of the room, Molly slipped some coins into her hand.
‘Get Amy a birthday present fer me,’ she whispered. ‘I was hoping to buy her a new coat, but what wi’ the doctor’s bills an’ me not bein’ able to work fer a time, that’s all I can manage.’
Bessie winked, and after shopping about a bit she did Molly proud. She found a slim silver chain bracelet hung with a little engraved heart at a bargain price.
When Molly gave it to her on Christmas Eve, Amy was absolutely enchanted with it and hugged her gran fiercely, although she scolded her at the same time.
‘You shouldn’t have done this, Gran,’ she chided her. ‘You know we’ve got no money coming in at the minute.’
Molly was indignant. ‘You don’t think I’d let yer birthday pass wi’out even buyin’ you a present, do yer?’ she said, stubborn as ever.
Amy kissed her cheek tenderly. ‘Oh Gran, I love you so much. I don’t know what I’d ever do without you. But I didn’t need a present. So long as I’ve still got you, I don’t need anything else.’
A huge lump formed in Molly’s throat, for Amy’s words had touched her deeply.
Bessie had baked her a cake, covered with fluffy icing, and Amy was delighted with it.
‘We’ll save it until tonight when Toby gets here,’ she declared, and sure enough, amidst a merry atmosphere that evening they all had a huge wedge of the delicious treat.
Toby presented her with a wonderfully bound book all about fashion designs that Amy absolutely loved. By now Molly’s bed had been carried back upstairs, but although she was growing steadily stronger by the day, she still tired easily.
After they had all washed Bessie’s cake down with a glass of Molly’s home-made wine, Bessie went off home to her own brood, and Molly retired for the night. Amy tucked the blankets about her lovingly.
‘Thank you for my bracelet, Gran,’ she whispered, planting a gentle kiss on Molly’s papery cheek. ‘I’ll treasure it always.’
Molly gazed up at her, pride shining in her eyes. Her girl was teetering on the brink of becoming a woman and it was a frightening thought. When Amy eventually descended the stairs again after making sure that Molly had everything she needed, Toby pointed to the chair at the side of the fire.
‘Sit there,’ he smiled. ‘I’ve got another surprise for you.’
‘Oh, Toby, no, my book was more than enough.’ she exclaimed, but all the same she sat down and did as she was told.
‘Now close your eyes,’ he commanded and giggling, Amy closed them.
Presently he dropped a bulky parcel into her outstretched arms, and she frowned as she felt it and tried to think what it could be.
‘Well, go on then … open your eyes and take a look. It won’t bite you,’ he teased.
Amy began to tear at the brown paper as excited as a child, with a radiant smile on her face. However, when she saw what the parcel contained, the smile vanished from her face and her huge velvety brown eyes filled with tears.
‘Oh, Toby,’ she whispered. ‘This is just too much.’ And to his dismay she began to weep. Inside the parcel was the beautiful woollen coat that Molly had hoped to buy for her. The old lady had shown it to him in the shop window weeks ago, and determined that Amy should have it, he had saved for weeks to buy it.
‘Don’t you like it?’ His voice held such disappointment that her head snapped up.
‘Not like it?’ she cried. ‘Oh, Toby – why, it’s lovely. It’s the most beautiful coat I’ve ever had; I just can’t believe how kind you are. What with Gran pulling through and now this, it’s just turning out to be the best Christmas and birthday ever. I can’t believe how lucky I am.’
And with that she threw herself into his arms and gave him a resounding kiss on the lips, which made him blush to the very roots of his hair and caused Amy to burst out laughing again.
The coat fitted perfectly and Amy strutted up and down the kitchen in delight. Toby thought secretly that it set the colour of her hair off to perfection, but was too shy to tell her so.
She in turn looked at Toby as if for the very first time. Tall and broad-shouldered, with straight fair hair, his mouth was wide and his nose not quite straight – and yet his eyes, which were his best feature, more than made