‘It’s snowing!’ screeched Max as he came bouncing down the landing and into their room, an impish grin fixed across his face. ‘And Santa’s been!’ he squealed, depositing a bulging stocking full of gifts onto the bed, before bolting off to rouse the rest of the house with a ‘Merry Christmas everyone!’ Tasha laughed sleepily as she reached over to switch on her bedside table lamp.
‘Happy Christmas,’ she said, leaning over to kiss Charlie.
‘Happy Christmas!’ he replied. Tasha laughed at the sight of him in his reindeer pyjamas. She got out of bed and threw back the curtains. Sure enough, snowflakes were falling thick and fast, each one miraculous in its perfection, adding to the bright white canopy of snow that had already started to settle across the fields and hedgerows below. She still couldn’t believe that this was her view: rolling countryside as far as the eye could see. She knew she would never get bored of it.
Seconds later Bella and Daisy, who were sharing a room, could be heard shrieking with delight as they looked out of the window and saw the snow for themselves. ‘It really is snowing!’ they cried, racing into the spare room to wake Becca and Fergus, who was in his travel cot by Becca’s bedside.
Flora traipsed sleepily into their room with her enormous stocking. ‘Happy Christmas, Mum and Dad!’ She yawned.
‘Come on!’ Max squeaked, racing back into the room to retrieve his stocking. ‘Let’s go down and open our presents!’ He looked as if he was about to spontaneously combust with enthusiasm.
They gathered around the tree, adorned with jewel-bright baubles. Carols played joyfully from the speakers and a fire crackled in the hearth. ‘Look!’ Max squealed. ‘The carrots have gone!’
‘And the whiskey is empty…’ Daisy was beside herself with excitement. ‘There’s only a few crumbs where the mince pies were!’ Their innocent disbelief was enchanting.
‘You must have all been very good this year.’ Becca smiled. ‘Look at all these presents!’ Tasha, Becca and Charlie couldn’t help but laugh as they watched the children rip open the colourful paper and shriek in disbelief at the spoils that lay hidden inside. Max and Bella, who had joined Daisy at the local primary school, had written letters to Santa for their Christmas homework. Max was delighted to find Santa had granted his wishes, convinced more than ever that he was real. Bella played along despite the rumours flying around school that Santa didn’t exist, clinging to the magical make-believe for one last time. Flora had settled in well to the follow-on secondary school, making new friends easily. She seemed much less anxious, much to both Charlie and Tasha’s relief.
After a rushed breakfast, having managed to persuade the children to get dressed in their best frocks and Christmas jumpers, they piled into two cars to drive to church for the Christmas Day service.
Before entering the church, they walked over to the far side of the graveyard, where Andrew had been laid to rest, Becca carrying Fergus in her arms.
‘Happy Christmas, Dad,’ Daisy said, placing a card she had made on her father’s grave.
‘Happy Christmas, darling,’ Becca repeated as she stepped forward to rest a wreath of holly at the foot of Andrew’s gravestone. They paused, each of them taking a few silent minutes to pay their respects, before following Becca’s lead and making their way into the church. No matter how much time passed it was still hard to accept that he wasn’t with them.
After the service Stephen and Caroline were due to join them for their first Christmas in their new home. Never a day went by without Tasha thanking her lucky stars for their new life in the country. The space, the peace and quiet, the beauty of their surroundings: it was the stuff of dreams, and they both agreed it was the best decision that they had ever made. It was the perfect place to start the rest of their lives together, their own happily ever after.
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