“What’s happened?” whispered Jules, suddenly brimming with sympathy. She would get on a plane that day if she needed to.

Chloe looked at the screen. “Oh, no, sorry, they’re fine. I, just—”

Two sighs expelled simultaneously, one from Colorado, the other from London, and Lucy’s hand patted her chest to self-soothe.

“You scared the crap out of us, Chloe.” Jules was going to get on a plane, if only to smack her friend in the head.

“Sorry.”

Lucy blew out another long breath. “It’s all right, but what is going on?”

“They’re going on a cruise.”

Jules was starting to get really pissed off. “There’s more to it, though, right?”

“They’re going on a cruise for Christmas.”

A pair of simultaneous “Ohhhs” echoed about Chloe’s lounge room. She took it as solidarity and an open invitation to rant. “I know! Christmas! And they didn’t even invite me and my brother, so he’s going off skiing in Canada and I’m going to be all alone. On Christmas.”

A muffled voice said something to Chloe and another light turned on, illuminating the kitchen behind her.

“Hi, Ash!” called Lucy through the screen.

Ash walked up behind Chloe and leant over the back of the couch. “Hi, girls. How’s life in the northern hemisphere?”

“Quite lovely, actually,” said Lucy. “It’s that time of year when you forget how cold and grey London can get—you know, daylight ’til ten-ish and warm weather. It was twenty-two today!”

Ash grinned into the screen. “Yeah, that sounds way better than Melbs at the moment. I frigging hate winter. How ’bout you Jules?”

“Yeah, pretty good,” she said, glossing over the reality. “I really need to get out to the coast soon, though. I’m thinking I’ll go see my girlfriend in San Diego—just for a weekend. She’s into sailing, so that would be cool.”

“Uh, hello! We were talking about Christmas. About how I’m going to be alone on Christmas.”

“Are you two sick of Chloe’s whining yet, because I am?” teased Ash.

Ash was one of the three people on the planet who could get away with saying something like that to Chloe’s face. The other two people were on the screen, both stifling laughs.

“Very funny, all of you, but you know what Christmas means to me.”

“Yes!” This time it was three voices in sync.

“Look, I told you last night, you won’t be alone”—Ash gave Chloe a pointed look—“if you just stay here.” Ash looked back at the screen. “Orphans’ Christmas is at our place this year.”

“And what’s that?” asked Lucy.

“I’m going to let Chloe explain. Gotta jump in the shower. See ya, girls.”

“So, an orphans’ Christmas is with your friends, right, the ones whose families aren’t around?” asked Jules.

“Yes.”

“That sounds fun!” Jules replied. If it was possible, Chloe moped even harder.

“So, you won’t be alone then? You’ll be with the other Christmas orphans?” asked Lucy, helpfully.

“It’s not the same. I don’t want to be a Christmas orphan. I just want a normal, traditional Christmas. That’s not too much to ask, is it?”