Ruth's First Christmas Tree: A Ruth Galloway Short Story

guest of honour. She is so deep in thought that she hardly notices Cathbad and Kate placing the star on top of the tree.
    ‘Shut your eyes,’ orders Cathbad.
    She does so and, when she opens them, the room is in darkness apart from the little golden tree, a glittering offering to the Christian and pagan gods, spreading its laden branches in benediction.
    ‘It’s beautiful,’ she says.
    *
    Ruth offers to make a cup of tea but Cathbad says that he has brought some wine.
    ‘We could have mulled wine. It’s traditional, after all.’
    Ruth and Cathbad go into the kitchen. Cathbad has even brought his own spices, which is a relief as Ruth’s spice rack contains only some ancient curry powder and half a jar of dried basil. She feels quite triumphant, though, that she’s able to brandish the luxury mince pies.
    ‘Great,’ says Cathbad. ‘Let’s heat them up.’
    It is so cosy in the little kitchen with the wine simmering on the hob and the snow outside that Ruth forgets to check on Kate. The result of this negligence is that when Ruth and Cathbad go back into the sitting room, bearing the wine and mince pies, the Christmas tree is lying on the floor surrounded by broken baubles and Kate and Flint are sitting in the middle of the chaos wearing tinsel crowns and identical expressions of satisfaction.
    23 December
    In the morning the snow has gone but the wind is still howling around the house, blowing the letter box inwards and sending Flint flying through his cat flap in a ball of outraged fluff. In the bleak midwinter, thinks Ruth, frosty winds made moan. What a dismal carol that is. She is planning a day of domestic goddessery. She doesn’t have to go into work and she wants to have the house all ready for Max’s arrival tomorrow. She doesn’t know exactly when he is coming, Max just said ‘Christmas Eve morning’, but she doesn’t want to get caught unprepared. Also she doesn’t think she’ll feel like housework tomorrow, after a late night at Shona and Phil’s party. No, Max must find a house smelling of pine needles and clean linen, with logs on the fire and gifts on the tree. Damn, now she’s got that Cliff Richard song on her brain. Anyway, gifts on the tree are out of the question now. Even so, some degree of Christmas spirit is still achievable. She decides to make a list.
    Over breakfast, spooning porridge into Kate and trying to keep Flint off the table, she writes:
    Make beds
Tidy sitting room
Wrap Christmas presents
Make gingerbread men
Ring Mum and Dad
    She hasn’t got any wrapping paper so the presents will have to wait. The sitting room is still covered in pine needles. She decides to make the beds.
    It’s quite a jolly morning. There is Christmas music on the radio and Ruth sings along whilst struggling with sheets and duvet covers. Kate helps delightedly, rolling on the discarded bedding. Flint waits until the pristine new sheets are in place before jumping on the bed and starting a thorough all-over clean. Ruth chases him away. Looking at the bed in all its cream and white glory reminds her that tomorrow she’ll be sleeping there with Max. It still feels rather wicked to be having sex in a house that also contains Kate and Flint. She has now officially moved Kate’s cot to the spare bedroom but she knows that it’s only a matter of time before Kate joins Ruth and Max in the double. How will Ruth feel about that? Kate sleeping between her mother and her mother’s boyfriend. It all feels rather decadent and uncomfortable. She wonders what Nelson would think and quickly brushes the thought aside. Nelson has no right to think anything. He is free to roll around with Michelle on their matrimonial king-size. Don’t think about that.
    She makes the spare-room bed as well, in case she ends up sleeping there with Kate.
    Downstairs she makes coffee and listens to the Christmas serial on Radio 4. It’s an updating of
A Christmas Carol
about a female city banker called Mrs Scrooge. Tiny Tim is an asylum seeker called Tiny Tonderai. Ruth is ashamed to find tears in her eyes when Mrs Scrooge buys a vegetarian Christmas banquet for Tonderai’s family. She must remember to get the turkey out of the freezer in time.
    The postman brings more cards and an Amazon parcel from Simon, Ruth’s brother. Ruth peeps inside and sees the latest Val McDermid. Three cheers for Simon. The postman hovers and shuffles on the doorstep until Ruth remembers his Christmas tip. She hastily shoves a fiver in an