happened to belong to the girl who owned the handmade candle stall at the market. Such lovely candles they were, too.
Cassie was thoroughly pleased with herself until happily-settled Josh came home, moping.
“What’s wrong, love?” she asked.
“It’s Kaylee. We had a row.”
“No!” She moderated her tone. “What I mean is, what a shame. This close to Christmas. All those parties you’ll miss…”
He shrugged. “I hate parties.”
Drat; he was right. Wrong son. Quickly she changed tactics.
“But Kaylee loves parties. Now she’ll have to find someone else to take her.”
Josh looked alarmed.
“You don’t think she’d do that, do you?” He rushed from the room, phone in hand.
Phew! Disaster averted! With all her boys settled in relationships, Cassie was super-excited on Christmas morning.
But when she opened her gift from Josh – a set of car mats from the garage – she struggled to hide her disappointment.
“Thanks… these will come in useful.”
Zach had bought her an advent calendar filled with air fresheners for the car. From the garage.
“My old banger will smell like new,” she said stoically.
Ryan had bought a car boot organiser.
“It’ll come in handy for the shopping,” she said, putting on a brave face.
And Nick, the eldest, with the wife who bought the nicest gifts, gave her a pair of furry dice. She’d seen them reduced in the garage.
“What do you think, Mum?” they asked. “Have we excelled ourselves?”
Cassie arranged her face into a delighted smile.
“Yes,” she said. “Yes you have. As always. Thanks boys.”
“Enough, you lot,” said their father.
“Put the poor woman out of her misery.”
Laughing, all four sons led her to the door. Parked in the driveway was a little red car with a yellow ribbon on the bonnet. Nick handed her a set of keys.
“From all of us, Mum. To make up for all the years of rubbish presents. Actually, we got it from the garage at the end of the road…”
