Marilyn
She smiled at the text from Kay, “Oh I see you’re sneaky and devious Marilyn, we’ve all discussed it, and we’ll all come down be there for the tree trimming this afternoon. I’ve got plenty of food to feed us all.”
She chuckled softly to herself. “I won’t let them start the tree trimming, Kay, until you get here. Though Calvin is out braving the hoards right now, I wished him luck.”
as out shopping, even Mal laughed and stated Calvin “Now that was funny to me when Calvin mentioned he was out shopping, even Mal laughed and stated Calvin would likely come home grumpy.”
“Well, he can keep that to himself, you can pull him into line if he is,” she smiled to herself, “you might even get here before he does.”
“We’ll be leaving in an hour or so. I’m going to hug them boys all afternoon. Tell them I baked double chocolate and coconut brownies for Christmas, but they can have them today if they want.”
“Will do,” she smiled and looked at the boys they were playing happily out on the lawn. They’d wanted to go with Calvin, but she’d shaken her head, and not because she wanted to punish him. It was simply that the twins could be a real handful and Calvin alone with them in a throng like what was going to be out there today, he could well lose them and completely freak out.
She would be furious if that happened, and likely yell and scream, beat the hell out of him for him if he lost her boys. So, no, he couldn’t take them shopping. Another time when it wasn’t so busy, and no sales were on, she would likely just allow it, just warn him they could be a handful.
She saw Denise and Henry heading out, and they told her they wouldn’t be back until the new year. She just nodded and thanked them for not telling Calvin about them being here, and wished them a merry Christmas and happy New Year.
She took the time that Calvin was gone to move the food shopping she’d done from the guest house to the main house and put things away. The fridge in the main house was stocked, and she wondered if it was because Denise and Henry had known she and the boys were coming, so they had gone out of their way to fill it with all the things one’s fridge would normally hold. They’d have a credit card for that from Calvin, their last housekeeper had one, to purchase things needed for cleaning and maintaining the house.
She was just making lunch for herself and the boys when she heard voices coming from the front of the house. Both Callum and Vincent looked up at her, “Grandma and Grandpa.” They said, and she nodded. There were too many voices for it to be just Calvin.
“You may go.” She told them and watched them climb off the stools at the kitchen bench. She put the knife she was slicing a tomato with down, rinsed and dried her hands, and followed them out to the foyer of the house.
She saw both Kay and Malcom look at them, and smiled as Kay just knelt down and held her arms out. Come here and give your grandma a cuddle.” She told them.
Marilyn leaned on the wall and smiled as the boys did just that. They’d been talking to their grandparents as much as they did Calvin. She saw Kay tear up as she hugged them right into her as they called her ‘ Grandma‘. It was a nice sight to see, and warmed her heart.
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She watched Malcom ruffle both boys‘ hair and look at her, then he just sighed, About time you were foun
sweetheart.
She smiled at him but stayed put. None of them knew she had her memories back either. She couldn’t risk anyone telling Calvin, not when she had plans for that man. She watched as more people piled into the foyer their aunts and uncles, cousins and the boys stared up at them all. She’d not told them everyone was coming, just their grandparents.
Kay stood up and looked at her and then stepped past the boys and walked over to her and just pulled her into a big hug. “I have missed you. My son is an i***t. I know you don’t remember sweetheart, but I once warned you he was an arrogant man with an attitude of, I’ll do whatever I please, when I please, how I want. She leaned back and looked at her. “It is good to know you’re alive, and doing so very well for yourself too.”
She nodded, “That I am.”
“Do you recall anything?” Kay asked her.
“Mm, somethings, this house I recall, and I know where everything is,” she answered. “I was just making lunch for the boys, have you all eaten?” she asked.
“We’ll unpack and then come and help make lunch,” Kay told her, and she was greeted by all of his family, even his niece and nephew. They all even managed to call her Marilyn. Veronica looked her over and shook her head. “He’s a damned fool, and if I were you, I’d smack him up the back side of his head damned hard, every day for the next eight years.”
She’d chuckled softly and shook her head, “I don’t need that temper of his directed at me ever again. So no, thank you. But it’s a nice thought. Maybe I’ll imagine it every day.”
“I’ll do it.” Veronica laughed. “Won’t even tell him why.” She’d stated and headed upstairs to put her things in her room. The house was going to be completely full, she realised, thankfully she and the boys hadn’t claimed a bedroom inside the house or more than one of them would have to stay in the guest house.
They were all in the kitchen talking and eating when Calvin walked in and looked at everyone. “I see you have all decided to come today.” he kind of frowned.
“Marilyn and the twins are here for the first time, so we are all here. Christmas, son, is for family, and we are Marilyn and the boy’s family. Even if she doesn’t recall us,” his mother told him. “I won’t be denied getting to know the boys or Marilyn once more.”
