Novel set in COPENHAGEN at Christmas
‘An Anniversary Wish’ by Carrie Walker
16th October 2023
Carrie Walker
Kate had butterflies as the seatbelt signs pinged on and the plane started its descent into Rome. She loved everything about solo travel. It suited her spontaneous nature. Choosing a random destination, booking a flight with a few taps of her phone, and arriving in a new city a few days later; a new country – a totally new world. But this time the butterflies were for something else – she couldn’t wait to surprise Charlie.
She thought back to that foodie tour, a year ago to the day, where she’d been sat next to a tall, floppy-haired fittie from Manchester. They’d bonded over arancini and art and tried out their basic Italian on each other. Kate flicked through her passport, tracing her finger over the stamps she’d collected since that first trip. Paris, Reykjavik, Istanbul, Budapest… too many to count. A melting pot of different cultures, currencies, languages. Her gap year had flown by, and now she was back where she started. The sun felt warm on her face as she stepped off the plane and she exhaled with a smile.
‘Passaporto,’ the man barked from behind the glass counter, barely raising his hooded eyes, before stamping it loudly and nodding her through.
Kate made a beeline for the shuttle bus and was at her hotel in less than an hour. It was nothing special. She’d picked the most central place she could afford and gone for it. The reviews didn’t really matter – it was only for sleeping and storage. She grabbed her bag, making sure she had enough coins, and ran back downstairs and out into the city. Her linen dress billowed happily in the breeze as she made her way through the maze of narrow streets. Carbs called out to her from every corner, tempting her tastebuds as she walked; succulent pizza slices, gnocchi to go, gelato piled high in every flavour. The smell of garlic and cheese wafted through the air as she passed shop windows adorned with bags of pasta and legs of ham. Brightly-coloured leather bags, pashminas, shoes – fashion fit for both clergy and catwalk. But Kate wouldn’t get distracted until she’d done it. She was too excited. One final crumpled old street and there it was. The Trevi Fountain in all its glory. Oceanus etched into the rock, flanked on all sides by gushing water. Whistles blew continuously as police stopped tourists from sitting on the rocks. Kate pulled out the coins and held them in her hand, wrestling through the crowd to get as close to the fountain as she could. She held up her phone and smiled.
‘Want me to take it?’ A blonde teenager called, through a fug of strawberry vape.
‘No, thanks,’ Kate replied, pressing the FaceTime button.
His face appeared almost immediately.
‘Kate?’ Charlie frowned into the phone. ‘Where are you? I thought you were in London?’
‘Last minute change of plan. I wanted to surprise you.’ Kate turned the camera around and held it in the air.
‘Are you… in Rome?’ he asked, in disbelief.
‘Got it in one!’ Kate laughed, delighted with herself. ‘I thought if we couldn’t be together for our anniversary, then I could at least get us here together in spirit.’
‘Is that The Trevi Fountain?’ he asked, peering into the screen.
‘Yep. One year on, to the very second.’ She held her phone in the air as the church bells chimed. One. Two. Three. Perfect.
‘The exact time we met,’ he said, smiling. ‘That food tour has a lot to answer for.’
‘I thought we could make an anniversary wish,’ Kate said, showing him her hand. ‘Three coins for you and three for me.’
‘Why not?’ Charlie shook his head and smiled. ‘You really are something else, you know that?’
Kate flicked three coins over her shoulder and closed her eyes.
I wish we could be together forever.
‘Your turn,’ she said.
Charlie closed his eyes and Kate tossed his coins into the fountain, listening out for three sploshes.
‘Shall I tell you what I wished for?’ Charlie asked, coming close to the camera.
‘No! If you do, it won’t come true!’
‘I wished you’d let me in on your plans,’ he said. Charlie turned his phone around to show the leafy streets of Wimbledon. He was stood outside Kate’s flat. In London.
Kate’s mouth dropped open in shock. ‘I thought you couldn’t make it back in time?’
‘Last minute change of plan,’ he said, with a wink. ‘I wanted to surprise you.’
Escape to the Swiss Chalet by Carrie Walker is published by Aria on 9th November in Paperback and Ebook.
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What a lovely story, Carrie!
I really envy authors who can fit all the necessary elements I need for a satisfying reading experience (A good beginning, a strong storyline and a definitive ending) into a full-length novel, let alone a short story.
You even picked Italy as your location, you must have known how much I enjoy Italian food.
You brightened up my tea break and right on cue, my Grocery delivery has arrived, so now I have the ‘pleasure’ of putting all that away, Ugh! xx