Every time you make a move

Boxing Day

Putney, 26th december 1984

"Alright you two, what do you say to John and Veronica for cooking such a delicious lunch?" Monica stopped Johnny and Roshni from leaving the Deacon's dinner table without showing any gratitude.

They halted as they were about to run from their seat, "Thank you John and Veronica"

Veronica smiled, wiping 11 month old Joshua Deacon's face clean, "Aww, well you're both very welcome."

John beamed by her side, "It's always lovely having you two around to play"

"Robert, why don't you show Johnny and Roshni your christmas present?" his wife stopped their eldest son as she walked past him.

"Yeah, why don't you go into the living room and set up your console for them?" John followed.

"I wanna show you my doll's house!" their toddler Laura tugged Roshni's skirt.

"What's a console?" Monica asked as she stood up from her seat.

"An Atari" John whispered.

"Can't get him off of it" Veronica added.

"Don't forget to take your napkin off, sweetheart" Monica bent down and started untcuking them from her son's neck as he got up of his chair.

"What adorable outfits they're both in!" Veronica leaned over to her, admiring the smart white shirt and bow tie Johnny wore and the navy blue velvet party dress that Roshni was in, "I can see why you didn't want them to get stained."

"Well, thank you... they have no table manners at all" Monica folded his stained napkin onto his dirty plate, flicking off a bit of potato fluff from his brunette eyebrow-skimming bangs.

"Also, loving this!" Veronica gestured at her simple violet jersey frock.

"Thank you, Fred got it for my birthday," she straightened up the skirt and started lifting her children's dinner plates, "it's Yves Saint Laurent... I love what you've got going on with the earrings and the sweater though!"

"These? I wore these on our first date, they're ancient!" Veronica pointed at the chandelier earrings falling amongst her fiery hair.

"We also have a home version of Pong!" Robert exclaimed as he lead the children out with a skip in his step.

"Did someone say Ping Pong?" Freddie had returned from the toilet at that moment, tucking his thick, vivid jumper back under his bleached high-waisted denim.

"What?" Monica was struggling to follow the topic.

"Electric table tennis... It's been out for ten years but we still have ours" John explained.

"Oh, I'm good at that!" Freddie dashed out after them, desperate to beat his own children at something.

The bassist with the sandy brown afro rushed out after him, "It's not that type of ping pong, Fred!"

Monica laughed along with Veronica as she hauled Joshua out of his high chair.

"Can I help with anything?" she noticed her hands full with dirty napkins as well.