He kind of sighed but said nothing on the subject, just asked if anyone wanted to come and help him unload the car. The twins were up and telling him they would. Marilyn held out half a sandwich to him, and he smiled at her and took it. “Thank you.”
“I’m making them for everyone.” She shrugged and turned back to talking to his mother and sisters. She was still making them theirs. There were a lot of mouths to feed, and though Kay was standing right next to her helping she’d refused to let Kay make everyone’s lunch by herself. She knew how to make food.
Both her boys and Malcom helped Calvin bring in what he’d bought, and it was placed in the formal living area. His mother frowned at the fake tree and shook her head. “Now son, we always have a real tree.”
“You try and get one on Christmas Eve, and I wouldn’t even know where to get one,” he stated. “This will make do for this year.”
She sat on the arm of the lounge and watched as Calvin and Malcom put up that tree and Kay huffed and
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CH 128
shook her head, looked at Marilyn and muttered where’s the lovely smell of pine to go with the occasion.
She just chuckled. “I don’t have a real tree at my place. But then If the boys want to decorate a real tree, we live on six acres in the middle of the woods, they can just go and pick one,” she smiled.
“Mum, mum, the new house has so many trees.” Vincent ran over to her and smiled up at her. “We can have a white Christmas next year at the new house.”
“We likely could.” She nodded. “It’ll be very pretty with that view of the lake, all the snow and surrounded by pine trees.”
“What does that house look like?” Kay asked her.
“It’s bigger than this house,” she stated, with a half smile to herself. “It has nine bedrooms and three guest suites. Do you want to see pictures?” She asked, ignoring the look she could feel coming from Calvin himself. He’d not seen pictures of it, she’d told him nothing about that house. At Kay’s nod, she pulled out her phone and showed her them, including the view.
“Now that is a nice house and the view, sweetheart. It would fit us all in for Christmas next year.”
She’d not really thought about that, but yes, she supposed it would. She now wondered, as she did the math, if her own subconscious mind had seen her buy a house that was tailored to having all of Calvin’s family at the house? “I know, it will make for good writing,” she smiled. “I’ve already started buying furniture for it, and I was recommended a nice couple to live–in and maintain the house and grounds. When I’m not there, they will move in after the new year. Cameron cleared them as all good.”
“Who is Cameron?” Kay frowned right at her now.
“Oh, he’s my security detail, to keep…” her eyes moved to Calvin, and she saw a deep frown mar his face, but he didn’t look at her. He didn’t know if she still had them. They had been at the new house setting up the security system until just yesterday, sorting out a full security room as well. She’d still wanted that; it would be finished and ready to go by mid–January.
“Do you really think you need that?” Kay sighed a little on the heavy side.
“Hmm, better to be safe than sorry.” She nodded. “Regardless of who I once was, I’m not her anymore and so… “she shrugged. “one can’t predict what will happen.”
Calvin looked at her a few times over the next hour, and then he stated “Marilyn, wouldn’t you like to help trim the tree with the boys?”
“I already did ours, this is for you and them.” She told him simply “Enjoy,” She knew he was trying to get her to a part of the family or maybe go over there and stand there next to him, but she wasn’t going to just give him what he wanted. Regardless of knowing, he was trying to make her feel as though she was part of his family
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Calvin
The hoards were a nightmare for him, but he persevered and got a tree, and decorations had googled the nearest Christmas store. He wasn’t so much as worried about gifts, just decorations, though telling his mother and father Marilyn and the boys were here and out at Cliffside, she’d told him flatly they’d all make their way to Cliffside for Christmas then.
He’d picked up the tone she was using and knew it meant there would be no arguing with her about it. They could come for Christmas. All he wanted was a day with Marilyn and the boys, Bonding with the boys was easy, they wanted their dad around. What he wanted was to spend some quality time with them and Marilyn, and trimming a tree. Just the four of them together would show her he could be a family man.
Though pulling in the driveway and seeing three cars parked there, he’d huffed, they’d said for Christmas yet here they all were, and out the window went his plans to try and build some sort of bond with Marilyn, and have them be able to at least sit and talk easily before she was made to interact with his entire family.
Yet when he walked inside, she was standing right next to his mother in the kitchen, and they were making lunch for everyone. He liked seeing that, her with all of them and a part of him knew it would be good for her, might even bring some memories back to her of other Christmases she’d spent with them. She’d always been one to get in and help his mother.
some excuse, of wanting to spend time with her. He was nearly ready to pull his own hair out at one point.
It was almost as if his family were running defence around her, so he couldn’t get near her. Then those fou women were just strolling off up to the clifftop, and he sighed to himself and heard his father chuckle No” son, she did express to us that she wasn’t here to interact with you. But solely here to have the boys spend
time with you.”
“I want to be able to spend time with her though, as well as the boys.” He stated, he was very unhappy about
all the interference he was getting from his own mother and sisters. “So, they’re doing it on purpose, in other
“Hmm,” his father had looked at the four of them walking off up the hill. “It is likely Calvin. You did divorce the

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