Page 48 of Full Service

“I bought that ring for your Uncle Llyw almost 50 years ago,” he said. “It wasn’t legal to get married back then, but I wanted him to wear it all the same. At least it stopped girls fawning for him when he went on rugby tours.” Uncle Prentis smiled, just the tiniest quirk of his mouth upward. His eyes shone. “You can do what you like with it. Wear it, give it to someone else, or just keep it tucked away for a rainy day.”

I leaned forward to give him a hug. “Thanks, Uncle Prentis. This all means the world to me.”

I reached under the bed to give him my present, wrapped in plain brown paper. “These are the first,” I explained as I handed it over. “There are more coming but I sent it all off a bit late.”

Prentis opened the package and if he he’d been close to crying before, the tears were spilling over now. “Oh, how beautiful,” he said. Inside the package were the photos of him and Uncle Llyw that I’d had sent off to a restorer. Each photo had been scanned into the computer and carefully retouched to remove aberrations, stains and rips.

“Thank you,” he said quietly. “I’ll treasure these.”

He left the room holding the package to his chest and I knew he might need a moment alone with them.

I closed the bedroom door and got dressed quickly. Even if it was early, I was ready to face the day. I’d forgotten in London with Brian, who was a serious and imposing man at the best of times, how much I really loved Christmas. A good family Christmas.

Though I wasn’t spending Christmas dinner with Prentis. No, he’d decided to take himself, Glynis and Beca up to the hotel to get, in his words,‘thoroughly wasted’.

I had a standing invitation to head over to Macsen’s parents house for Christmas dinner which made me more nervous than I should. Despite spending as much time in Macsen’s bed as I had my own since we’d made up, we still hadn’t defined what we were to one another properly. As far as I knew we were still…I didn’t know. Friends with benefits? Fuck buddies? Lovers? I knew I wanted more, but I didn’t know if he did. In the heat of the moment, having sex, he’d said that he wanted it to be only me. Did that make us boyfriends? Fucking hell, I didn’t know. We were hardly straightforward.

I could smell a fresh pot of coffee brewing in the kitchen as I opened the bedroom door, and it made all my senses tingle. Nothing like a good coffee on Christmas morning.

But Prentis didn’t do…oh. On the kitchen counter there stood a very impressive and shiny looking espresso machine, dripping beautiful nectar into a cup below.

“Surprise!” said Uncle Prentis just a little bit belatedly as he walked through the door from the living room.

I took a sip of coffee and wanted to melt into the floor, it was so good. “Damn.”

“I thought, if you’re going to be around for the long haul, that I should probably buy some of the old creature comforts in.”

“You’re a star.” Uncle Prentis smiled at that.

I took the coffee, curled up on Prentis’ cold comfy sofa, and smiled. I had a few days off before I’d be going to work withAlun and Alaw, and with my buy in I’d be an equal partner - not just an employee. I’d be helping small businesses up and down the country, not just atoning for all the crap I’d done but contributing because I wanted to.

Prentis and I sat down in front of the TV and watched stupid Christmas cartoons for a couple of hours. I hadn’t spent a Christmas morning with him in years, and I knew now I’d be able to whenever he asked. I could be close to home, to family. To the people I…

To Macsen, too. And that was important. Because I wanted him in my life, however he’d have me.

???

I walked past the village shops and pulled my coat closer in around myself. I loved a good cold Christmas, but I was carrying a bag of presents for Macsen’s family and I was keeping an eye out for black ice on the pavements.

As I passed the cafe, James ran out. “Merry Christmas!Nadolig Llawen!” he said, mangling the Welsh a little bit but trying his best.

“Don’t tell me you’re working today,” I said as he approached me with a paper bag in his hands.

“Only the morning. Llywelyn and I are hosting a coffee and Christmas cake day for the oldies in case they haven’t got anyone else to go to.” He gestured inside the cafe. When I looked, there was a whole lot of grey hair on show. And Llywelyn, sat in a chair next to a particularly tiny old lady and looking like a giant in her presence.

“Anyway,” James continued. “I just wanted to bring this to you. I was going to drop it off at your uncle’s house later, but I saw you passing…”

“You got him a present?” I asked I took the bag from him, precariously holding the bag of presents I had for Macsen’s family in my other hand.

“Well, of course. I’ll drop that down to him later. But these are for you, I made them.”

In the bag were a pair of knitted gloves, matching hat and scarf all in the same dark mustard colour.

“They’re so nice…I haven’t gotten you anything, I’m so sorry…”

James laughed. “I was in your position once. I spent so long in the City that I forgot that people actually did stuff for other people without any expectation of a return favour.”

I smiled weakly back at him, willing tears not to come. He gave me a quick hug and ran back into the cafe. When I looked inside, he had headed straight for Llywelyn and the old lady. He took the seat next to Llywelyn and after a moment his hand came to rest on Llywelyn’s thigh as they both listened to the lady chat away. They had it good, and from the way they kept sneaking glances and small secret smiles at one another they knew they did. I spent so long staring that Llywelyn looked up and gave me a little wave. I felt myself blush, like I’d been staring through their bedroom window. I gave a wave back with my unburdened hand and carried on.

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