They’d struggled through those first months, and then finally things had started to settle down. And then Holly had started moving. Crawling at first, shuffling across the floor at speeds that caught Christy by surprise. Then she was up on her feet, unsteady to begin with but always fearless. After that there was no stopping her. If there was something she could grab, she grabbed it. Something she could climb, she climbed it. The word careful was a mystery to her.

They’d gone from lack of sleep to lack of time.

Looking back on it, it was a wonder her marriage to Seb had survived. They’d barely had any time together before Holly had arrived. Their relationship was so new, so fragile, and yet they’d had no time to tend it. Making it through each day with the three of them alive felt like an achievement. And despite the fact this hadn’t been in his life plan, Seb stuck with it, brought her strong coffee in the mornings before leaving for work and picked up food on the way home if she was too tired to cook. And then her mother died. It had felt like one thing after another. At the time she’d been proud that they were surviving, but now she saw that in focusing on survival they’d missed out on those small details that form the building blocks of a relationship.

That was the part they were going to focus on, moving forward. She was determined.

“I’ll give you some time to explore your new surroundings while I take Alix and Zac over to their new cabin,” Robyn said. “It should be ready by now.”

Christy turned, realizing that she’d been rude.

“You’re leaving? But you and I have so much to talk about. So much to catch up on.”

“That can wait.” Robyn smiled. “You need to spend some time with your family. The fridge is stocked with food, so help yourself, although I hope that you’ll join Erik and me for dinner over in the lodge one evening once you’ve settled in.”

Holly darted across the room. “Don’t go, Aunt Robyn!”

Robyn dropped into a crouch. “Suka can stay with you. Would you like that?”

“Yes, but I want you to stay, too.” Holly flung her arms round her, almost knocking her flat, and it occurred to Christy that Holly knew Robyn better than she did. She’d spent time with her. Talked to her, although not about anything significant, presumably.

Robyn hugged her gently. “You need time with your parents.”

“They can be here, too. We can all be together.”

Christy decided her daughter was going to be a party animal when she grew up. The more people, the better. The more risk, the better.

“I have a suggestion.” Seb scooped Holly into his arms. “Tomorrow you and I will build a snowman outside for Mummy while she goes and chats to Aunt Robyn. A Daddy-and-Holly morning. What do you say?”

“I say yes!” Holly smacked a kiss onto his cheek and wriggled out of his arms.