Page 86 of Winter Magic on Railway Lane

Libby hesitated before she spoke again. ‘There was one other extra treat I had for you.’

Her dad raised his eyebrows in question. ‘Oh yes?’ he asked.

Libby nodded and headed over to one of the kitchen cupboards. She pulled out a box and placed it on the table. Her dad looked down and smiled at the Christmas ribbon that she had tied on the top.

‘More chocolates?’ he asked, sitting down at the table.

Libby sat down next to him. ‘Actually, they’re a special flavour,’ she told him.

He pulled on the ribbon and then lifted up the lid and took an appreciative breath. ‘Smells as wonderful as always.’

Libby bit her lip, feeling a little nervous, as she watched him pop one of the truffles in his mouth.

After he had finished eating, he looked at her with wide eyes.

‘It’s chocolate ginger,’ she told him. ‘Mum’s favourite.’

He nodded. ‘Yes,’ he said, his voice croaky with emotion. ‘It was.’

Then they were both hugging and sharing their tears.

‘I miss her,’ Libby murmured into her dad’s shoulder.

‘Me too, my darling girl,’ he replied.

Libby leant back, wiping her wet cheeks. ‘But she’d be getting cross at us crying at Christmas, wouldn’t she?’ she said.

Her dad gave her a teary smile. ‘Absolutely,’ he replied, nodding. But he took her hand in his good one and gave it a squeeze. ‘Well, we’d better have that coffee. We’ve both got a busy day ahead for the train run tonight.’

Her dad had volunteered to help out for the Christmas Eve run. Normally, Eddie would take people’s tickets as they came onto the platform, check them and then return them as souvenirs. But Ethan had planned an extra-special surprise for his grandad. Earlier that afternoon, he had delivered a present to Eddie, with instructions for it to be used that evening.

Just before the passengers began to arrive, all their friends and family gathered on the platform for the special arrival.

Finally, Bob came through the doors from Platform 1 and turned around to smile at his father as he walked out.

Eddie came out slowly, but with an extremely proud look on his face. He was wearing a brand new stationmaster’s uniform, an exact replica of the one that had been worn when the steam train had originally run. Everyone clapped and cheered as he took off his cap and doffed it to them all, smiling all the while.

His smile faltered as he looked around the station in wonder. Dodgy Del’s fake snow had lasted the day and so Eddie’s dream of seeing the steam engine in the snow had come true. He looked at Ethan with teary eyes and they both stepped forward at the same time to embrace.

‘It’s perfect,’ Libby heard him say to Ethan. ‘Just like I had imagined.’

Eddie spent the rest of the time before the train set off mingling with the passengers, sharing train trivia with those who asked. Libby thought what a tonic the train had been for him. He was not quite as mobile as he had once been, but he was much better and would keep improving. Perhaps he would never be quite the same, but he had a quality of life as did her own dad now and she was pleased for them both.

Eddie rode the train that evening, going up and down the corridor, revelling in the attention and even having his photograph taken.

As the train drew into the station one last time all dressed in its festive finery, everyone clapped and cheered.

Libby hugged and applauded along with everyone else once the passengers had finally gone home to wait for Father Christmas’s arrival. She watched with tears in her eyes as Eddie walked up to Ethan with tears of his own streaming down his face.

‘You did it, lad,’ said Eddie.

Ethan smiled, his face almost black with the soot and dust from the engine, but his blue eyes shone out.

‘I’m so proud of you,’ she heard Eddie carry on. ‘And your grandmother would have been too.’

Then they hugged and everyone cheered once more.

‘I have a further announcement,’ shouted Bob, checking the piece of paper that Ryan had just handed him. ‘As you know, the profits made from the Christmas train were all going to a local charity. And I’m thrilled to announce that we’ve decided to donate the money to our local stroke club.’