Shelly raised her glass and thought about David and her first summer in Greece, and the years she had spent in a bubble of sadness and regret. Thank you for letting me go, my darling David. I will never forget you, or the love we had. She stood and glanced at everyone in turn. ‘I’d also like us all to remember those who can’t be with us today – friends, relations, mothers, fathers, lovers, grandmothers and everyone we care about – to wish them every happiness wherever they are.’

When each of them had voiced a toast, Shelly raised her glass again. ‘Just one more, as we are all coming to visit you, in Kea, next: please all raise your glasses to summer in Greece!’

‘Summer in Greece!’ they cried in unison.

‘Right, Dad, will you do the honours?’ Shelly nodded at the Christmas tree.

Gordon plugged in and threw the switch. The lights flickered, went out, came back on and pulsed away. Everyone cheered and clapped and Gordon beamed like it was a personal triumph.

‘Right, DJ, will you drive the boys and their cases to The Rose and Crown?’ She turned to Harry. ‘That’s where everyone is staying, and also, that’s where we’re having Christmas dinner tomorrow. Too many of us to do it here.’

The doorbell chimed. ‘Eve, come in!’ Shelly cried. ‘Harry, this is my business partner and best friend, Eve.’

Eve blinked at everybody. ‘Wow! A house full of handsome men all to yourself, no wonder you kept going back to Greece!’ Everyone laughed as Eve leaned towards Harry offering her cheeks for kisses and throwing an approving wink at Shelly.

‘’Ere, I want one of those, Eve love,’ Gordon called, and everyone laughed again.

‘I’ve come to see if you need lifts,’ Eve said. ‘Bill and Malcolm and DJ’s girlfriend and her friends are already in the pub, organising karaoke.’

‘Great,’ Elias said. ‘I’m not bad at karaoke, even if I say so myself.’

‘Thinks he’s Jay-Z,’ Petros teased.

‘Brilliant,’ Shelly said to Eve. ‘That would be a great help. If you could take Elias and Petros, Eve. Then, DJ could take Harry in the Beetle.’ She glanced at the clock. ‘I’ll bring Dad in a few minutes.’

‘You’ve got a Beetle, that’s so cool, man!’ Petros said as they went out of the door.

Suddenly, the house was quiet apart from the haunting melody of ‘Silent Night’.

Shelly and her father exchanged a sad smile. ‘It’s Christmas Eve, Dad, come on. We have a wreath to lay.’ She helped him into his coat and they stepped into the front porch at just that same time as her mother had, twenty-one years ago. Shelly lifted the beautiful Christmas wreath off the front door, the first one to hang there since. Then, she linked arms with her father and together, they carried it towards the bus stop on the bend.