‘Are you not getting dressed today then?’ Ed asks, poking his head around the living room door.
‘Nope,’ I reply. ‘Not today, not tomorrow – maybe not even this year.’
‘Well, there’s not much I can say to that,’ he says. ‘Other than we’ll all join you.’
Ed comes out from behind the wall, revealing his red and green Christmas pyjamas. They’re designed to make the wearer look like an elf – and they’re completely adorable.
For the first time today, I crack a smile at my super serious friend in his super serious pyjamas.
‘We?’ I say.
‘It’s safe to come in,’ Ed calls out.
Fifi, Zach, Matt and even Clarky all come in – and they’re all wearing pyjamas too.
Matt is carrying a pile of pizzas. The warm, delicious smell drifts over and my unintentional hunger strike hardly seems worth it now. Maybe I’ll just gain loads of weight instead – I’m borderline anyway, I may as well pick a side and own it.
‘We thought we’d hang out with you, eat junk, watch movies,’ Fifi says.
‘But we thought we’d send Ed in first, make sure it was safe,’ Clarky adds.
‘Oh, wow, so Ed was just the canary you sent in to make sure it was safe?’ I joke.
‘He owed me one,’ Zach says with a smile.
‘So, what do you reckon?’ Matt asks. ‘Pizza, maybe a Will Ferrell movie or two? I might even let you wear my Superman dressing gown, if you play your cards right.’
I feel immediately lighter.
‘That would be great,’ I reply, sitting up to make more room on the sofa.
I may have lost Tom, but a boy is just a boy. My friends will always have my back. As long as I’ve got my friends, I know I’ll be OK.