“Hi!” the younger man stood up and offered his hand. “I’m Frank, Amelia’s dad.” Josh shook his hand warmly and introduced himself. “This is Betty and George, my in-laws.” The older couple did not get up but gave friendly waves. Dressed formally but with an unmistakable twinkle of mischief in their eyes, Josh could not help thinking they seemed like a perfect blend of his own parents and Laura’s.

“You come sit with me, young man!” Betty chuckled cheekily, shifting closer to her husband on the sofa to make room. Smiling politely and suddenly feeling very scruffy, Josh accepted the invitation and sat down. The room was not quite as large as his own living room but, he remembered, that also doubled as a dining room, something this house clearly had as a separate space.

The décor was simple but elegant with a lovely carved wooden fireplace in which a very lifelike artificial stove was burning and an old-fashioned divider part way up the walls, below which the Victorian-patterned wallpaper was painted dark red and above which was pale cream. The rail, door and window frames were painted brown to match the fireplace and the door itself was real dark wood. The large TV was mounted above the fireplace, currently showing a slide-show of generic Christmassy scenes and a real, potted Christmas tree stood in one corner with pretty, coordinated decorations. The whole room, as well as the people in it, gave off an air of unostentatious wealth and class next to which Josh felt rather inadequate. Still, as was usually the way among those who have nothing to prove, everyone made him feel very welcome and made no remarks that could remotely be understood as disparaging.

“I’ll go fetch your hot chocolate.” Penny smiled. “Would you like a mince pie, too? They’re home made!”

“How could I resist!” Josh grinned, which seemed to be the right answer as Penny looked very happy as headed to the kitchen and, introductions made, Frank sat back down on the other sofa.

“Hope Amelia hasn’t been too much trouble with all the time she’s been spending with you and your family?” he asked. Coming from some other fathers, these words might have sounded like something of a trap but Frank spoke them with genuine warmth and openness, putting Josh at his ease.

“Oh no, she’s been good as gold!” Josh assured him. “A real pleasure to have around, and it’s been so nice for Sam too, to have another girl about.”

“Our little granddaughter seems rather sweet on you!” Betty teased, poking Josh in the ribs playfully, her manner bordering of flirtatious. “I can see why!” Josh blushed a little.

“She’s a very sweet girl.” he replied, trying to play it safe.

“Oh don’t be so coy!” Betty giggled while her husband and son both chuckled, amused by Josh’s discomfort but in an affectionate rather than mean-spirited way. “We all know why she likes coming over so much!” She chuckled at the look on Josh’s face. “Come now,” she chuckled, “don’t look so shocked! Honestly, every generation thinks they’re the first to invent misbehaving! If I really wanted to make you blush, young man, I’d tell you about the things I got up to at her age with my favourite teacher! Not to mention my riding instructor! Just because we didn’t talk about things,” she smiled slyly, “doesn’t mean they weren’t going on!” Josh was saved from having to respond to this by Penny coming back into the room with a steaming mug of hot chocolate and the promised home-made mince pie on a little plate, complete with a dessert fork and generous blob of whipped cream! Josh took them gratefully, set the plate down on a mat on the wooden coffee table in front of him and held the mug with both hands.

“Now where has Amelia got to?” Penny sighed. “It shouldn’t take this long to put on the dress! I set it out on her bed for her. I’ll go see where she’s got to.” Josh continued to chat to the others as they heard her trudging up the stairs. A few minutes later she reappeared in the doorway and called to Josh. “Do you mind joining me out here for a moment?” she asked a little awkwardly. Puzzled, Josh put his drink down, ensuring that it was on a coaster, then went to join her out in the hallway. “Amelia was trying to wait until you left.” Penny explained apologetically. “My mother means well but she does seem to insist on still trying to dress her like she’s a four year old Shirley Temple! She’s agreed to come down if you wait here so you see her first so you can get your laughs out before she goes into the living room. Deal?”

