"Nor do you have a beard." Christopher chuckled in agreement. This caused the boy to imagine Cass with a fluffy white beard and Santa hat. At this, he was forced to suppress a grin.

He slowly unwrapped the square box with his name on it, trying his best not to resemble a small child getting over excited at the sight of presents. But when he opened it, his eyes grew wide and he forgot all about keeping cool. He grinned broadly, holding up the book before he quickly scanned the inside, something he always did with books he hadn't read yet to get a good idea about what the book was about. "Oh, Cass! I've seen this book before! In store shop windows! Oh, I was always so curious about it, but I never could affor-" He quickly stopped himself before he said he couldn't afford it and tried to change his wording before Cass noticed. Curse his babbling! "I mean, I never had the time to check it out. But it's wonderful Cass. Thank you." And then he gave her a quick awkward side hug, because he was awkward enough not to notice how awkward he made things for everyone else he encountered.

When she opened his small unwrapped box, and looked so happy with his shabby key necklace, Christopher again supressed a sigh of relief. That, was a close one. "It's nothing, really. I'm glad you like it." But that comment made his smile considerably brighter for the rest of the day.