I hoisted my massive hand luggage off the floor and tried to get a grip. It didn’t help that I was lugging around the massive sign I’d bought for Mum and Colin in Manhattan. It weighed a ton but wouldn’t squash into my suitcase. I pulled back the Bubble Wrap to check it was surviving. “Welcome to the home of Sophie, Colin, Naomi, Holly, Zai, Kai, and Colin.” I’d wanted to put “Colin x2” but had resisted—it was going to look great outside our new home.

Being away had really made me realize that home wasn’t about the postcode, it was about being where Mum and Naomi are—if Mum wanted to add more people into the mix, well, it just meant more pressies…and more chance of multiple tins of Quality Street.

My phone buzzed.

Literally. Cannot. Wait. One and a half more sleeps till Christmas. And one more till YOU.

It was the early morning there—she should be asleep!

I set my alarm to wave you offffffff

She was the actual best. She never normally woke up for anything!

Remind me to never be apart from you for this long ever again. Genuinely have developed an eye twitch it’s been so stressful without you.

LOVE YOU SLEEP NOW SEE YOU SOON LOVE YOU SLEEP LOVE WAVE FROM THE SKYYYY.

But it already said she was off-line—I think she’d fallen back asleep already. She was worse than Colin. When Ruby woke up, I would have landed. I’d arranged to meet her at That Little Café at two p.m. after I’d had a shower. I said I had film on my disposable camera to use up, so she should look extra HAWT. What Ruby didn’t know was I’d also asked Temi to meet me—same place same time. It was a setup so they could finally have their date. I was dying to see Ruby, but I could wait, as I was dying to make it up to her even more.

I looked around again and checked the arrivals and departure boards for any hint mine and Elle’s last-minute idea might work. But nothing.

“Flight BV197—gate seven now open. Could all passengers make their way to the gate. Boarding will begin shortly.”

Guess I better start walking then. Oh well—we knew it needed a miracle to have worked.

BANG.

Ouch?! A human ran at me at full pelt.

THUD.

I only stayed standing as my massive bag balanced me out.

“I can’t believe we did it!” Elle threw her luggage down and went in for round two of the biggest hug. “I swear I was about to bribe the cabin crew with Twiglets to make the pilots get a move on. I even had Ruby do a lucky pebble spell thing.”