“Well, sure,” Josh frowned, “whatever makes her more comfortable. But I don’t see how it can be all that bad?”

“Like I said,” Penny chuckled, rolling her eyes just like her daughter, “my mother means well. Okay, honey!” she called up the stairs. “He’s here, you can come down!” Josh heard Amelia’s bedroom door close then her footsteps on the stairs before finally she came into view, looking like a cross between Alice in Wonderland and the Sugarplum fairy!

The dress was very nicely made and would indeed have looked cute on anyone six years old and under but on a sophisticated pre-teen like Amelia it was bordering on ridiculous. It had a similar cut and style to a traditional Bavarian Dimdl dress but the skirt was far more flared out by the frilly green petticoats underneath. The main colour was red, the dress trimmed with green lace which also trimmed the white satin blouse worn underneath. A pattern of holly leaves and stars decorated the edges of the bodice and pairs of crossed candy-canes surrounded the bottom of the skirt. The tights she wore underneath were red and green striped and the outfit had even come with a pair of red patent-leather shoes with shiny gold buckles.

“Well?” Amelia gave a little twirl at the bottom of the stairs. “What do you think?”

“It’s… different!” Josh replied, nodding thoughtfully. “Definitely not a look I’m used to for you but I can’t say you’re not absolutely rocking it!” he teased. “Are you planning on wearing that to Sam’s party?”

“Definitely not!” Amelia practically hissed, trying to keep her voice low enough so as not to be heard by her Grandma, not wanting to upset her. “This dress stays between us, got it?” she glared forcefully. “And if I even suspect you’re trying to take a photo, your phone might accidentally end up in the oven with Sam!” Once again she made air quotes but this time around the word “accidentally”, “Or have a nasty run-in with that sledge-hammer Daddy keeps in the shed!”

“”Pinkie promise!” Josh chuckled, holding out his little finger which Amelia interlocked with her own to seal the deal. “Come on, let’s go show your Grandma!” The adults went back into the room first and Josh sat back down next to Betty while Penny went to sit beside her husband.

“Let’s give her a drum-roll, shall we?” Penny grinned and all five of the adults slapped their thighs rapidly then, with an admirable smile and performative cheerfulness, Amelia pranced into the room and gave a twirl, much to the delight of her grandparents who she thanked effusively then, seeing that all the other seats were full, sat down on Josh’s lap, giggling as she cheekily helped herself to a couple of gulps of his hot chocolate!

There was a little more chat, both about Josh’s family’s plans for Christmas and the very special turkey they would be having and about the Christmas they would be having with Amelia’s older sister and her new family. Once his drink was finished, Josh thanked them all for their hospitality and declared that it was time to go and meet the rest of his family.

“Not without giving me a kiss!” Amelia giggled, holding up a sprig of mistletoe that Josh guessed had been slipped to her by her Grandma. Chuckling, he leaned forward and gave her a gentle peck on the lips.

“Oh you can do better than that!” Betty teased. “Go on! Give the poor girl a proper kiss!” Realising that the whole family were very well aware of the nature of his relationship with Amelia and clearly approving of it, he pulled her close and gave her long, passionate kiss during which their tongues caressed each other. Josh could feel things stirring inside his trousers and knew he had to make his excuses to leave before things got out of hand! “Much better!” Betty giggled when the pair finally broke the kiss. “That wasn’t so hard now, was it!”

“Well something’s certainly hard!” Amelia teased, sticking out her tongue.

“I really do have to go now!” Josh chuckled awkwardly, slipping Amelia off his lap and standing up, hoping the bulge in the front of his trousers was not too obvious. “The others will be thinking I got lost! Thank you very much for the chocolate and the mine pie!” he smiled at Penny. “And it was lovely to meet you! See you tomorrow?” he asked Amelia who nodded enthusiastically. “Great! And a very merry Christmas to the rest of you!”


To be continued...