With a cheery bon voyage from the inquisitive Marion and a distinctly tongue in cheek it's been lovely to meet you from Harry, the now relaxed and back to his normal self Thomas with his hands held tightly in theirs, walked steadily through the departure lounge. Harry being permitted to carry him through the scanners saved what would have been a traffic jam of passengers in various modes of dress who were being ordered to remove shoes and belts and then Ruth talking to him non - stop, pointing out the arrows and signs that would take them to the departure bay and then onto their Air Canada flight, had succeeded in their first objective which was to board the plane.
Understandably vast compared to the planes that either of them had flown on and for Thomas the experience of his short lifetime, they finally found their seats. Ruth in all honesty wasn't particularly keen on flying although she hadn't admitted it, but her accelerated speech was the giveaway that Harry picked up on as he gave her the choice of the aisle or window seat. She chose the aisle for no particular reason, it was not as though she'd be able to get off mid-flight, but at least she'd be able to get to the toilet more easily or stretch her legs.
'She's not my type as you well know,' said Harry's eyes, as their blonde hostess leant across them to ensure that Thomas was safely strapped in, telling him that if there was anything they wanted, that he only needed to ask.
Harry's decision to fly first class was more than just the need for comfort and to be well fed. He was a man that believed that the first time for everything had to be memorable, a message that had been drummed into him by his father, who had spoilt his mother at every opportunity and had tried to instil the same belief into his sons. Harry fully acknowledged that with Jane he had balls it up, but with Ruth he had a path to redemption. The first time that he he'd kissed Ruth, the first time that he'd danced with her, the first time that he'd told her that he loved her and up to now and at the top of his list, the first time that he'd made love to her were his most precious memories. But in the eight years that he'd known her they had never been on holiday, there had been no dream trip to Paris or New York and his botched proposal had been refused. Now though through circumstances that neither of them had orchestrated, he had a second chance and Harry Pearce was a man on a mission.
The advantage of being six years old with a mass of dark curly hair, a face that said I'm an angel when I'm behaving and then Harry telling Bekki their stewardess that he was flying for the first time, resulted in Thomas receiving an invitation. As Harry and a more relaxed Ruth sat quietly on their own for the first time in hours and waited for their meal to arrive, he was whisked away without protest to meet the only other child, four rows back who was going to be given a tour of the plane. She'd keep an eye on him she told them and when he got tired she'd bring him back. In the meantime they should enjoy the quiet.
'Besides me not knowing that we were flying first class, what other planning in advance have you been doing?' Ruth asked, as she relaxed back into her seat and leant in against him. She didn't get an answer until their meal arrived, other than another kiss and a whisper to be patient.
Alone at last apart from the other two hundred plus passengers, Harry opened the bottle of wine that he had chosen that had been delivered with their meal. It was one year to the day since Malcolm and Tariq had deciphered Ruth's reference to the Shipping Forecast and for Harry that spelt celebration. Had they not been going to visit Graham and Thomas with them, then he'd have taken Ruth to Paris, but that was for another day and at the moment, it paled by comparison.
After a long and stress filled day, Ruth was bone tired and Harry was right she needed to sleep. It would have been nice to have Harry to curl up next too, but that wouldn't have been possible with Thomas sleeping between them. Never mind, he was hers body and soul even when he wasn't there and if she'd really needed him to stay he would have done it without question. They were a family now and whatever else he had planned for this holiday she had to be patient and let it play out, because contrived or not it was what Harry wanted, it was as clear as day.
While Ruth slept and before he joined her and Thomas with him, they had their visit to see the pilot. It had been easy to arrange as was the fact that they had seats with extra leg room. From the moment that Graham had shown him the photograph of Alice, Harry had started his planning. A willing Malcolm who would have done anything to right the wrongs that had been metered out over the years had been Harry's organiser with the airline and with Graham, and when Thomas had been unexpectedly plummeted into their lives, a simple few tweaks had got them to where they were now.
'Absolutely delighted to have helped,' had been Malcolm's exact words, when he'd confirmed the arrangements, with the promise to visit them in the New Year.
'Good evening ladies and gentlemen,' when it felt like middle of the morning, with the suggestion that 'they adjust their watches to Canadian time,' from the pilot, roused a plane of sleeping passengers and a demand from Thomas that he needed a wee. While Ruth dutifully dragged herself out of her seat and took him to the rest room to dress him in his fleece lined trousers rather than the jogging bottoms that he'd been wearing to sleep and to give his face and hands a quick lick and a promise, Harry was handed the menu choices which could be anything from breakfast to dinner, from the still cheerful Bekki.
Take away the menu and replace it with a black eye a split lip and broken ribs and it brought back memories of his last long haul flight and recent holiday in the sun with the CIA which had been without the niceties that he so valued. It was less than an hour to go before they landed and he felt more rested than he'd expected.
