Written as part of a Christmas Instagram challenge for the twelve days of Christmas, this very HSA Christmas is a unique series set in no particular time within the series; written simply for some festive cheer.
Erika wiped the mist from the window. Peering out, her breath quickly fogging the glass once again, she viewed the white washed world beyond.
“This is gonna take for fucking ever,” Dominic grumbled from the driver’s seat beside her.
“We’ll get there when we get there,” Erika hummed.
The roads were clogged with holiday traffic; a sea of exhaust fumes and humming metal idling on the icy ground of the M25. The red glow of brake lights were blinding but somewhat festive. Or so Erika thought as she turned up the radio playing Driving Home for Christmas by Chris Rea. It seemed appropriate given their circumstance; sat in a ten mile traffic jam just outside of London on their way to Devon. They’d left in plenty of time, Dominic collecting her at noon. But it had been a mistake to not leave earlier. One her best friend seemed to be regretting as he sat tapping his hand impatiently on his steering wheel.
“Can you turn it to the news, please? I need to know how much longer this is gonna last,” Dominic said, fiddling with the radio stations, shivering as he did. The heater hadn’t worked in his aunt’s estate car the entire time he’d part owned it.
Erika ignored his request and hunkered down in her coat, scarf and gloves, searching for her cigarettes in her satchel at her feet.
“Don’t open the window, you’ll let the heat out,” Dominic muttered.
“Heat? What heat, Dom? It’s like a fucking freezer in here,” she shivered, knees knocking together as she tried to make her numb fingers roll a cigarette. “You could have at least got it fixed before winter.”
“Got some money laying around spare, have you?” Dominic asked, shooting her a sardonic look which she ignored. Dominic Johnson was not a Christmas person and the prospective the long drive to come after this traffic jam was unappealing. She would drive if he’d let her but he’d been adamant.
Not in this weather, you’ll kill us.
He was overreacting, of course. She’d been driving longer than him and a little bit of snow had never slowed her down.
Turning her gaze out the window again, Erika smiled wistfully at the leaveless trees weighed down by snow; the embankments a frozen tundra and the sky above a heavy sheet of grey. It had been years since she’d seen a White Christmas, if ever. This was England. Most Christmas seasons were cloudless, crisp and cold; just how most preferred it. But this year, they’d been blessed – or cursed, depending on how you looked at it – with snow. Lots and lots of snow. And if there was one type of weather the English couldn’t handle, it was snow.
“What are you smiling at?” Dominic asked, an irritated tone to his voice.
Erika turned to look at him then, the two shivering in the front seats of that car older than them both combined, a cigarette bobbing between her fingers and the tip of his upturned nose bright red from the cold. It was a moment she would never forget.
One she would never want to either.
“I’m just thinking about Christmas Day,” Erika said, puffing on her cigarette and jiggling up and down in her seat to stay warm.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yep. Us all pretending Father Christmas has visited for Bender,” she giggled, glancing to Dominic and noticing the flicker of a smile on his lips. “Emily making her chocolate covered biscuits.” Dominic moaned with delight. “Sam and Anna squabbling over who gets to cut the turkey. Will eating all the ham.”
“Jasper and Susannah pussy-footing around each other when they exchange gifts,” Dominic grinned.
“Tom taking a thousand photos!”
“Elivia asking if her present comes with a receipt.”
“Sticks getting drunk and falling asleep in the armchair.”
“Ahhh,” Dominic sighed contently, knocking the gearstick into neutral and sitting back in his seat. She passed him the cigarette. He took it gladly.
“Worth the drive?” Erika asked hopefully.
Dominic nodded slowly, smiling softly across at her. And as Boney M sang of Jesus Christ and the traffic continued to sit at a standstill, the two best friends looked forward to their journey’s end. No matter how long it took, it would be worth it.
They were going home for Christmas. Home – where they belonged.
A very HSA Christmas Copyright © 2020 Jodie May Mullen