Page 24 of A Second Chance in Seabury
‘You didn’t have to do that!’ he said, practically bouncing in his seat.
Hannah grinned. Suddenly, she was eye-to-eye with the excitable five-year-old again, rather than the young man he’d become. ‘Now, don’t get too excited.’
‘Too late,’ said Jason, peering into the bag. ‘Thank you, it’s really lovely of you. Do you mind if I…?’
‘Go for it!’ Hannah watched as he tore the repurposed tissue paper off the gloves.
‘These are perfect!’ he said. Turning them over in his hands, Jason admired the pattern before pulling them on and waving them right in Sarah’s face.
‘Very nice!’ she giggled, trying to escape getting bopped on the nose.
‘A pair of Ewan Pepper’s finest?’ said David.
Hannah nodded.
‘They’ll be brilliant for work!’ said Jason.
‘That’s exactly what Connie said. Okay, hands up… the other present is more of a re-gift, really. It’s something I think Aunty Millie would have liked you to have.’
Jason raised his eyebrows and glanced over at his dad.
Hannah followed the look and was touched to spot a flash of pure grief on David’s face before it was replaced by a soft smile. Jason peeled the tissue off the larger present with far more reverence than the first.
‘Snakes and ladders?’ said Sarah, who was watching with interest. ‘How awesome is that? Now we’ve got something to do between courses.’
‘Amazing,’ said Jason, nodding.
‘I don’t know if you remember,’ said Hannah, ‘but you and I spent a rainy afternoon playing this when you were little. On this very board, in fact. I think you were about five or six…’
‘Millie made us biscuits and then we toasted crumpets next to the fire!’ said Jason, his eyes going slightly misty as he stared at the box in his hands.
‘I’d forgotten that bit,’ said Hannah, feeling like she’d just received a gift in return. Buttered crumpets had been one of Aunty Millie’s go-to comfort foods. She’d have to get a pack while she was in town… though she wasn’t sure the chimney was in any fit state to handle an actual fire these days!.
‘Why don’t I remember this?’ said David curiously.
‘I think you had some kind of appointment,’ said Hannah. ‘Millie said she’d babysit, and I was in town to see her for a break from uni. She roped me in to help so that she could get some baking done without the pair of us getting under her feet. That Snakes and Ladders board witnessed the biggest thrashing I’ve ever faced. Nicely humiliating to be trounced by a five-year-old!’
‘I love it,’ said Jason, running his gloved hand gently over the box. ‘Thanks so much. I’ll treasure it.’
‘What else did you get for your birthday?’ said Sarah.
‘Well, Lizzie gave me a pay rise,’ he said with a grin. ‘Which is basically the gift that keeps on giving. And then there was the honey from dad?—’
‘And these,’ said David, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a plain white envelope. ‘Pass it along?’ He handed it to Sarah, who held the envelope to her ear and gave it a shake.
‘Weird… it doesn’t sound like bees.’
Hannah did her best to bite back a smile. She watched as David gave the girl a good-natured eyeroll. He was clearly used to this near-constant mic-taking and didn’t mind in the slightest.
‘Thanks Dad,’ said Jason, raising an eyebrow as he took the unassuming envelope from Sarah. ‘Should I open it now, or should I wait?’
‘Completely up to you,’ said David, his unruffled expression still firmly in place.
Jason ran his finger along the seal and pulled out a piece of colourful card.
‘No way!’ he gasped.
‘What is it?’ said Sarah.
