I shouldn't have been surprised when he started grinning. There was no point in wondering what on Earth he was thinking when he rushed upstairs to the loft (I didn't like to call it his room, because it made it seem like he was just a guest I couldn't wait to get rid of). And it shouldn't have shocked me when he came back down a few minutes later with a Doctor Who figure in his hand. But I still found myself surprised and shocked when I figured out what on Earth he was thinking.
"Oh, no, Connor," I said, watching him carefully as he sat down in front of the table where we had the nativity set up. "Please tell me you're not."
He continued to grin from ear to ear as he placed it next to the wooden Mary. It dwarfed her in comparison.
"Alright, I didn't," he said. "If it makes you feel any better." I glared at him. "Oh, come on, Abs, it's only temporary," he said, strongly reminding me of a little kid with the way his voice sounded.
"Temporary…until when?" I asked, sitting down on the coffee table in front of him and tilting my head to look at him.
He stared at me blankly, until he came up with some kind of answer. "Until next year, I expect," he said, shrugging.
That wasn't quite the answer I was looking for, but, taking into consideration that this was Connor we were talking about, it could have been much worse. "So…what'll happen next year then?"
He thought again for a moment. "Everything will be back to normal then, I guess."
I felt myself start to laugh. "Normal?" He nodded. "Yeah…"
"What exactly is 'normal' for us, Connor?" I asked, eagerly awaiting his answer.
He began to chuckle as he thought of something he could say. "A…um…" He shrugged. "A mess," he said, like he was unsure of whether or not I would accept his answer.
I shook my head. "No, Connor, not a mess…" I said, laughing when I saw how confused he looked, head tilted like a dog. "An…organised…mess."