This Christmas by Jane Green

could they perhaps bring round a dish for the kids.
    “I’m absolutely fine,” Sarah had trilled, given that the women in question were renowned for passing on town gossip.
    “How is Eddie liking Chicago?” one had inquired, praying that Sarah would give her the full story.
    “He’s very busy,” Sarah had said, although in truth she hadn’t known, hence the phone call now. “Excuse me,” she had said as Jennifer had caught her eye. “I think I’m wanted in the office. But good to see you.” She had smiled widely to hide her exasperation. “Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.”
     
    Is it possible to feel so rejuvenated, so energized after just two days of work? Already Sarah is starting to feel like herself again. True, she still doesn’t recognize the woman in the mirror, but the very fact that she’s doing something for her , something that doesn’t involve the children, something that allows her to be surrounded by grown-ups, is making her feel like a real human being again.
    And while there are undoubtedly some of her peers who look down at the fact she is working in a mere spa, Sarah is thrilled to rediscover how much she likes people. How much she likes seeing the different faces that come in, how much pleasure she gets in reconnecting with the real world.
    It was, she remembers, one of the things she liked most about being a journalist. Back in the early days when she started as a feature writer, she loved being out there and meeting people, going to parties, premieres, events.
    In her twenties Sarah had been intensely sociable, and she had thought that she had naturally changed as she grew older, that marriage and children had exhausted her to the point where she didn’t have the time, the energy, or the inclination to meet new people.
    And yet here she is, meeting new people all day, and loving every minute of it.
    “You’re a natural,” Jennifer had said with a smile at her at the end of her first day. “I’m just worried you’re going to be bored.”
    “That’s the last thing you have to worry about,” Sarah had said with a laugh. “I’ve spent the last few years being bus monitor, on the PTA, being room mother. Trust me, this is the most interesting thing I’ve done in years.”
     
    Sarah takes a deep breath and picks up the phone. Eddie’s secretary had e-mailed his new details, and she dials the unfamiliar number, hoping that his answering machine will pick up, that she will be able to say something along the lines of: Hi, how are you? Sorry I missed you but just wanted to let you know that the kids are great and we wanted to wish you luck and by the way I’ve got a new job, which isn’t much but it’s something, and that’s about it, talk to you soon, bye.
    But of course Eddie picks up.
     
    “Hi, it’s Sarah,” Sarah says, the thought crossing her mind as she does that who else would be phoning Eddie late at night. What other woman could it possibly be?
    Which sets off a whole new chain of thoughts: Would she mind? How would it feel to think of Eddie with someone else? As she starts to imagine she almost snorts with laughter. She can see Eddie now, lying on the sofa, his sock-clad feet on the coffee table, belching as he finishes off his third or fourth beer, reaching out for the last slice of large white pizza on the table.
    “Hey,” Eddie says, genuine warmth in his voice. “Nice to hear from you.”
    Sarah is slightly taken aback. “So, what’s up?” she says.
    “Nothing much. I’m just cooking dinner.”
    There’s a pause. “You’re cooking?” Sarah lets out a short bark of a laugh. “Let me guess, you’re putting a frozen pizza in the oven?”
    “Good guess, but no. I’m actually sautéing some onions and garlic for a puttanesca sauce.”
    “A what?” Sarah is incredulous. “How do you even know what sautéing means, never mind what a puttanesca sauce is? You can’t cook!”
    “I realized that pizza and burgers probably aren’t that