‘OMG,’ they say, as though it’s a word. Their eyes light up. ‘The drama! Tell me everything.’
Condensing the evening’s top points takes less time than Haf expected it might. Throughout it all, Ambrose chops herbs with a very large knife, but their face runs through all the possible permutations of facial expressions.
‘So now, what? You’re waiting to see if she’s going to decide to date you with all this baggage?’ they say, waving the knife in the air.
‘Did you just point at me?’ Christopher asks.
‘I meant just like her general aura, but yes, you too now, I guess. By the way, when your family finds out what’s going on and disowns you, you can come stay with us. I love taking in waifs and strays. Especially when they’re cute.’
‘You know what? I like drunk Ambrose. This is nice.’
‘For you maybe,’ scoffs Haf. ‘I’m just, I’m not doing anything. I’m just giving her space and time—’
‘Yes, two things notoriously plentiful on Christmas Day.’
‘It’ll be fine. We’ve got this far. What else can life throw at us?’
‘Has anyone told you about the concept of tempting fate?’ groans Christopher.
‘Doesn’t really matter if fate throws anything more at you, though, does it? The bottom line is, who dates both siblings in a family? Not many people, I expect – bit of an awkward dinner-table situation. I doubt it’d be her thing from what you’vesaid, never mind your parents, who you both seem so intent on impressing.’
There it is. The clanger of truth she’d been waiting for.
‘Sorry,’ says Ambrose, looking up into the camera. ‘I just... I don’t want you getting hurt.’
‘I know,’ she says softly.
‘I’m going, but FaceTime me into the dinner conversation if things get spicy. Thank you,’ and they disappear from the screen.
‘Do they always just hang up suddenly?’
‘Yeah, it’s kind of their thing.’
Christopher stretches in the bed, then sits up, his long legs crossed. The whole movement is so childlike, more reminiscent of the boy she saw in the bookshelves, or in the hopeful glint in his eyes when he was making the gingerbread house.
‘Is this a sign that we have to get up now?’ she croaks. ‘My lying face isn’t ready.’
‘Well, while you prepare yourself,’ he says as he leans down and takes a very small parcel out of his side-table drawer, ‘I got you something.’
‘A present?’
There’s no mood in the world that a present couldn’t solve, at least for Haf, there isn’t. Some might call that materialistic; she prefers easy to please. She’s like Stella and Luna. They’re all just easily pleased by a little treat. This is why Ambrose knows to always keep the lebkuchen tin stocked.
She holds out her hands, palms faced upwards, and he places the little box in the centre. It’s wrapped in a tiny golden bow, which she pulls apart.
The box flips open, and inside is a ring.
Burnished gold antlers twist together, encrusted with tiny peachy pink stones. A tiny flower clusters in one bough, and on closer inspection Haf sees it’s a four-leaf clover.
‘Before you get worried, it’s notthatkind of ring.’ He laughs. ‘It’s... a friendship ring.’
‘A friendship ring? Oh, Christopher, you soft sausage.’
His cheeks and ears blush pink. ‘It’s a thing!’
‘I’m sure it is, and it’s also very adorable.’
‘This has been an extremely weird time, and I don’t think anyone as good as you would have gone along with such a silly plan.’
