played with at different times today – were discarded in various parts of the room; but Ducky was threaded between his fingers, his thumb in his mouth.
Their guests now departed, only the lights on the Christmas tree were on, the living room feeling almost Dickensian in its dimly lit glow. Sam stroked her hair, taking in her profile by the firelight, gazing at her like she was made from the stars.
The credits rolled and she looked back at him with glowing eyes, knowing the beginning of their time – alone, at last – was almost upon them.
But not quite yet. There was still one last thing to do. A final piece to be slotted into the puzzle.
‘Jazzy,’ she said, pulling herself up the sofa as he stirred and yawned, knowing without needing to be told that it was time to go to bed. He was worn out. Playing with all the grown-ups had been exhausting. ‘There’s one more thing I wanted to talk to you about.’
He looked at her sleepily.
‘I know you’ve had a lot of news to take in these past few days – but it’s all been good news, hasn’t it?’
‘Yes.’ He looked back at Sam again, smiling shyly.
Sam’s arm rose, ruffling his hair affectionately.
‘Well, this is good news too. I think – I hope – it will make you very happy.’ Jasper tipped his head to the side, his brown eyes resting upon her. She knew she was his safety, his place of refuge.
‘You know how we talked last night about your father, Harry – about how he’s been far away but now he’s back? Well, he wondered whether you’d like to see him tomorrow?’
Jasper’s eyes widened. ‘Tomorrow?’
‘I know, it’s soon, isn’t it? What do you think? Would you like that?’
Jasper hesitated, glancing at Sam.
Sam smiled back, squeezing his leg. ‘I think it sounds exciting.’
Jasper’s mouth spread into a small smile, his relief evident that he didn’t have to somehow choose. ‘Yes, it’s exciting.’
‘The thing is, Harry’s wife Gisele – do you remember she came for Pakjesavond?’
Jasper nodded. ‘She bought me a gun and had a baby in her tummy.’
‘That’s right, she did!’ Lee chuckled. ‘But you see, the baby has been born now. She had a little boy. And because that little boy is Harry’s son, that means he is also . . .’ She swallowed, feeling suddenly nervous. ‘He’s also your baby brother.’
Jasper blinked, his mouth opened to a perfect ‘o’ as her words settled in his young brain. ‘. . . I’ve got a baby brother?’ he repeated.
Lee nodded, feeling her heart lurch, not sure on which side of the fence this news might fall.
‘That means, you’re a big brother,’ Sam said quietly, his eyes glowing with an inner, checked emotion. ‘And take it from me, brothers always grow up to be best friends.’
‘I’m a big brother,’ Jasper repeated excitedly.
‘You are. His name is Sebastian, but I think it will probably get shortened to Bas.’
Jasper gasped as he heard the echo. ‘Bas and Jazz!’
‘Exactly!’ Lee laughed, clapping her hands together at the spectacle of his delight. ‘You even sound like brothers!’
‘Does he look like me?’
‘I don’t know,’ she shrugged. ‘We’ll just have to see tomorrow, won’t we?’
The excitement was too much for him now and Jasper clambered off Sam like he was a hunk of rock – almost winding him in the process – and jumped onto the floor. Picking up his lightsaber, he did a dramatic flash and turn. ‘I’m a big brother!’
Sam and Lee laughed as he ran a lap around the room, roaring, lightsaber held aloft.
He did a full circuit and, as he got back to them again, his eyes were shining like coals. ‘It’s just like in my poem for Sinterklaas.’
‘Huh?’ For a moment Lee was confused. But as she thought back, dredging through the memories, she remembered again . . . ‘Oh my goodness, yes!’
‘Santa brought me my baby brother on Christmas Day!’
Lee laughed. ‘Sort of, yes.’
His mouth opened wide, eyes so full of wonder she thought he was hallucinating. He gasped. ‘Mama, I told you Sinterklaas and Santa Claus are the same!’
Sam, confused, looked between them both, just as Jasper took off for another roaring lap of the room. ‘What?’
‘Long story,’ she grinned, squirrelling back into him and reaching towards him for another kiss. ‘But I’d say your days in fancy dress are well and truly numbered.’
Acknowledgements
This was the most difficult book I’ve written to date. Deciding to set a Christmas story in a country for whom Christmas