We arrived back home, and Amy went up to bed. Pam and I talked for a while, then we went upstairs as well. I looked across at Pam as she undressed. She caught my gaze, and said, "I'd really like to make love, but it was a tough couple of days, and I'm pretty tired – can we leave it for tonight?"
"Sure, no problem," I said. And I drifted off to sleep remembering highlights of what had turned out to be a very eventful day.
The next day I was back at work, but the Christmas break was approaching so it would only be another week or so before I was on holiday again. I made sure that all the planning for routine work over the holiday period was done, and finished a little early, to get home for at least a chat with Amy before Pam arrived back from work. Caroline and Donald had decided to go on holiday over Christmas – it was the only time Donald had been able to get away from work all year – so Amy would be staying with us between terms.
Amy's Mini was in the garage when I parked the car, and when I walked in she was sitting at her desk in the dining room with her books spread around.
I walked over to her and kissed her on the lips. "Mmm," she said, "you smell of work."
"That's a funny way to put it," I said, "What does work smell like?"
"Well, your aftershave, and I guess your suit smells a little different, and there's just a hint of tobacco smoke."
"Yes, the smoking area is by the car park," I said. "Does it bother you?"
"No," she said, "it adds to the effect. I like it – it's you. It makes me look forward to when I'm on placement."
"I'm looking forward to it too," I said.
"I saw Laura today," Amy went on. "We chatted, and she asked me if perhaps she could come and stay over Christmas instead of going home? I don't think she gets on well with her parents, and she could bring her art stuff and work on her show."
I remembered the picture that Laura was hoping would form a key part of her show. "That'd be great," I said. "She could share your room, and we could shift things around a little at this end of the room so she could have some space to paint – the light's good in here."
"I hope Pam won't mind the canvas Laura's working on," said Amy.
"But it's 'art'," I said. "I've taken Pam to a couple of exhibitions with works more shocking than Laura's painting."
Amy grinned. "I'll tell her yes, then. I'm looking forward to swimming and sauna with her again."
Just then Pam arrived, and I gave her a welcome-home hug and kiss. "Amy was just wondering if Laura could come to stay for a few days at Christmas," I said. "Apparently things are a little uncomfortable at home, and she did so much enjoy her day with Amy."
"Of course," said Pam. "It'll be nice to have someone to talk to about art – you business types are a bit dull." She winked at Amy, who grinned back.
The last day of term came, and Amy pulled her Mini into the garage with Laura in the passenger seat. A large square shape covered in a cloth occupied the back seat, and the first task was to get the canvas inside, still covered, and set it on its easel in the dining room.
"Can we look?" said Pam. "Absolutely not," grinned Laura, "it's nowhere near finished."
"Ok," I said, "we'll just have to control our anticipation a little longer."
After a couple of days it felt like Laura had always been there, and I came home on Christmas Eve to find her helping Pam and Amy to decorate the tree.
"Hope you've all been good," I said, "or Santa won't stop on his way past."
We had supper, then watched television for a while. I yawned. "I could do with an early night," I said. "No doubt you two will be rampaging about the house first thing, eager to open your presents."
I headed up the stairs, and Pam joined me after a little while. "I'm really enjoying this," she said. "Makes me wonder if we should have had kids."
I snorted. "We're seeing only the upside," I said, "two well-behaved, practically grown-up young women who we can spoil rotten."
"Hmmm, point taken," she said. She kissed me, and said, "Hope there are a few surprises in Santa's sack for us." Then she turned over and was soon asleep.
When I was certain she was sleeping, I slipped out of bed and back down the stairs to retrieve a few last minute presents from my briefcase and put them under the tree. As I went back up the stairs, I encountered Amy tiptoeing down.
"So, you're Miss Santa, are you?" I teased. She put her tongue out at me, then leaned over to kiss me.
"Just a couple of last minute things," she said. "You did get something for Laura as well, didn't you."
"I don't think either of you will be disappointed," I chuckled. She kissed me again, then slipped past. I went back to bed, and thought I just caught Amy's footsteps as she came back up, then a faint giggle from Laura as their bedroom door closed.
Christmas morning dawned, and I opened the curtains to a carpet of white. "Wow, Pam," I said, "it's perfect."
She joined me at the window and we stood for a while, arms round each other, looking out at the garden.
"Now for the carnage," she grinned. We went downstairs, and found Amy and Laura kneeling by the tree picking up gifts and looking at the labels.
"We didn't start opening them without you," said Laura anxiously.
"It's OK," I said. "Go ahead."
