Christmas at the Edge of the World

“Exactly.”

“I don’t understand…”

“Never mind.” Her sister snapped the words out. “It doesn’t matter. Zac and I are leaving the day after tomorrow.”

And did that mean she was? Laurel struggled with how to talk to her sister in this mood—so closed-off, almost angry, definitely distant. Basically, the same as she’d been for the last twenty-five years. “Do you…” She hesitated. “Do you want me to come with you?”

Abby glanced at her sharply. “To London?”

“Er… yes? All I meant was, I can if you want me to.” Why did she feel like she needed to apologise for offering? Was it out of place?

Abby looked away. “I… I don’t know.”

“I’m happy to help, Abby,” Laurel said hesitantly. “Whatever you need… I know how you were always there, for me.”

Abby’s face contorted and she bit her lip. “Was I?” she asked, and Laurel didn’t know how to answer. In any case, she didn’t get a chance, because Abby drew herself up, assembling her chilly composure like the armour Laurel now suspected it was. “Anyway. I’m sure we’ll be fine. I don’t want to inconvenience you any more than I have…”

Abby stopped suddenly, her face crumpling, so Laurel nearly went over and put her arms around her, even though she couldn’t remember the last time she’d hugged her sister. Certainly not since she’d been a child.

“Abby…”

“Oh Laurel, everything is such a mess.” Abby put her hands up to her face, drawing in several gulping sort of breaths. “I’ve made such an utter mess of my life.”

“Let me help,” Laurel said quietly. “Please.”

Abby took another gulping breath. “Okay. Yes. If you could come with us, even if just for a few days, that would might be… that would be great. Thank you.”

“Okay.” And as happy as she was that her sister was accepting her help, Laurel couldn’t keep from feeling a sweep of loss. She would be leaving Orkney the day after tomorrow. Leaving Archie. And where did that leave them?

Abby went up to bed a few minutes later, and Laurel drifted around the downstairs, tidying the kitchen and putting presents away. She thought about checking on Zac, but it no longer felt like her prerogative, and in any case his bedroom door remained firmly closed all evening.

In the end she went up to her bedroom, feeling both disconsolate and hopeful. She was glad Abby was back in her life, but at what cost.

Except maybe she was imagining that. Archie had left so quickly… maybe all they’d shared was a kiss and nothing more.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, the night dark and moonless outside—all the snow had melted, just as Zac had said it would—Laurel held the precious snow globe in her hand and gave it a little shake. Inside the globe, the glittering snow flew everywhere, obliterating the cosy village scene, and as it settled once more Laurel was left with the terrible feeling that this was all she had left of her beloved island.

Chapter Fourteen

“I’m not going.”

Laurel paused on the stairs at the sound of Zac’s strident voice.

“Zac.” Abby sounded both tearful and exasperated. “We need to get back to London. To normality.”

“I like it here.”

“Which boggles my mind, but still. This isn’t real, Zac.”

Laurel bit her lip, wondering if she needed that reminder, as well. Over the last week it had felt incredibly real. Incredibly wonderful.

“Aunt Laurel and I were going to stay until New Year’s,” Zac insisted. “And there’s no point going back now. The whole world is, like, closed. Why can’t we stay, Mum?”

Laurel heard the slight wobble in Zac’s voice, his carefully cultivated attitude of bored indifference blown away. Abby must have heard it too, because she sighed.

“Do you really like it here? This cottage is so—”

“I like it,” Zac said firmly. Laurel smiled. “And I’m meant to be working at Archie’s—”