Throughout breakfast though, Harry kept glancing at his watch, restless and pre – occupied, and Ruth knew why. Alice was within touching distance and meeting her for the first time was going to be an emotional and difficult moment for him. He was her open book and she could see his body language changing and how hard he was trying to control it. Hard hearted Harry he certainly wasn't, his heart was melting under the weight of emotion that was building.
During the run up to the holiday while Harry had been swept along, Ruth had done some serious thinking and with Graham on board, she'd done a little preplanning of her own. As much as she loved Thomas, she knew that if only for a few moments, that Harry needed to meet his granddaughter on his own and to do that she needed to hold Thomas back. Harry was hugely important to Thomas, but for the month that lay ahead of them Thomas would have to learn how to share, something that they hadn't discussed and she felt fairly certain Harry wouldn't have considered. It was Ruth's only concern and in discussing it with Graham, she had an ally.
They had collected their luggage from the carousel and were walking towards the arrivals lounge, when Ruth who was holding Thomas's hand stopped and told Harry to go ahead, they would catch him up.
'Go on, we won't be far behind you,' was said with a look that Harry recognised and his reply was a simple 'thank you.'
Confronted with one now impatient little man who wanted to go with Harry and in an effort to avoid being trampled underfoot, she manoeuvred them to one side and bent down.
'I'm sure Alice would like you to give her a present when you meet her,' she suggested taking her time as she dug into her carry on where she'd stored a tiny teddy bear, as Harry disappeared over Thomas's shoulder into the crowd of their fellow passengers.
True to his word, as soon as Ruth and Thomas appeared, Graham stepped forward and after briefly kissing Ruth on the cheek, he scooped Thomas up into the air and handed him a 'Santa's on his way' badge, stepping far enough away for his father to give him some privacy. Safe from the crowds that were milling around them that were greeting their friends and loved ones that were arriving for Christmas, Ruth watched on. Harry was on his haunches with both of Alice's tiny hands in his own, with her chatting to him and a look on Harry's face that made Ruth reach for her phone to take a picture. Graham was doing a sterling job of keeping Thomas occupied, distracting him for as long as Harry needed to compose himself, before walking Alice back to her father.
'Yours I believe,' grinned Graham, passing Thomas back to Harry.
They had a two hour drive in front of them and with his father relaxing beside him Graham drove out of the city and away from the bright lights. In the back of the car, Ruth with the sleeping children on either side of her, was in all senses of the word in the dark and had no idea as to where they were going.
'If you're looking for a romantic family Christmas location, then wait until you see this,' Graham told them, as he turned off a road through the forest, to come face to face with what Ruth later described to the children when she was reading to them, as Red Riding Hood's Palace. It was more than twice the size of their home in Scotland which was by no means pokey, but it wouldn't be until the following morning which in this case was only a few hours away, that they would fully appreciated the grandeur of the scenery. Built fifteen years ago in what was now a Nature Reserve on the periphery of the National Park, the house stood in acres of pine forest with a private lake and a backdrop of mountains.
'Lucy's parents own it,' Graham explained, 'but they've flown to warmer climes for the winter, so it's all ours.'
'Let's hope we don't break anything,' Harry whispered to Ruth, as they carried the last of their luggage from the car and went in search of their rooms.
They had a choice of three, one on the ground floor adjacent to a twin room where Alice slept and if they were ok with that, then Thomas could share, or one of the two on the first floor. It was an easy decision and whilst Ruth sorted out Thomas's things in the room next to theirs, Harry did as he was told and went to find Graham in the kitchen.
'Lucy's working tonight, she'll drive over in the morning,' answered the one question that Harry hadn't asked Graham. 'Her parents are loaded as you can see by this, but they're really down to earth and they love Alice.'
She's beautiful and I'm so proud of you was what Harry wanted to say, but it was not the place or time. He would save it for later when he could guarantee that they wouldn't be interrupted.
The lodge it told them in the information booklet that had been left by their bedside had originally been built as a weekend retreat but had been extended and developed over the years as a second family home. Surrounded by their own land, which they were welcome to explore, the only suggestion was that no matter what age, children should be kept away from the lake unless accompanied by their parents. There were instructions as to where the wood shed was, that there was a boat with an outboard if they fancied a trip on the lake and some instructions as to how to work the kitchen appliances. A card signed from Chuck and Dorothy, wished them a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and the hope that that they'd enjoy their holiday.
'Are there any bears?' asked Thomas who was still going strong as Harry tucked him up in bed and kissed him goodnight after eating some breakfast for the second time in less than five hours.
'Go to sleep there's a good boy or you'll wake Alice,' he told him, praying that he'd sleep for at least a few hours before he woke them. Ruth was already in bed and he wanted to join her, both of them wilting as the effects of the time difference set in.