Soon the floor was covered in paper and scraps of sticky tape, as we all took it in turns opening our presents. The girls ooh'ed and aah'ed at the necklace I'd got for Pam – I'd seen her admiring it in the window of the jeweller's in town.
I got a sweater from Pam – "Don't worry," she whispered in my ear, "I got something more exciting for you, but it's for your eyes only." I grinned, and kissed her, prompting gentle teasing from Amy and Laura.
The girls had bought me some expensive aftershave between them, and some novelty socks. "Thanks, girls," I said, and they each deigned to accept a kiss on the cheek, doing a brilliant job of pretending that kisses from Uncle Tim were a bit embarrassing.
Last of all Amy and Laura opened their presents from me. Laura said, "Gosh, Tim, you're very generous – thank you." I'd got them both shopping vouchers, and I knew they'd want to go out looking as soon as the sales started.
"Well, that's it," said Pam. "Lunch won't be long."
We sat down at the dining table, and I looked at Amy's book-covered desk and Laura's easel, reflecting how much had changed since only a year ago.
The rest of Christmas Day was spent watching television – Laura and Amy hadn't seen a few of the old films before, and they pretended to be horrified when Pam and I sang along to bits of the Sound of Music.
When the last film worth watching was over, we all went upstairs to bed, the girls clutching their loot.
Pam turned to me as I closed the door and said, "So, you ready for your surprise?"
I nodded. She turned round and said, "Unzip me?"
I pulled the zip of her dress down to her waist, and she let the garment slip to the floor. Underneath she wore a gorgeous white bustier and French knickers. "Mmm," I said as I started to unhook the fastenings, "this is a lovely surprise. But I don't think it's quite unwrapped yet."
She turned in my arms and her mouth was eager on mine. "Then finish unwrapping it," she said, her body trembling eagerly.
I carefully undid the rest of the fasteners and laid the garment aside, then looked at her face for confirmation. She nodded, and I slid the French knickers down so she could step out of them. I moved back, and once more admired her body with its womanly curves. "Shall we?" I said. She moved over to the bed and lay down, and we made love as intensely as we ever had...
Afterwards she pillowed her head on my chest and said, "Thanks, darling. This is a really great Christmas."
The next day the girls begged me to accompany them to the sales. "This seems to be my fate on Boxing Day," I said to Pam.
"Your fault for giving them something to spend," she teased. "Go! If you get fed up, you can go and look in the bookshop or sit and have coffee – they can keep each other company."
I drove us down to the town, and we walked from the car park, Amy one side of me, Laura the other, their arms linked through mine.
"Where first?" I asked. "Everywhere!" Amy said.
"Clothes, of course," said Laura. We went into Amy's favourite fashion shop, and they found me a chair just outside the changing area. Then they commandeered a sales assistant – she looked almost relieved to have two customers who had a clear idea what they wanted – and toured the clothing racks, picking something to try on from almost every one.
Then they disappeared into a cubicle and all I heard was giggling. Every few minutes one or other of them would pop out with, "What do you think of this, Tim?" as they tried on a dazzling selection of different styles. I did my best to give an opinion, sometimes evoking a roll of the eyes, sometimes a shy smile.
Some of the outfits were truly stunning, and at one point when Amy appeared in an off the shoulder evening gown, I said, "Amy?" She paused. "Get that one – really."
She grinned and said, "I'd pretty much decided to – but seeing your face when I came out made my mind up for definite."
At length they decided that they had seen and tried on everything worth trying, and went to pay for the things they'd settled on.
"Now," said Amy when they returned with the bags, "let's drop this stuff off at the car and you can buy us lunch at that little Italian place. You'll love it, Laura – I can't pronounce anything on the menu, but Tim can, and the food is to die for. You'll get us a bottle of wine as well, won't you, Tim?"
"Slow down!" I protested. "Of course I will." We walked back to the car and filled the boot, it seemed, with bags. Then we walked back down to the little restaurant, and I grinned as my friend Mario the owner raised his eyebrows at me.
"Two gorgeous signorinas this year," he said to me in his native tongue. "What can I say," I replied likewise, "I must be doing something right."
"What are you saying?" asked Laura.
"He thinks you are very beautiful and that I am a very lucky man," I paraphrased. This set the girls off giggling, and they had only just managed to retrieve their composure when Mario returned with our food. He poured wine for us all, then left us to enjoy our meal.
"This is heavenly," said Laura with her mouth full. "I could get used to being spoilt."
"Get used to it," grinned Amy. "Tim can't help himself."
