The youngest laughed. The others followed.
Sit Properly
“Don’t make them laugh,” Aunt May told Theo.
Theo looked at his father. His father was trying to straighten Theo’s scarf without getting his own caught in it.
“I wasn’t going to.”
Grandpa made room on the bench. Theo sat between them while Aunt May stepped back with the camera.
“Closer, please.”
Theo moved towards Grandpa. His father moved too, and Theo found himself comfortably wedged between two coats.
“Now sit properly.”
“I am,” Grandpa said.
“You’re looking at Theo.”
“I know where he is.”
Grandpa faced the camera. Theo pulled the end of his scarf from beneath his father’s sleeve. The wool scratched pleasantly against his chin.
Don’t Laugh
Aunt May lifted the camera, then lowered it again.
“There’s a bit of hair over your eye.”
“Mine?” Grandpa asked.
“Theo’s.”
“Good. I can’t do much about mine.”
Dad brushed Theo’s curls back. They returned immediately.
Aunt May came closer to try. Theo held his head still while her fingers worked. When she stepped away, one curl followed her hand and settled exactly where it had been.
“That one can stay,” she decided.
Theo looked up at Dad. Dad’s eyes followed the curl.
Then Theo looked at Grandpa. Grandpa’s eyes followed it too.
Theo looked straight ahead again.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
He turned towards Dad. Dad looked down at him.
He turned towards Grandpa. Grandpa looked back.
Theo tried very hard to keep his face serious.
Grandpa Notices
Aunt May stepped backwards, adjusting the camera.
“Just a little more this way.”
“Which of us?” Dad asked.
“All of you.”
The bench scraped. Theo’s shoulder pressed against Grandpa’s, and the edge of Dad’s coat brushed his other cheek.
Theo looked up at Grandpa again.
Grandpa waited until Aunt May was peering at the camera. Then he moved only his eyes, following Theo’s gaze towards Dad.
Dad was looking at Aunt May.
Theo looked back at Grandpa. Grandpa looked back at Theo.
A little laugh escaped. Theo covered it by pulling his scarf up to his mouth.
“What?” Dad asked.
“Nothing,” said Theo from inside the wool.
Grandpa carefully faced forward. His moustache had begun to lift at one end.
Theo lowered the scarf. He looked at Dad, then very quickly at Grandpa.
This time Grandpa was ready. He looked at Dad too.
Dad turned towards them both.
“What are you two doing?”
“We’re sitting properly,” Grandpa said.
Theo couldn’t hold it any longer. His laugh came out loud enough to surprise even him. Dad’s serious face lasted another second before it changed.
Aunt May pressed the button.
The Picture They Kept
“I think I got one,” she said.
All three stood and gathered beside her. Theo squeezed between the adults again, this time to see the little screen.
“There,” Aunt May said.
Grandpa was looking sideways. Dad was smiling down at Theo. Theo’s head was tilted back, his mouth open in the middle of a laugh.
“I thought we were all supposed to look at the camera,” Dad said.
“We were,” said Aunt May.
Theo pointed at his father’s face.
“You laughed first.”
“I did not.”
Grandpa leaned closer to inspect the picture. His own sideways glance was very clear.
“Hard to tell,” he said.
Aunt May showed them the other photographs. In one, Dad was fixing Theo’s scarf. In another, Grandpa had closed his eyes. The last was the one with the laugh.
“Can we have that one?” Theo asked.
Dad looked at Grandpa. Grandpa looked at Theo.
“Yes,” Dad said.
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