Nick moved the map around as I got my notebook out to fix the schedule.

“Nick?” I patted my jeans. And stuck my hands in my coat pocket. “Have you, er…” I rummaged in my bag. Then rummaged harder. “Have you seen my notebook?”

Nick looked blank. “Sorry—not since you showed your mom.”

An icy thud hit me harder than a perfectly thrown snowball.

I had picked it up off the last train. Hadn’t I?

But after emptying every pocket, even checking in my bobble hat, it was nowhere.

All my research! All the timings! All the perfect Christmas things!

THIS WAS A DISASTER.

“Don’t worry.” Nick was checking my coat again after I’d flung it at him in a mild breakdown. “We can figure this out.”

“But I can’t remember everything! I can’t remember anything!” I started typing the bits I could into my phone, but the more I freaked out, the more I forgot.

How had I messed this up? I’d been planning it for EVER!

“Hol.” Nick sounded genuinely concerned. “Look…” He paused. “A swede is a cross between which two vegetables?”

What?!

“Good.” Nick was looking me straight in the eye. “You’re back in the room…train, whatever. It was cabbage and turnip by the way. The closest to a Christmas fact I could get. Now, I’ve got a suggestion…” A voice boomed over the speakers:

“PENN STATION.”

“As I see it, there are two options.” He was talking quickly. “We try and remember what was on your list. Or…” He shrugged, a little grin on his face. “Or we do Christmas in a new way. We figure it out.”

Figure it out?

Figure. It. Out?! This was meant to be my perfect Christmas day!

But as the train stopped and the doors cranked open, I didn’t feel like I had much choice.

Without him seeing, I reached in my bag and clutched my snow globe, hoping the Christmas magic that got me here could work its charm today.

And off we went.

We stepped out on to Seventh Avenue, yellow taxis and “Don’t Walk” signs flashing. And it was better than anything I’d ever dreamt of. I was finally here. In Manhattan. And I loved it.

Nick leaned over. “Welcome to New York.”

“It’s been waiting for us,” I replied, but his face told me he didn’t necessarily get the Taylor Swift reference.

“Shall we walk around the block first?” I nodded, too busy taking it all into speak. “We can grab a drink. Central Park is pricey.”

Frankly even if he said, “Let’s jump in front of the traffic, waving our pants above our heads,” I’d probably agree. Anything felt like a good idea right now. WE WERE IN NEW YORK!