Page 145 of Fe
“Show me how flexible you are again, I’ve forgotten,” Ripley said.
When he and Fen finally made it downstairs, Fen slipped his hand in Ripley’s as they went into the living room.
“Doesn’t matter that we’re too old for this, does it?” Fen whispered.
“Can you ever be too old?” Ripley felt a moment’s sadness that as a grieving child, he’d lost the magic of Christmas too soon. But maybe it had been waiting for the right time to reappear. He glanced at Fen and swallowed hard.
“I don’t want you to get too excited about your presents,” Fen said. “No Rolex or helicopter flight or new wig or a tie or anything like that.”
Ripley hugged him from behind. “You think that’s what I want?”
“I have no idea. You open one first.”
“Let me get us a drink. Would you like a Mimosa?”
“Why not?”
Fen sat on a cushion on the floor next to the tree. Ripley brought the drinks over and handed one to Fen.
“Merry Christmas,” Fen said.
“Merry Christmas.” Ripley touched his glass to Fen’s.
“You go first,” Fen said. “Before you open anything, I need to tell you something. I probably shouldn’t have looked at what I looked at, but I did. So don’t be mad.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You will soon.”
Ripley unwrapped space Lego: the Mandalorian’s ship, a lunar research city and the Apollo landing. He’d not played with Lego since… Then he got it. He’d asked for this for Christmas and not got it. He’d written to Santa to ask why.Oh Fen.
“Do you like it?” Fen asked. “I wasn’t sure what to buy. The kits have long changed since you were a little boy but…”
“I love it. Thank you. The right Santa finally read my letter.”
Fen grinned and opened one of his. It was a kintsugi repair kit and a broken plate. “Did you break the plate?”
“I might have.”
Ripley loved watching Fen open the things he’d bought. His joy and excitement were infectious.
“Monkey swizzle sticks!” Fen hugged him. “Did you have to search high and low?”
“Ten pages of them on Amazon.”
Fen laughed. “Oh these are lovely.” He held up a set of noodle bowls decorated with whales and waves.”
“You might notice a Japanese theme.”
Fen turned over one of the bowls. “Made in China.”
“What?”
“I’m kidding.”
Ripley only vaguely remembered wanting a robot, though Fen had found him an antique one with flashing lights. He did remember being desperate for a marble run, which he and Fen set up.
“It’s more complicated than I thought it would be,” Fen said. “And they’re not marbles, they’re metal balls. You can get one million add on kits, apparently.”
