Page 10 of In Stockings
And now I have another totally inappropriate image filling my mind. Shit!
“Won’t you be opening presents with your family? And eating Christmas dinner?”
Astrid leans against the table. She fiddles with a piece of pineapple that’s fallen off her pizza. “There’s only me and my dad. And my dad,” she sighs, “he’s not nice like your daddies so …”
“You should make up,” Lyra says, “It’s not good to fight. That’s what Mrs Maddox said when me and Katie fell out about a unicorn ruler.”
“You’re right. It’s not good to fight. But actually, he’s gone off to Thailand for Christmas.”
“Without you?” Lyra’s mouth drops open in shock.
“Uh-huh.”
“I’m sorry, Astrid,” I mutter.
“Oh God, don’t be. I spent the last two Christmasses that way, and it was awesome. Also,” she leans forward, whispering so that Lyra, who’s turned back to colouring, won’t hear, “the whole elf thing will have me all Christmassed out, I think.”
“Yeah, I can see that,” Archie says.
“Although you do make a very cute elf,” Samson winks, and Astrid rolls her eyes.
“I need the loo,” Lyra announces, ducking under the table and coming up at Archie’s feet.
“Come on then,” he says, “I’ll take you.”
“Sorry about that,” I say when she’s out of earshot. “She’s insatiably curious.”
“As all children should be. She’s adorable,” she smiles warmly at us. “You must be proud.”
“Yeah, she’s a good kid.”
Astrid pushes her empty plate away and leans back in her chair, curling her dark hair behind her ear.
“Can I ask you –”
“You want to know who she belongs to?’
“No … yes. I guess I’m curious. I’ve never met a pack before.” She repeats the motion with her hair. “Although I’m not surprised you formed one. You were always so tight at school.”
I nod and peer at Samson. It’s still hard to talk about this. Samson’s better at it.
“Craig met this girl when we were in our early twenties.” He swirls water around his glass. “Knocked her up. They decided to keep it, make a go of things.” Astrid’s still, not moving a muscle, only her shoulders rising and falling as she listens. “Dania couldn’t cope when Lyra was born. She walked out on them.”
Astrid’s hands fly to her mouth. “I’m so sorry.”
“Dania was struggling with depression,” I explain. “I don’t blame her.”
“Me and Archie could see how hard it was for Craig, coping on his own, so we helped out as much as we could,” Samson says. “Eventually ended up moving in and falling in love with our daughter. We’d always talked about forming a pack, and Lyra gave us the reason to do it.”
“She wasn't kidding when she said she brought our pack together,” I say.
“She’s Craig’s daughter biologically, but she belongs to all of us,” Samson adds.
“I can see that,” Astrid whispers. “She clearly adores you all.”
3
Astrid
