Elliot was a month old at his first Christmas.
Claire and Simon brought him to Emsworth with Ruby, who was four and had already decided that Christmas was being organised around a baby who could not open presents or eat lunch.
‘He doesn’t know it’s Christmas,’ she told me.
‘No.’
‘Then why has he got presents?’
This was difficult to answer without weakening the whole arrangement.
Alan carried the bags in from the car. Simon carried Elliot. Claire carried the list of things Elliot might need during the next six hours.
We had agreed to keep the day simple. Alan and I had interpreted this as fewer people. Claire had meant fewer courses, no crackers near the baby and lunch at the correct time.
Ruby opened her presents with enough speed to create work for everybody else. Elliot slept through most of it. His gifts were clothes, books and a soft toy that Ruby considered inadequate.
‘He needs something with wheels.’
‘He can’t sit up.’
‘For later.’
Mum had died less than three months earlier. Her name came up in ordinary ways. Claire said Mum would have complained about the size of the turkey. Alan said she would have been right. I told Ruby that Great-Gran always kept the paper from presents if it had not been torn.
Ruby inspected the floor and began collecting the larger pieces.
We ate lunch in stages because Elliot woke as the food was served. Claire took him into the other room. Simon followed with a plate. Alan kept their dinners back and asked me whether he should put gravy on them.
‘Ask Claire.’
‘I was hoping to avoid that.’
He asked Claire.
After lunch, Ruby watched a film and the adults spoke more quietly than usual. Elliot was passed between Claire, Simon, Alan and me, though Claire continued to monitor the position of his head from wherever she was sitting.
Peter rang in the afternoon. We spoke about the day and did not speak for long. He was spending Christmas with friends.
Before Claire and Simon left, Ruby gave Elliot one of her small toy cars. Claire said he was too young for it.
‘I said it was for later.’
The car went into the changing bag.
Claire rang that evening. Ruby had decided she wanted it back.
‘What happened to later?’ Alan asked.
Later had finished. He returned the car on Boxing Day.