19. Thora
THORA
‘ A re they here yet?’ Reggie asked. ‘I’m freezing my jingle balls off.’
‘Reggie!’ Thora shook her head. ‘Don’t be so rude.’
They were waiting outside The Garden Café for Finn and Titus to arrive.
Curtains covered the windows of the café so they couldn’t see inside, but the solar lights and outdoor lamps that were dotted around illuminated the garden.
It was a cold evening with snow on the ground.
The sky was clear, so above them the stars twinkled and the moon glowed like a frozen globe in the dark canvas of the sky.
‘What? I said jingle bells.’
‘You did not.’ Thora struggled to keep a straight face as she stared at her son.
It was hard to be strict with him when he was so funny and cheeky.
Over the years, it had always been the same.
When he’d been a toddler and she’d been run ragged by him and Rosie, Reggie had tried her patience on many an occasion but always ended up making her smile.
He had such a cheeky way about him. Like the time she’d caught him standing in the lounge with a pen in his hand and a new masterpiece all over the wall.
She’d gasped when she’d entered the room and his eyes had widened as he’d realised what he’d done.
He’d run over to her and grabbed her hand, then said, ‘Rodie dunt.’
‘Rosie what?’ she’d asked.
He’d pointed at the wall and repeated, ‘Rodie. Not Reddie.’
Thora had known it wasn’t Rosie because Rosie had been in the kitchen taking tins out of the cupboard and peeling the labels off them.
Thora had been moving between the lounge and the kitchen monitoring both of them but Reggie had found a pen somewhere and managed to etch a rather large mural on the wall within seconds.
She’d sighed and led him to the kitchen where she’d found that Rosie had removed about ten labels.
They had spent the next few weeks painting the lounge and opening unlabelled tins then having pot-luck dinners because they didn’t want to waste food.
One night it was baked beans followed by tinned peaches and another it was mushroom soup followed by rice pudding.
She’d laughed about it with Finn but also realised it was a valuable lesson about always keeping the toddlers in the same room unless she had another adult in the house.
‘It is cold, Mum.’ Rosie was jigging up and down on the spot. She was wearing her warmest coat, hat and gloves, but Thora knew it was the late December weather and the thin costumes they were wearing that weren’t helping.
‘I’m sure Dad will be here soon.’
Sure enough, at that moment, they heard voices and Finn and Titus walked through the gate to The Garden Café and up to join them.
‘So we’re having a private family dinner, are we?’ Titus asked, a broad smile revealing his bright white teeth. ‘That’s a great idea.’
‘Yes, darling, we are.’ Finn winked at Thora and the twins then slid an arm around Titus, although it barely reached all the way around the bigger man’s shoulders.
‘Hello!’ The door to the café opened and Pearl stood there smiling at them from underneath a green and gold striped hat.
She was wearing a white shirt, green waistcoat, and gold tights under green shorts.
She gave her hat a shake, and a bell sewn to the end tinkled.
‘Welcome humans, to The Elf Escape Room. Feel free to enter but be aware that if you don’t work out the clues within the time limit, you might never leave… ’
Titus frowned. ‘What is this? I thought we were here to eat?’
‘We will eat later, but first we have to escape from the elves!’ Finn chuckled as he ushered everyone inside.
Thora and the twins removed their coats, and Titus frowned again, realising they were also dressed as elves.
They went behind the counter as planned and stood there waiting.
The café looked like Santa’s grotto with small Christmas trees in every corner, streamers made from crepe paper hanging from the ceiling and colourful gift boxes on every available surface.
Fairy lights twinkled from tables, the counter, and the trees and Christmas carols drifted through the air, along with the scent of mulled wine and mince pies.
‘Escape the elves?’ Titus asked, cocking a thick, black brow.
‘Yes, my love. Or they’ll keep us here to work for Santa forever…’ Finn gasped dramatically.
‘You’re mad, Finn,’ Titus said, shaking his head. ‘But come on then, let’s have a go!’
While they went to the door ready to begin, the kitchen door opened and Ellie emerged.
‘Hey there.’ She was also dressed as an elf and wearing the same costume of hat, tights, shorts and waistcoat, but she had a white jumper on under her waistcoat.
Very wise, Thora thought, with the conditions outside close to freezing.
‘Santa is waiting in the kitchen,’ Ellie whispered.
‘Santa?’ Thora tilted her head.
‘Yes. You know … Santa.’ Ellie winked and Thora realised she meant Lucas.
‘Fabulous,’ she whispered back.
