And Christy knew her, too. Christy was the only one who knew Alix had lost her virginity to Charlie Harris and that sometimes she liked to sleep with a light on. There was nothing they couldn’t say to each other. It had occurred to her, more than once, that what you needed most to help you navigate childhood and adolescence wasn’t good parents but a great friend. It was the only relationship she’d ever let herself rely on. There were times when she didn’t feel quite as close to Christy as she’d once done, but that was only to be expected given the change in their circumstances. Deep down they had a special bond, and that would never change.

“Wake up, Carpenter.” Miles nudged her. “We won. Get up on that stage, and make a speech.”

She heard the applause, saw images of their campaign flash across the giant screens and walked with the rest of her team to collect the award.

As she returned to her seat, she felt her phone vibrate.

She sneaked a look and saw Christy’s name on the screen.

It was three in the morning in London. Christy was a big believer in the restorative powers of sleep, which was why she never had dark circles around her eyes like Alix. She would never call in the middle of the night unless it was an emergency.

“Excuse me.” With an apologetic smile to her colleagues, Alix gracefully wove her way through the tables and out of the hall into the foyer.

She found a quiet area and sat down on a plush sofa next to yet another dazzling Christmas tree. It was like being in a sparkling, festive forest.

“Christy? Is everything okay?” She asked the question even though she knew things couldn’t possibly be okay. “Hello?” For a moment Alix wondered if her friend had ended the call, but then she heard a muffled sound.

“Are you crying?” She sat up straighter. Her friend was more emotional than she was, but she didn’t often cry. “Christy?”

“I’m okay.” Christy sniffed. “Am I disturbing you? Has the award thing finished?”

“Yes. Boring, anyway.” Alix eased her feet out of her shoes and rubbed her sore heels with her fingers. “Tell me why you’re awake at this hour.”

“I need a favor.”

“A favor?” Her heart leaped. It had been a long time since Christy had asked for her help with anything. And she hadn’t anticipated how hard that would be to handle. She’d gone from being at the center of Christy’s life to the margins. “What favor? Name it.” No matter what you need, I’m here for you.

There was a pause, as if Christy was struggling to get the words out. “I need you to take Holly to Lapland.”

“We are taking Holly to Lapland.”

“I mean you, not me. I can’t go right away.”

“I—What?” Of all the things she’d anticipated being asked, that wouldn’t have made the list. “But this is the dream trip. The perfect Christmas. You’ve been planning it for ages.”