12. Lucas #2
His father’s face crumpled, and Lucas reached out and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
He could feel his father shaking as he cried, but rather than try to stop him, he sat quietly with him.
Sometimes people needed to get something out of their system, and he knew his father needed to do that exact thing right now.
Thankfully, they were away from the crowds, so they had some privacy.
Plus, his father was so bundled up in his coat, hat, and scarf that someone would need to come up close to see his face clearly, anyway.
‘Why don’t I get us something to eat?’ Lucas asked, handing his father a tissue. ‘Give you a moment for yourself.’
‘Thanks, son.’ His father wiped his eyes, then blew his nose, and Lucas got up and headed towards a food stall that he’d seen earlier.
He browsed their menu and ordered two mince pies, two gingerbread angels and two bottles of water.
The woman serving put them into a bag for him and he turned to walk back to the harbour when he heard a cry.
A little girl was standing by the tree, looking distraught.
She was scanning the ground while tears ran down her cheeks.
‘Hey, what’s wrong?’ Lucas asked as he approached her.
‘I’ve lost him!’ She looked up at Lucas, then rubbed at her eyes. Her pink bobble hat was crooked, and she had a snotty nose. She looked like she was about seven years old.
‘Who have you lost?’ Lucas asked gently.
‘My … my teddy, Cuddlebug. I had him just now and then I went to speak to a friend from school. I must have dropped him and when I came back, he was gone.’ Her bottom lip wobbled, and fresh tears flooded her eyes.
‘Don’t worry, we can try to find him. Are you here with your parents?’ he asked.
She shook her head. ‘M-my Grandpa. He’s over there.’ She pointed at a man who was standing in line at a sweet stall. ‘He’ll be so upset because my granny made the bear for me and now sh-she’s in heaven.’
Lucas crouched down. ‘What’s your name?’
She froze, her eyes wide. ‘I forgot I’m not supposed to talk to strangers.’
‘That’s very sensible. OK… I’m Lucas and that man over there is my father.
’ He pointed at the bench where his father was sitting, his gaze still focused on the water.
‘I’m staying in the village for Christmas.
You don’t need to tell me your name, but I will help you find Cuddlebug. What does he look like?’
She sniffed hard, her little shoulders shaking. ‘H-he’s white with a red hat and coat and he has one eye because my mummy washed him, and the other eye fell out. She said she’d sew a new one on, but I don’t want him to look different to when my granny made him.’
‘So we’re looking for a white teddy bear with one eye?’
She nodded.
‘OK then … Why don’t you go back to your grandpa, and I’ll look for Cuddlebug, then bring him to you?’
She nodded. ‘Thank you.’
‘It’s no problem.’
Lucas watched as she went to join her grandpa, and then he walked around the tree in search of a teddy bear. There was no sign of him though, so he walked further, his eyes on the ground. He peered under benches and behind bins and felt his hope fading with each moment that passed.
‘Hello!’
He looked up to find Thora standing in front of him.
‘Oh … Hi.’
‘Are you looking for something?’ she asked.
‘I am. A little girl over there lost?—’
‘This?’ Thora held up a teddy bear that was probably once white but now looked rather grey. It had a red coat on and one eye. It also looked rather squashed, as if someone had hugged it tightly many times.
‘Yes! She’ll be delighted you found it.’
‘Actually, my chihuahua, Barry, found it and would’ve been happy to take it home. He loves a cuddly toy.’ She laughed. ‘You were helping the little girl look?’
He nodded.
‘Then you take it to her.’ Thora held the teddy out.
‘No. You and Barry found it, so you should take it to her.’
He was warring with the urge to stay and talk to her and the concern for the little girl, who would get more anxious with every minute that passed.
‘I think she’ll appreciate it more if it comes from you.’ Thora smiled.
‘Are you sure?’ he asked.
‘Yes, please. Go make child happy!’ Thora handed him the teddy bear.
‘Thank you so much.’ He started to walk away, then paused. ‘Uh … Perhaps then I could buy you a drink?’
Her smile lit up her face, and his chest tightened. She had the power to make him feel things he hadn’t felt in years. ‘I’d like that. I seldom meet a local hero.’
Lucas laughed as he walked away, his cheeks warm. Thora was teasing him, and he couldn’t deny that he liked it.
The little girl looked around nervously.
He approached, pausing briefly. He realised she didn’t want her grandpa to see she’d lost her teddy bear.
Holding it up, he shushed her with a finger to his lips then he hid the teddy behind his back and joined the queue at the sweet stall.
Leaning past the person in front, he slipped the teddy to the girl, and she hugged it tight, grinning up at him.
He waved at her, winked, then turned and left the queue. Thankfully, that was one disaster averted, so now he would take his father something to eat and then, hopefully, have the chance to buy Thora a drink.