A very Mary Sheikhy Christmas - novella - completed

Chapter Two

"Okay, we can cook together." There was joy in her voice. No matter how disastrous this turns out, he was going to do this as long as he didn't poison her. Everyday living. 

Pouring out another cup of coffee, he departed the kitchen and letting her do her thing. He headed back to his bedroom and searched out his phone, hoping to find a signal with no luck at all. Thoughtfully he sank down on the bed, sipping from his Santa cup, soft themed music drifted up, looking around the room. He stood and stared at the bed. It had been on the rather small size.

Crossing over he opened wardrobes and found no clothes, yet there was a football, and skateboard leaning against the inner wall. He closed the door looking around the room. There were no decorations in here. He reached up and ran a finger along the top and came back clean. There no cobwebs or dust, looking like it had just been cleaned.

It wasn't like this would be a full time home, if her family was joining her. So she came up here by herself, spring clean and decorate and cook. Perhaps she liked being by herself, losing herself in all this Christmas cheer. Her time was certainly taken up, and surely all those treats weren't just for the family, unless it was a very large family.

Curiosity piqued, he checked out the other rooms on the floor. There was a shower downstairs. Upstairs was a bathroom consisting of a bath, no shower. Maybe the shower had been added later. There were only two more bedrooms, one with a double bed and the third with two single beds, yet softer. A girls' room.

He opened the wardrobe to find no clothes, but on the bottom was a shoe box that he removed and opened finding snap shots of a family. Her parents and two siblings, if he wasn't mistaken. There she was in all her Christmas gear, not so her family. Maybe she had been shipped up here so they could live in peace. He ran a finger over it. It wasn't a new photo, a few years had passed going by a younger looking Mary. However, still had the same, enchanting smile.

Placing the lid back on the box, he shoved it back onto the bottom of the wardrobe. He was about to close the door, when he realised there were no clothes. Why not, if this was her room that she shared it with her sister. Where were her clothes? Unless she used her parents' room when alone, because it was bigger and there was so much more room.

Going back to his room, he rubbed at the window to see if there was any snow falling. It didn't seem to be, and he needed to get some fresh air into his lungs. He was used to wide open spaces. Leaving his room with phone in hand, he headed downstairs and towards the front door, just as Mary entered, wiping her hands on the apron. "You look like a man on a mission."

"I am, outside."

"Then I better come with you," she suggested, rushing off before he could argue, while he pulled on a heavy coat that had been hanging on a coat rack, mobile phone in his hand and began heading for the door. Only to stop, noticing his most unsuitable shoes. Spotting a door near the front door, he opened to find what he wanted. Wellingtons. He dived in removing the biggest pair, probably her father's to kick off his other shoes and pulled on the super large sized boots feeling like a clumsy clown to remove and tired the next one down of white snow flakes covered red ones to pull on. He had no choice. A bit tight though better.

Hearing a patter of feet, he turned, closing the door to wait for a comment. Only to have her stop dead. "Oh," formed on her lips, having a faraway look that was instantly gone, tugging up the hood of her coat with fur trimmed edging all in red that went nicely with her velvet green dress. Far too short, noticing the reindeer leggings back on. On anyone else it would look ridiculous, but on Mary it was endearing and suited her, with soft gentle waves of red cascading hair down the front that escaped her hooded jacket. "Let's get this on the road. Pies are-a-cooling," she cooed in a sing-a-long voice.