“But … how. What… Who?” OK, maybe not back to fully speaking. “And in case you hadn’t worked it out from all the messages. Can I just say, one more time, I’m sorry.”
“You can.” Ru smiled. “But you don’t have to. What matters is that you know who I really am, and not who you think I might be?” He paused. “And that Maeve and I are just…” He laughed. “Maeve and I.”
I nodded. Who he was, was someone who had guarded his privacy his whole life. Tried to protect mine. And dressed up as an elf and given me a kiss in public.
Here he was, willing to look a fool in front of all these people, knowing what the papers would say, giving me a kiss, ending all the Maeve rumours even though he normally kept his private life private, all for me.
“And it matters that you know who I am too,” I said. Because he hadn’t been the only one hiding things.
He nodded. “Mol, my whole life, things hardly ever felt real. Not until I met you. So, if dressing up as an elf is the way to somehow make you take that seriously,” he laughed, “then so be it.”
Well, that was the nicest thing he could have said. I needed to say something just as articulate back. Maybe tell him how much I liked him?
But right now words weren’t my strong point.
“But you’re here. In Bromster. How did you even know? ”
Joseph looked to Elijah a few metres away, clutching a clipboard.
Elijah smiled. Guess I’m a romantic after all.” He raised an eyebrow. “And don’t look so shocked. I can do nice surprises too. Hashtag sleigh. Hashtag star-crossed lovers. Hashtag think I’ll leave you to it.” He stopped. “And yes, this time, no photos. My lips are sealed.”
But Ru and I were overdue a chat, so I took him to my and Grace’s favourite bench. As I led the way Ru took my hand – it felt amazing. But as we pushed through the crowd I bumped straight into two people who were full on dancing, limbs everywhere. Matt and Zaiynab.
“Mol! That was INCREDIBLE!” Zaiynab hugged me.
“Thanks,” I said, awkwardly.
“And before you mention it, can we just say sorry for the radio silence about the band?”
Ru squeezed my hand, the penny dropping. “Hold up. Are you guys The POWR?”
Matt nodded, hardly able to speak. “POWR. Yes.”
Zaiynab rolled her eyes. “Ignore him. He’s kind of a big fan. But seriously, Mol, we wanted to explain. We went quiet because we were working out what to do; if we needed more people. Not cool, I know. We should have just got in touch.”
Yeah, she should have. But I shrugged. “It’s OK.”
We’d all made mistakes recently.
“But now we just saw we what we saw, we wanted to ask. How would you fancy producing and … playing bass for us?”
What?! “If you’ll still have us, that is? We can still all write the material together like we talked about?”
But that would mean being onstage? Not behind the scenes.
“But what if everyone thinks I’m … I dunno … awful. Bad at guitar. Write cheesy songs.”
But Ru leant over and softly said, “And what if they don’t?”
And he was right. I’d spent too long hiding.
“You know what? Forget that, I’m in!” And just like that, I was officially the final part of The POWR. And what was lovely is that Zaiynab and Matt looked even happier than me.
What a day! But I still needed somewhere private to speak to Ru. We headed to the bench and, trying to ignore the giant bunch of mistletoe above our heads, sat down.
“So, you’re not mad at me then?” I paused. “Or in Paris or Lapland, for that matter?”
Ru grinned. Was it wrong to find a green elf sexy?
“Yeah, I’m neither of those things. Lapland flights have been pushed back, and who needs a capital of culture when you have … Bromster, right?”
I nodded, trying to look as serious. “That’s what they say.”
“Although…” He looked at his watch. “My train back to London is in about hour, so it’s going to be tight to squeeze in a tour?”
He’d done all of this to come and support me for a couple of hours?
“Stay,” I said, before I could think of all the reasons not to. “If you want to. Mum and Dad won’t mind and we’ve got air mattresses we can blow up in the lounge. Maeve too.” Was I really inviting Hollywood royalty to stay on my floor? To potentially wake up and get licked in the face by Sosig, or worse, see my dad in Lycra on his morning run? To be thrown totally into my bonkers family and even more bonkers house? Yes, I was. “Then you can stay for the party, properly meet everyone, and, y’know…”
“Hang out with you some more?” Ru smiled. OK, I officially fancied an elf. “I’d really like that.”
I laughed. “Careful what you wish for. There’s a Christmas pudding costume with your name on it. Mum’ll have you in it in no time.”
But even despite that, he stayed. And partied, posing for selfies with fans, not taking off his ridiculous costume, or the green paint, and he and Maeve even got back onstage to do the auction. In total, with all the online bids, we ended up raising over eight thousand pounds for Holly Hospice, much to the delight of everyone, including the local paper, who turned up to take photos. I don’t think they were expecting to see Joseph and Maeve posing with some of the winners, but they probably didn’t expect there to be a prize that was “Banjo lesson with the turkey” either.
It was awesome. The whole evening, Mr W was grinning from ear to ear or hugging someone he recognized from the crowd, and by the time the evening ended he was head to toe in Christmas accessories. And Grace and Harry hung out the whole evening – dancing, and drumming up bids. Grace even went onstage to say a few words about Grampy G … which was amazing. And got even more amazing when, after disappearing for a bit, she came back onstage in a pair of my leggings and baggy Christmas jumper and, with the lights dipped low, a spotlight on her, did the Nutcracker dance she’d wanted to do for Grampy G last year. I wasn’t sure who cried more. Her dad or mine.
Maybe me and Harry too. I was so glad I’d managed to tell Grace how he’d risked getting in so much trouble to help me get the fundraiser on the official accounts. Not that he’d mentioned any of it to her. He was the opposite of Simon, who, with no one chatting to him, had sloped off as soon as the party started.
