“They’re going on a cruise.”
Jules was starting to get really pissed off. “There’s more to it, though, right?”
“They’re going on a cruise for Christmas.”
A pair of simultaneous “Ohhhs” echoed about Chloe’s lounge room. She took it as solidarity and an open invitation to rant. “I know! Christmas! And they didn’t even invite me and my brother, so he’s going off skiing in Canada and I’m going to be all alone. On Christmas.”
A muffled voice said something to Chloe and another light turned on, illuminating the kitchen behind her.
“Hi, Ash!” called Lucy through the screen.
Ash walked up behind Chloe and leant over the back of the couch. “Hi, girls. How’s life in the northern hemisphere?”
“Quite lovely, actually,” said Lucy. “It’s that time of year when you forget how cold and grey London can get—you know, daylight ’til ten-ish and warm weather. It was twenty-two today!”
Ash grinned into the screen. “Yeah, that sounds way better than Melbs at the moment. I frigging hate winter. How ’bout you Jules?”
“Yeah, pretty good,” she said, glossing over the reality. “I really need to get out to the coast soon, though. I’m thinking I’ll go see my girlfriend in San Diego—just for a weekend. She’s into sailing, so that would be cool.”
“Uh, hello! We were talking about Christmas. About how I’m going to be alone on Christmas.”
“Are you two sick of Chloe’s whining yet, because I am?” teased Ash.
Ash was one of the three people on the planet who could get away with saying something like that to Chloe’s face. The other two people were on the screen, both stifling laughs.
“Very funny, all of you, but you know what Christmas means to me.”
“Yes!” This time it was three voices in sync.
“Look, I told you last night, you won’t be alone”—Ash gave Chloe a pointed look—“if you just stay here.” Ash looked back at the screen. “Orphans’ Christmas is at our place this year.”
“And what’s that?” asked Lucy.
“I’m going to let Chloe explain. Gotta jump in the shower. See ya, girls.”
“So, an orphans’ Christmas is with your friends, right, the ones whose families aren’t around?” asked Jules.
“Yes.”
“That sounds fun!” Jules replied. If it was possible, Chloe moped even harder.
“So, you won’t be alone then? You’ll be with the other Christmas orphans?” asked Lucy, helpfully.
“It’s not the same. I don’t want to be a Christmas orphan. I just want a normal, traditional Christmas. That’s not too much to ask, is it?”
“What do you mean by ‘normal’?” Jules knew what a normal Christmas was to her, but the three of them had never shared the holiday before.
“Well, you know?” From the blank looks on their faces, they did not. “Well, family. Family is a big part of Christmas. And presents. And a tree. And Christmas lunch and wine—you know, a normal Christmas.”
“But won’t you have all that with Ash and your friends?” Jules asked.
“Not the family part.” Chloe seemed to have an answer for everything.
“But they’re your close friends, right? Like us. Aren’t we like family?” Surely Jules could make her see reason.
Chloe shrugged. “I suppose.”
Jules blew out a frustrated laugh. “Way to make us feel special, Chlo.”
Great, now she’d insulted her best friends. “Sorry, you’re right. You girls are like family. And Ash.”
“I know!” Jules could almost see the little lightbulb illuminate above Lucy’s head. “Why don’t you come here for Christmas?” Lucy’s russet brown eyes peered up at Chloe from the screen.
“To London?”
“Yes! Why not? Oh, actually, it wouldn’t be London, because I go home at Christmas, to Oxfordshire, but you’d be most welcome. You could share my old room; we could get a cot for you.” Chloe blinked at the word “cot” but Lucy didn’t notice and kept prattling. “And there’s the village Christmas Fair, and carol singing at the church, and Mum makes the best Christmas cake, absolutely drowning in sherry. All very traditional. Not your kind of traditional, of course, but still, just lovely.
“And I suppose I should say it probably won’t be a white Christmas or anything. In fact, I can’t remember the last time we had one of those. It’s usually more of a slushy, wet, grey day. It can get a little depressing sometimes, if I’m completely honest, because you just end up longing for snow, especially because there’s always snow in the Christmas films, isn’t there?” Lucy was whipping herself into quite the festive season frenzy.
“I mean, Bridget Jones’s Diary—snow. While You Were Sleeping—snow. The Holiday—snow. God, I love that film. Jude Law—mmm. But anyway, it so rarely happens at home. I’d love a white Christmas, now that I think of it.” Her frown returned.
“Well, you should come here, then Luce,” joked Jules. We’ve got snow, that’s for sure. So. Much. Damned. Snow.”
Lucy’s eyes brightened, completely missing Jules’s tone. “Do you mean it? Could I really come?”
Jules barked a wry laugh. “I don’t see why not—if you want a big, loud, crazy Christmas. It’ll be up at our cabin in Breckenridge—and my aunt and her whole family come, so we’d have to share a room. I mean, Christmas with my family can get a little intense, Luce …” She saw Lucy’s face fall just a fraction; she’d have to dial it down. “But I can one hundred percent guarantee you a snowy one.”
A grin split Lucy’s face. “But wait, Chloe, what should we do about you?”
“Sorry?” Chloe, only half-listening to the chat about Christmas in Colorado, was pulled from her thoughts. She’d been imagining herself in a tiny English village having a proper traditional Christmas. Plum pudding, Christmas carols, sitting by the fire drinking mulled wine—even the Christmas Fair sounded fun. And with Lucy off in America, she wouldn’t have to sleep on a cot.
“Actually, even if you do go to America, I think I would like an old-fashioned English Christmas. Do you think your parents would let me come?”
Lucy answered immediately. “Oh, they absolutely would. You’re my best friend!”
“Ahem!” Jules teased.
“Well, you both are. And I’ll miss you, of
