Twelfth birthday presents

"She eased a Tintin comic book from a shelf. I remembered it well. I'd been able to pack only our most cherished possessions to take to Maryville. It was Prisoners of the Sun. Marco's twelfth birthday card from Henry was still taped into the cover. I knew where my card was too. It still served as a bookmark in the compilation of Debussy sheet music that had also come from the second-hand bookshop with the till that never rang up more than we could afford. Despite her best efforts, Henry's Mom had been right. Most of the pieces had proved too advanced for me then and for several years afterwards, but of all the birthday presents I'd ever received, no other still gave me such pleasure."