“What do you mean by ‘normal’?” Jules knew what a normal Christmas was to her, but the three of them had never shared the holiday before.

“Well, you know?” From the blank looks on their faces, they did not. “Well, family. Family is a big part of Christmas. And presents. And a tree. And Christmas lunch and wine—you know, a normal Christmas.”

“But won’t you have all that with Ash and your friends?” Jules asked.

“Not the family part.” Chloe seemed to have an answer for everything.

“But they’re your close friends, right? Like us. Aren’t we like family?” Surely Jules could make her see reason.

Chloe shrugged. “I suppose.”

Jules blew out a frustrated laugh. “Way to make us feel special, Chlo.”

Great, now she’d insulted her best friends. “Sorry, you’re right. You girls are like family. And Ash.”

“I know!” Jules could almost see the little lightbulb illuminate above Lucy’s head. “Why don’t you come here for Christmas?” Lucy’s russet brown eyes peered up at Chloe from the screen.

“To London?”

“Yes! Why not? Oh, actually, it wouldn’t be London, because I go home at Christmas, to Oxfordshire, but you’d be most welcome. You could share my old room; we could get a cot for you.” Chloe blinked at the word “cot” but Lucy didn’t notice and kept prattling. “And there’s the village Christmas Fair, and carol singing at the church, and Mum makes the best Christmas cake, absolutely drowning in sherry. All very traditional. Not your kind of traditional, of course, but still, just lovely.

“And I suppose I should say it probably won’t be a white Christmas or anything. In fact, I can’t remember the last time we had one of those. It’s usually more of a slushy, wet, grey day. It can get a little depressing sometimes, if I’m completely honest, because you just end up longing for snow, especially because there’s always snow in the Christmas films, isn’t there?” Lucy was whipping herself into quite the festive season frenzy.

“I mean, Bridget Jones’s Diary—snow. While You Were Sleeping—snow. The Holiday—snow. God, I love that film. Jude Law—mmm. But anyway, it so rarely happens at home. I’d love a white Christmas, now that I think of it.” Her frown returned.

“Well, you should come here, then Luce,” joked Jules. We’ve got snow, that’s for sure. So. Much. Damned. Snow.”

Lucy’s eyes brightened, completely missing Jules’s tone. “Do you mean it? Could I really come?”

Jules barked a wry laugh. “I don’t see why not—if you want a big, loud, crazy Christmas. It’ll be up at our cabin in Breckenridge—and my aunt and her whole family come, so we’d have to share a room. I mean, Christmas with my family can get a little intense, Luce …” She saw Lucy’s face fall just a fraction; she’d have to dial it down. “But I can one hundred percent guarantee you a snowy one.”

A grin split Lucy’s face. “But wait, Chloe, what should we do about you?”