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"But what is it?"
Jack watched Anouk spread the Gift Ali had given her across the kitchen floor to try and began to poke it, in an attempt to identify it. She prodded it, with one finger, then all of them. She lifted it up, holding it against the light for a moment, then held it to her nose and inhaled slowly.
"Hmm."
Jack was sure he'd seen her lick it too.
Anouk looked up at Jack from her seat on the floor first, then to Ali, who was still holding the Tesco's bag that once carried the gift. Ali had an oddly hopeful look on her face. Jack simply sipped at his tea and carefully turned the next page of his book with a neat finger.
Anouk squeezed it in her hands softly then dropped it as if it were hot.
"It's not.. alive is it?"
Jack snorted into his tea.
Ali simply smiled, crumpled the shopping bag into a ball and tucking it into her voluminous pocket before squatting beside the girl.
"Nope." She took the gift from Anouk. "It's a Poncho."
Anouk still seemed wary.
"Pon-Cho?"
"Mm-hmm. You wear it, y'know, " She mimed pulling it over her head. "It's like a jumper, just without sleeves." She flapped it lightly and the knitted fabric billowed. Ali opened it properly, making sure it wasn't inside out, and showed Anouk the neck.
"It's a dress." Anouk grabbed the edges and looked inside. It was dark, apart from the neck hole though which she could see the kitchen cabinets. Very dark. Would she get lost? She didn't think so. She poked a hand around inside the bell shaped material. Nope, no creatures, just wool and dark. Not so bad.
When her head ventured out of the Poncho, she saw Ali's hopeful face, smiling, smiling.
"Is it yours?" Anouk began.
Ali shook her head. "Yours."
Anouk stared at the vast Pon-Cho that was hers. Ali placed it in her hands, folding it neatly.
"You're green, " Anouk told the Poncho matter-of-factly as Ali stood up and began to make some tea. "I like green. Green is good."
"I thought you needed something new, you're always wearing that blue jumper and I know you like it but it's Jack's really and I think he'd like it back don't you?"
Anouk turned to Jack, the poncho now in a neat pile in her arms.
"Do you?" She said.
Jack could see Ali's pleading face. It wasn't the fact it was his that she was concerned about, it was the fact that the jumper was getting filthy and there was a small hole growing in the armpit and Ali's compulsive cleaning habits would not allow it. Jack also saw Anouks face, not pleading at all. Just wanting to know.
Jack took another sip of tea and shrugged his shoulders.
He saw the creases in Ali's eyebrows deepen a little, but only for a moment and watched, with a strange sort of glee, Anouk rush out of the room pulling the poncho on.
On top of his blue jumper.

Mine

Description
"But what is it?"
Jack watched Anouk spread the Gift Ali had given her across the kitchen floor to try and began to poke it, in an attempt to identify it. She prodded it, with one finger, then all of them. She lifted it up, holding it against the light for a moment, then held it to her nose and inhaled slowly.
"Hmm."
Jack was sure he'd seen her lick it too.
Anouk looked up at Jack from her seat on the floor first, then to Ali, who was still holding the Tesco's bag that once carried the gift. Ali had an oddly hopeful look on her face. Jack simply sipped at his tea and carefully turned the next page of his book with a neat finger.
Anouk squeezed it in her hands softly then dropped it as if it were hot.
"It's not.. alive is it?"
Jack snorted into his tea.
Ali simply smiled, crumpled the shopping bag into a ball and tucking it into her voluminous pocket before squatting beside the girl.
"Nope." She took the gift from Anouk. "It's a Poncho."
Anouk still seemed wary.
"Pon-Cho?"
"Mm-hmm. You wear it, y'know, " She mimed pulling it over her head. "It's like a jumper, just without sleeves." She flapped it lightly and the knitted fabric billowed. Ali opened it properly, making sure it wasn't inside out, and showed Anouk the neck.
"It's a dress." Anouk grabbed the edges and looked inside. It was dark, apart from the neck hole though which she could see the kitchen cabinets. Very dark. Would she get lost? She didn't think so. She poked a hand around inside the bell shaped material. Nope, no creatures, just wool and dark. Not so bad.
When her head ventured out of the Poncho, she saw Ali's hopeful face, smiling, smiling.
"Is it yours?" Anouk began.
Ali shook her head. "Yours."
Anouk stared at the vast Pon-Cho that was hers. Ali placed it in her hands, folding it neatly.
"You're green, " Anouk told the Poncho matter-of-factly as Ali stood up and began to make some tea. "I like green. Green is good."
"I thought you needed something new, you're always wearing that blue jumper and I know you like it but it's Jack's really and I think he'd like it back don't you?"
Anouk turned to Jack, the poncho now in a neat pile in her arms.
"Do you?" She said.
Jack could see Ali's pleading face. It wasn't the fact it was his that she was concerned about, it was the fact that the jumper was getting filthy and there was a small hole growing in the armpit and Ali's compulsive cleaning habits would not allow it. Jack also saw Anouks face, not pleading at all. Just wanting to know.
Jack took another sip of tea and shrugged his shoulders.
He saw the creases in Ali's eyebrows deepen a little, but only for a moment and watched, with a strange sort of glee, Anouk rush out of the room pulling the poncho on.
On top of his blue jumper.

Mine