A Gift from The Bard

"Hello Pickle," she says sadly, patting his head.

"I'm Suzie, by the way," I tell her as I sweep snow from the seat beside her. She is still wary but takes a sip of the chocolate. She remains silent and then takes another sip.

"Do I know your friend?" she asks at last.

"Um, probably not, but she seems to know a lot of people. Her name's Kris and she evidently makes it her business help people at this time of year. She helped me a couple of years ago."

"What did she do?" Now it's my turn to hesitate, wondering what to say and just how candid I should be.

"It was after I'd fallen out with my best friend, Emmy," I tell her. "Emmy and I had been friends for years. Eventually, one summer afternoon, we kissed; the kisses weren't, like, really sexual, with tongues and everything, but they were on the mouth. After that... well, we would hug and kiss quite often." Laura is listening intently. "I think I knew Emmy wasn't completely comfortable, even though she often started by kissing me. She liked the kisses but had a problem thinking she might be gay, you know?"

"Yes, I think so," Laura replies eventually. She seems a little startled that a stranger should be telling her all this personal stuff.

"So, she might have carried on being okay with just kissing but at a sleepover, just me sleeping over at her house, she got into bed beside me and I... I took that as a sign that she felt the same towards me as I did towards her. She didn't and she freaked out; she called me names and I lost my best friend. That was when Kris helped. She helped me accept that I was a lesbian. Admitting that to Emmy helped us to start rebuilding our friendship."

"So what is Kris saying to Alice?" she asks.

"I really don't know. What would you want Kris to say to her?" I ask, remembering a similar question Kris had posed to me.

"That... that I didn't mean to upset her; that I'm sorry I misunderstood when she said it was one of the nicest kisses she'd had; that saying 'I love you,' and trying to kiss her again this morning in the café was stupid..."

"A mistake maybe, but not stupid, Laura, not unless you didn't mean it," I say, resting a gloved hand on hers. "Did you mean it?"

"I did," she admits shyly. "I've tried to want to like boys but I can't. I really like Alice, though. Liked her, anyway..."

"If she's straight and you're gay, you can still be friends," I tell her. Pickle tugs on his lead making me look up and there is confetti girl, Alice, coming along the path. "Go and talk to her," I say to Laura. The girl takes a deep breath and stands, taking a few steps towards her approaching friend. She hesitates and turns.

"Um, how are things with your friend now?" she asks. Should I tell her or will that make things difficult by making her expect too much?

"She... okay, she's my girlfriend and we're a couple but, look, it took eighteen months and she admits now that she always was bisexual, so..."

"You're telling me not to assume Alice is, right?" she replies and I nod in answer. "I understand, thank you; and thanks for the chocolate, it was very, um, thoughtful."

"Happy Christmas," I smile as she turns and walks away. Standing up, I realise how cold I've become, especially my toes and my bum, sitting on the cold seat. I give a little shiver and I'm tempted to head back to the café to warm up but that would mean walking past Laura and Alice and that doesn't feel right. Maybe I'll head to the High Street and see Kate and Michael; it'll be nearly lunchtime so I could join them for a sandwich or something -- if they don't mind me playing gooseberry.

I walk away but, just as the path curves, I cannot resist a look back towards the girls. Laura has her back to me but I can see Alice is smiling. She reaches up -- slightly hesitantly I think but that might just be my expectations -- to gently brush Laura's hair away from the face. Did she touch Laura's cheek as she did so? I'm not sure but the body language between the two of them suggests that Kris has worked some of her magic.

I turn away, smiling to myself, and continue walking. Perhaps one day I might meet Alice or Laura and find out how their future played out but for now, that future is as hidden as mine and Emmy's. I wonder if we will stay together, make a life together as a couple after University? I don't know, but I shall be forever grateful that we have that possibility thanks to Kris, Mother Christmas, to William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon, and a production of Much Ado About Nothing.

Exeunt omnes.