27

                                    

                                          
25th December 2022 – Dubai (UAE)
The Dubai skyline stood before her, rising from the desert like a futuristic oasis.  Towering skyscrapers gleamed in the intense sunlight, their glass facades reflecting the brilliant blue of the Arabian sky.  She peered over the balcony of the terrace she was stood on, saw the marina that stretched out below; yachts and boats drifted lazily across the surface of its' calm waters.  
She had already begrudgingly admitted to herself that this was not a bad way to spend Christmas Day even though it still left a sour taste in her mouth.  Yet, she had made promises.  Promises to be a good sport.  Promises to not walk around with a face like a slapped arse – that one was courtesy of her mother.  She intended to keep those promises, even if it meant suppressing most of her natural instincts and allowing them to culminate in either an ulcer or aneurysm – whichever came first.
She took a deep sigh and looked across the terrace of the Beach Grill which was laden with low wooden tables and comfortable cushioned chairs that were protected from the relentless sun by large, white umbrellas.  The restaurant was busy with customers seated around almost every table, dressed in laid-back summer attire.  She spotted her baby sister; her mother and Ezra seated at the far end and made a beeline towards them.
Nicola was dressed in a stylishly cut red dress with spaghetti straps and their mother complimented her with a bright red Santa hat.  
"There you are!" Beatrice exclaimed happily as she stood up and pulled her in for a hug. "Merry Christmas, darling!"
"Merry Christmas, ma." Grainne returned the greeting to her mother, embracing her tightly and then taking a seat beside her, so that she was now face-to-face with Nicola and Ezra.
"You're late." Nicola stated.
"Merry Christmas to you too, sourpuss." Grainne replied with a roll of her eyes. 
"You are!" Beatrice agreed. "We're starving. What kept you?"
What had kept her?  
Well, she knew she couldn't respond with the truth.  
The truth was that she had decided to get a work-out in at their hotel gym whilst her mother and sister met Ezra for a beach walk before they all met for lunch.  The truth was she had made it into the gym and onto the elliptical machine and pressed the 'start' button when an Instagram notification on her phone gave her pause.  It was a direct message from Jade.  She had privately replied to a comment Grainne had left on her story earlier that morning.  
It had been an innocent comment.  The kind of comment any reasonable person of sane mind would leave when an acquaintance like Jade posted a video story of their family around the Christmas tree: Merry Christmas, hope you and Lukey boy have good day!  Again, Grainne thought to herself, this was what any person would do when greeted with an Instagram story like this.  Of course it was.  Of course, her motivations were to wish a Merry Christmas to a casual friend.  This was normal.  This was certainly not motivated by the fact that she had spent most of her vacation in Dubai examining Jade and Luke's social media activity and taking note of how their interactions with each other had come to a standstill.  How realizing this had made her physically itch with the need to know more.  Regardless, her message to Jade that morning was certainly not her giving into her worst instincts and prying.  This was just one friend wishing another friend and her partner a Merry Christmas.  
She had climbed off the elliptical machine in a sense of shock as she had read the response: Thanks doll! Merry Christmas to you and yours too! Sadly Luke and I split up, thought you and Nic would've known. Anyway, grateful for family distractions today. Hope you're having a good hol :)