“Sorry?” Chloe, only half-listening to the chat about Christmas in Colorado, was pulled from her thoughts. She’d been imagining herself in a tiny English village having a proper traditional Christmas. Plum pudding, Christmas carols, sitting by the fire drinking mulled wine—even the Christmas Fair sounded fun. And with Lucy off in America, she wouldn’t have to sleep on a cot.

“Actually, even if you do go to America, I think I would like an old-fashioned English Christmas. Do you think your parents would let me come?”

Lucy answered immediately. “Oh, they absolutely would. You’re my best friend!”

“Ahem!” Jules teased.

“Well, you both are. And I’ll miss you, of course, Chloe, but you’ll get the Christmas you want, and I’ll get my snowy one.” She grinned into the screen.

Chloe scrutinised her American friend’s face. “Wait, Jules, what’s going on with you?”

Jules tilted her head to the side and sighed. “I think it’s just … you know, it’s the middle of summer and all this talk about Christmas and winter … to be honest, it exhausts me.”

For Lucy, the penny finally dropped, and she uttered a guilty, “Oh.” She’d been so wrapped up in what she wanted.

“I mean, I love the holiday itself—well, no, that’s not even true anymore. And that time of year … it’s … well, I hate it! I hate being cold, I hate being snowed in, which seems to happen more and more. And yes, I love my family, but sometimes”—she threw up her hands—“they’re too much. I leave Christmas feeling like I need a vacation.”

Lucy couldn’t stand it any longer. “Jules, I’m so sorry. Here I am just going on and on about it.”

“Hey, no, it’s okay. I love that you love Christmas so much—both of you. It’s just not like that for me, not anymore. Honestly, Chlo, your orphans’ Christmas sounds amazing, especially the summer part. I’m actually jealous.”

Chloe’s large green eyes got even larger. “Oh, my god. That’s it. We should do like they did The Holiday and swap Christmases!” She let the thought hang in the air, watching her friends’ faces closely.

Jules’s sigh turned into a contemplative smile and Lucy’s mouth formed an O, then settled into a pout. “But wait, that means I’d be in America by myself.”

“But you’d get your white Christmas, Lucy,” prompted Chloe gently. “Just imagine …”

Jules, completely on board, picked up where Chloe left off. “And my mom would love it, Lucy. So would my dad. They’ll spoil you rotten, I promise.”

Lucy chewed her bottom lip and twisted a long red curl between her fingers. “Be brave, Lucy,” Chloe whispered. If Chloe had a soft spot, it was for Lucy.

Jules imagined herself on a beach in Australia at Christmas and willed Lucy to agree to their plan.

“You know what?” Lucy lifted her head and declared, “I want a white Christmas! Let’s do it. Let’s swap.” She grinned at her best friends.

“Yes!” Jules gave the air a little victory punch.