‘Right then,’ Pearl stood in front of the counter. ‘I’m going to start the timer. You have thirty minutes to work out a series of clues and to find the key to escape. Your time starts now!’
Titus and Finn hurried to find the first clue. There were wooden blocks with letters on them on the first table by the window. Titus read the card: ‘Use the blocks to spell the place, find your next clue there and start the race.’
Finn helped him to move the blocks around and soon they’d got them into a word.
‘Shopwork?’ Titus asked, scratching his head. ‘That doesn’t seem right.’
‘How about workshop?’ Finn said.
‘Of course!’ Titus rearranged the letters and then looked for the sign. ‘It’s over there, by the leather sofa.’
They hurried over and found an envelope on the table. Titus opened it and read the card. ‘Find the place where Santa’s helpers dwell, let them know you’re there by ringing the _ _ _ _.’
‘Hmmm…’ Finn said. He’d written the clues, so Thora knew he was trying to hold back unless he found Titus struggling, in which case he’d help more.
‘Bell!’ Titus looked around, then said. ‘There!’
They went to the Christmas tree in the corner by the counter where a large bell was hanging from a branch. Titus reached inside and pulled out a small velvet bag. He opened it and inside found a small object then held it up to the light. ‘What is this?’
‘It looks like an eye.’ Finn raised his brows. ‘But from what?’
Titus scanned the room again, his cheeks flushed and his tongue poking out of the side of his mouth.
He was clearly enjoying this every bit as much as Finn had hoped.
He stalked off around the room, looking for something missing a small glass eye and then he said, ‘Aha! This teddy bear only has one eye.’
He turned it over and said, ‘The back is open.’ He felt inside, then pulled out a small card. ‘You won’t find countries on this globe, but you will find Porthpenny and some snow.’
‘Porthpenny and some snow?’ Finn rubbed his chin, then grinned over at the counter where Thora was still standing with their children and Ellie. Pearl was staying out of the way by the front door, a stopwatch in her hands. ‘What kind of globe has snow but no countries, Titus?’
Titus frowned while he thought and then his eyes lit up. ‘I know! A snow globe.’
He located the snow globe on the bookshelf behind the sofa and looked on the bottom and found a small golden key taped to it.
‘Whatever could that be for?’ Finn asked. ‘Perhaps that locked chest underneath the tree by the window?’
‘Of course!’ Titus went over and tried the key in the lock, and the chest opened.
Inside was a small box, and he lifted it out, then looked up at Finn. ‘Did you … did you set this up?’
Finn smiled. ‘I did. I wanted it to be a fun date for us.’
‘It’s brilliant.’
Thora’s eyes stung as she watched them. They were such a loving couple, and she knew Finn had found his person in Titus. She was very happy for them and couldn’t wait to see how Titus reacted when he found the last clue.
Titus opened the box. Inside was a small scroll that he unrolled. ‘Before they leave on Christmas Eve, the reindeer will eat lots of hay and then they’ll pull Santa’s…’ Titus stood up and looked around the café. ‘They pull the sleigh but there’s no sleigh here.’
‘Hold on!’ Finn said. ‘What’s that I can hear?’ He made a show of cupping his hands around his ears and listening.
‘Oh ho ho! Merry Christmas!’ The sound of bells and stamping feet followed.
‘He’s outside!’ Thora announced as planned, and they all went to the front door.
And there, standing on the lawn with a sleigh made of cardboard and an inflatable reindeer in front of it was Lucas.
The Santa costume he was wearing looked good on him even down to the fluffy white beard.
His belly was nice and plump, and Thora wondered what he’d stuffed up his top to create that effect because although he’d filled out since they were young, he still had quite a firm stomach and …
She shook herself. She really needed to stop thinking about Lucas like this.
‘Hello, Santa,’ Titus said. ‘Do you have something for me?’
‘You have five minutes left!’ Pearl interrupted. ‘Just so you know.’
‘Oh yes!’ Santa chuckled. ‘Or you’ll be forced to live here in my workshop with the elves and to bring me lots of mince pies so I can keep my belly wobbling like a jelly.’
‘Could I have the clue, please, Santa?’ Titus asked, sounding more like a little boy than a grown man who massaged the knots out of people and helped them to deal with the stresses and strains life created in their bodies.
‘Of course you can, Titus.’ Santa pulled a long piece of paper from his pocket. ‘This is my naughty and nice list. I’m happy to report that you and Finn are on the nice list. Therefore, you can have a kiss under the mistletoe.’