Steve staggered into the community centre carrying two bags, both spilling over with baubles and tinsel. ‘More than enough decorations here for the centre’s Christmas tree,’ he thought gleefully. As he tipped his glittery haul – generously donated by a local builder – out onto a table, Emma shouted over at him.
‘There was a call for you, earlier, Steve!’
He glanced across to where Emma sat engulfed in Christmas paper, as she and another guy wrapped presents. ‘Her in charge’, he always laughingly called his ‘boss’.
Right from the start, they had been one big happy family at the community centre. Volunteering whenever he could – fitting it around his teaching job – Steve loved it, especially now, coming up to Christmas. And being asked to be Santa again at the annual party for disadvantaged children was a welcome bonus. It really helped to get him into the festive spirit. Divorced, he usually spent Christmas alone, refusing invites from pals. Not that he saw himself as any kind of Ebenezer Scrooge. Heaven forbid! Just that he had a thing about intruding
