Would You Adam and Eve It?

The wind was starting to rise as Adam Ryton free-wheeled his bike down Henley Road hill. The cold December air ruffled blond curls and made his jacket flap and flutter as he gathered momentum. In the gloom, the road disappeared into nothing. Dark trees lined the route, waving frantically, daring him to go faster. Tucking his head down for home, he had a smile as broad as the Thames Valley. Christmas was almost here! Wooooooooh!
Soon the dark ride was over. He turned in through the open gates of 51, Chapel Close. Home. No place like it, now that school had broken up for Christmas. Time to forget the noise, the smells and petty hassles from pupils and teachers alike. Adam loved his two weeks of Christmas down-time! He closed the shed with a thump and locked his 21-speed bike away. That had been last year’s main present. Who knows what he would be getting tomorrow morning?
Adam tried to close the back door quietly, but he had too many excited thoughts to be careful. Argh! He was being tracked on female radar.
“Adam. Here you are! You should have been in half an hour ago! Take your shoes off at the back door. Can you do me a big favour? Look after the twins for a couple of hours, they both look flushed. I’ve got to drop the presents off at Mum’s and I don’t want them going out in this cold air and coming down with something.”
“Yeah okay then.” Adam put on his best fake frown.
It meant he could avoid listening to who was doing what to whom - all the silly soap storylines. Better still, he could set the twins down in front of ‘Shrek’ and get his school work out of the way, rather than leave it to the last minute, as he normally did!
* * *

Eve found much of the house in darkness when she returned. It was a little too quiet. Okay, the empty DVD case was still on the floor, but otherwise, nothing appeared out of place. She wearily climbed the stairs. For her, Christmas was nothing to celebrate any more. It’s hard work, when it seems that you’re doing it all on your own.
The twins were in bed sleeping soundly. She had half expected them all to be still up, in front of the TV. Eve smiled to herself: Adam had been unusually responsible there and tucked them in. She looked in on him, but he wasn‘t there. Not that responsible then.
The faint glow under the door of the box room told its own story. Eve quietly tiptoed in and turned off the computer. Adam was slumped over the desk, dreaming his dreams. Eve leaned over and kissed his forehead, but he didn’t wake until she switched on the light.
“Adam, Santa won’t come if you’re not in bed by midnight!” Adam was awake now. He dashed to the bathroom and started cleaning his teeth. Eve shook her head at her husband. She had heard him say that being a teacher kept him young. But he was worse than the kids!