Despite the bitter cold, the cemetery was busier than usual. Christmas was just around the corner and many of the graves had been adorned with candles, wreaths, and festive red ribbons.
Danny paused beside Liz’s headstone and gently wiped the frost from her name.
“There you are,” he said. “Hello, beautiful.”
Will shuffled up behind him.
“She would have loved all this, wouldn’t she?” said Danny as he looked around at the snow. Will nodded but said nothing.
They both stood in silence beneath the dull white sky and stared at the untouched snow that lay across her grave like a blanket.
“You want to say something to your mum?” said Danny. “Wish her Merry Christmas or something?”
Will thought about this for a moment.
“Dad’s a stripper,” he said. An old lady tending to a nearby grave looked up and scowled at Danny.
“Dad is not a stripper,” he said, loud enough for their neighbor to hear.
“He is,” whispered Will to his mum.
“Don’t listen to him, Liz,” said Danny. “And don’t encourage him either. I know what you’re like. I’m not a stripper. I’m a stage performer.”
“A stage performer who takes his clothes off.”
“A stage performer who makes enough money for us to live in that nice new flat with that nice new bedroom of yours.”
“You’d really like it, Mum,” said Will. “It’s got loads of space to practice.”
“We’ve been working on a new panda routine for the park. Will’s been dancing with me on the weekends.”
“I have a proper costume now.”
“You should see him, Liz, the crowds love him. Especially the girls.”
“Whatever,” said Will, his cold cheeks turning another shade redder. “Can we show Mum the new routine?”
“What, here?” said Danny, looking around. Will nodded excitedly. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Because dancing in a graveyard is just… it’s not an okay thing to do.”
“Mum wouldn’t mind.”
“Yeah, well, other people might,” said Danny, glancing over at the old lady, who was still eyeing him suspiciously. “Save it for Gran and Granddad.”
“They’re coming to visit next week,” said Will, filling Liz in on the news.
“Your dad called me out of the blue and asked if we could do Christmas together,” said Danny. “I know, I couldn’t believe it either.”
“They talked for ages. They apologized and everything.”
“He apologized. And we didn’t talk for ages. We talked for a few minutes.”
“You still talked, though.”
“Yeah,” said Danny. He smiled. “We talked. Speaking of which, tell your mum what Mr. Coleman said about you at parents’ evening last week?”
“He said that I’m the nicest, most polite, and most respectful student he’s ever had.”
“Not that bit. The other bit.”
“He said I talk too much in class.”
“You hear that, Liz? He talks too much in class! How great is that?”
“I don’t think he meant it as a compliment,” said Will as Danny proudly ruffled his hair.
“He’s also made a new friend, haven’t you, mate? What’s his name? Matt?”
“Mark Robson,” said Will. “He’s the toughest kid in school.”
“Will promised to introduce him to Krystal, so now Mark protects him with his life.”
“And Mo. A kid made a joke about his hearing aids the other day, so Mark wedgied him so badly that he had to go to the nurse’s office.”
“When are we supposed to be meeting Mo anyway?” said Danny, checking the time.
“One o’clock at the ice rink. Krystal’s already there.”
“Then we better get our skates on,” said Danny. Will stared at him blankly. “Get it? Skates on? It was a joke.” Danny grinned.
Will shook his head. “See what I have to put up with, Mum?”
“Come on, let’s make a move.” Danny touched his lips and placed his hand on the headstone. “Merry Christmas, Liz. Love you.”
He plucked the withered flowers from the grave and went to put them in the bin, his shoulders instantly dropping the moment his back was turned. Will watched him walk away and listened to the lonely crunch of snow that followed Danny down the path.
“Don’t worry, Mum,” he said. “I’ll look after him.”
END