A Friend for Christmas by Gloria Stewart

Author:Gloria Stewart
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780241354629
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2018-09-16T16:00:00+00:00

30. Getting Engaged

If Mum was angry with Mike, she never once said. Every time he arrived at the house she was the epitome of good manners, never once letting him leave without a cup of tea and a slice of cake or a sandwich at the very least. Even Kim and Sooty now greeted Mike with a wag of their tails, lifting their heads for a pat as he walked through the door, and if they were lucky, received a tickle under their chins in return.

A couple of months after Mike had successfully fought my corner and won, we were driving home from a club and he didn’t seem his normal chirpy self. Instead of chatting away like he usually did, Mike barely said a word and was staring straight ahead as though his life depended on it.

‘Is everything OK?’ I asked, starting to feel anxious as my age-old paranoia crept in. Although we’d had a lovely night watching a turn, Mike had been distracted – as though something was on his mind. ‘Do you want to talk about something?’ I asked, though I was quite unsure I wanted to hear the answer.

Quickly glancing across to me, Mike took a deep breath. Now I really was worried. What on earth did he want to say? Was this it? Had Mike finally realized I wasn’t quite what his family had hoped for him? Had another wealthier girl caught his eye?

I didn’t have to wait long. ‘Would you like to get engaged and for us to get married?’ he said, his voice as shaky as I’d ever heard it.

It was my turn to be speechless. It was the last thing I had been expecting. As much as we had told one another numerous times that we loved each other, Mike had well and truly taken me by surprise.

‘Yes,’ I wanted to shout. I couldn’t think of anything better. Mike had been more than my knight in shining armour; he had become my best friend. Despite wanting to jump up and down with glee, I knew, even though I was nineteen, that it would be more than my life was worth if I agreed before seeking my parents’ permission.

‘I’ll have to ask my mum and dad,’ I said, slightly embarrassed and, if I’m honest, more than a little annoyed that even as an adult I still felt terrified of making a decision for myself.

‘I’ll ask them,’ Mike said, throwing me one of his cheeky winks. There he was again, doing what he did best – looking after me. I couldn’t hide the grin that had permanently etched itself across my face.

As we pulled up outside the house the initial thrill that fizzed inside me was suddenly diluted with a huge serving of nerves. What if Mum wouldn’t allow it? After all, she didn’t like me making decisions for myself. What if she secretly had someone else lined up?

As Mike opened the door for me he gently squeezed my hand and pecked my cheek. It was just the calming tonic I needed.

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