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“Right, Maddie first.” Maddie continued to scroll through her phone. “Maddie? Maddie?”
“Sorry, what?”
“Here’s your Christmas present,” said Kate, handing over a large squishy parcel. Kate felt her excitement drawn out of her like a deflating balloon as Maddie opened the parcel with no reaction at all. It had taken weeks to find the perfect outfit from the various charity shops, and Kate had been certain Maddie would love it. Instead of delight, Maddie thanked her with a small smile and Kate could have sworn she looked sad. Confidence dimmed, Kate pulled a box shaped parcel from her bag and handed it to Bob.
Bob unwrapped the paper carefully, eyes wide as he took in the shoe box, collaged with photographs from around Bodmin.
“Wow, I love it, thank you.”
Kate laughed. “The box isn’t the present, you idiot. Look inside.”
On the inside of the lid she had writtenTour Guide’s Survival Kit. Bob reached inside the box and pulled out Kendal mint cake, a swiss army knife, compass, bike lights, town map, thick woollen socks, hand gel, and a mini first aid kit. He looked up at Kate and she was surprised to see tears in his eyes.
“Thank you,” he said, voice choking as he spoke. “This is the most thoughtful gift I’ve had in a long time.”
“You’re welcome,” said Kate, reaching across and squeezing his hand.
“Thank God you bought me cuff links,” said Alex. “I’d hate to be lugging all that crap back with me.”
Bob shot Alex a glare across the table.
“Your turn, Joy,” said Kate, moving swiftly on from Alex’s comment. She passed a large square box across the table. “The present is inside.”
Joy lifted the lid, her hands shaking, and set the lid down on the floor beside her. Several hard-backed books lay inside the box, and Joy gasped as she began flicking through them. “But, how did you? These are…”
“They’re your photos,” Kate said, smiling.
“But how did you get them into these books?”
“I scanned them onto my laptop. It was easier than I expected. I thought this way you could have them on a shelf and look at them whenever you like, rather than having to sift through piles. I’ve tried to sort them by date or location, but I might have muddled some up.”
“I… I…” Tears began streaming down Joy’s cheeks and Kate rushed round the table to hug her friend.
“Are you OK?”
“I’m just being a daft old bat. I love them, I love them so, so much. Thank you, dear.”
“The pressure’s really on now,” said Bob, smiling across at the two emotional women.
“Come on then,” said Joy, dabbing her eyes with a napkin. “Your turn, Mr Carter.”
“Right, OK. I just need to nip out to my car.”
Bob appeared moments later, hidden behind a large rectangular box and holding a bag for life. He propped the box against the wall and handed Kate the bag. Inside were several large presents and at the bottom, one tiny one.
“I hope these are the right size,” he said, looking flustered as Kate began unwrapping the packages. She opened the first one and laughed.
“These are so perfect for Cornwall,” she said, holding up a pair of waterproof trousers for the others to see.
“Wow, stylish,” said Maddie, but her tone was softer than it had been previously.
The next parcel contained a fancy waterproof jacket. Kate protested about the amount Bob must have spent, but he insisted it was second hand so she let it drop with a thank you. Also in the bag were a pair of bright red wellies, “To match your duffle coat,” Bob explained.
“How did you know my shoe size?” Kate asked. Bob tapped his nose, and threw a grin over to Maddie.
At the very bottom of the bag lay a small package. “As I’d gone practical for the other gifts, I thought I should end on a frivolous note,” said Bob.
Kate tore off the wrapping paper, finding leaf-shaped silver earrings hanging from a piece of cardboard. “I love them. Thank you,” she said.
