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Afterwards, they retreated to the library and opened the rest of the presents.
“This is for you.” Brooke dropped a parcel into her lap.
“Me?” Izzy looked at it. “You didn’t have to—”
“I know, but I wanted to.”
Izzy opened it and pulled out the sparkly black dress that she’d worn for their special dinner. “You can’t give me this.”
“I can, and I am. You look good in it. And I hope when you wear it, it will remind you of special times. Promise me you’ll give that dress an exciting and daring life.”
A lump formed in her throat. She thought about how good she’d felt wearing it. She thought about Jason peeling the dress from her quivering body with urgent hands.
She wasn’t sure she’d be able to wear it again without thinking of Jason, but she didn’t say that to Brooke.
“Thank you. I love it.”
“I have something for you all.” Jason was fiddling with his laptop and the TV. “Time for a slide show so make yourselves comfortable.”
Brooke collapsed onto the sofa without any further encouragement. “I’m so full after that delicious lunch that I’m more than happy to join in any activity that doesn’t involve movement.”
Jason had connected his laptop to the TV and as the first photo flashed up, Brooke gasped.
“Oh, wow! That’s a beautiful photo of the girls. When did you take that?”
“I’ve been snapping away the whole time we’ve been here. My plan is to make an album for everyone, so we’ll all have something to remind us of our special Christmas.”
The photographs were exceptional. There were soft, cosy photos of the library. Brooke reading to both girls.
“I love that one,” Matt said, sliding his arm round Brooke. “I’ll have a print of that one, Jason. For my office.”
“Sure thing.” He kept his eyes on the screen, and Izzy saw herself appear over and over again. He’d taken photographs of her dancing with Poppy, making paper stars with Elsie, staring pensively over the forest. There was a photograph of her wearing the black dress, her face lit by candlelight. She was laughing at something someone had said, and her eyes were sparkling.
Then the photos shifted to outdoors, capturing the frozen beauty of the landscape.
“Look at Poppy in her tutu!” Brooke clutched Matt’s arm. “And that’s a lovely one of Elsie on the sled. And both girls together! Can I have a print of that for my parents, Jason?”
“No problem. I’ll send them all to you and you can let me know what you want.”
“That’s a stunning one of Izzy in the snow,” Mabel said. “You look happy, honey. You have a beautiful smile.”
Izzy stared at the photo. She did look happy.
She was happy.
Elsie was frowning. “Why are there tons of photos of Izzy?”
Izzy felt herself flush. There were a lot of photos of her. Most of the time she hadn’t been aware he was taking them.
“That’s because Izzy is very photogenic,” Brooke said tactfully. “And look! Elsie, there’s you with Not-A-Cat. I mean Crumpet.”
“I want that for my bedroom.”
Why had he taken so many photos of her? Izzy sneaked a glance at him, but he was focused on the screen.
After the slide show had finished, it was Mabel’s turn.
“My gifts for you are under the tree. Perhaps Elsie would be kind enough to hand them out so I don’t have to scrabble around on my knees.”
