Should he ask about Paige? Was it best to encourage him to talk or leave it and see if he said anything? Knowing that he’d kept some things quiet about Amias’s teasing before the big incident, Nick decided to ask. It was better Freddie knew he could talk about her and how he was feeling.

‘Are you okay about Mum not being here? Do you miss her?’

Freddie nodded but kept his gaze on the tree. His lip quivered and a tear rolled slowly down his cheek. Nick pulled him in tight. ‘Oh, mate, come here.’ He lifted him up into his arms. ‘Gosh you’re getting big, little man. It’s okay to miss your mum, my boy. And it’s okay to cry.’

‘Do you miss her too?’

‘Sometimes.’

Freddie buried his head into his dad’s shoulder. ‘I wish she hadn’t gone.’

‘Me too, mate.’ But he meant it more for Freddie than himself.

‘Do you think she’ll send me a present?’

In that moment Nick hated her again. Freddie shouldn’t be worrying about his mum remembering to send him a Christmas present. She should be here with him, wiping his tears and decorating the house. He didn’t have an answer. Nick wondered whether to buy something then address it to Freddie from Paige, but he couldn’t lie to his boy. They had a special bond, and he didn’t want to risk it being ruined as he tried to cover for her, but he wouldn’t paint her as the villain either. They’d both grown apart and he was partly responsible for that too. What she’d done in running off was awful, but he didn’t want Freddie to hate her. He stuttered the best response he could think of.

‘I don’t know, mate. I hope so. I know she loves you very much and I’m sure she’ll send something if she can. Now, I know that you’re still probably full of those snowballs not to mention that crazy breakfast, but shall we get this tree done and have some dinner?’

Freddie wiped his eyes and Nick plopped him on the floor before turning up the Christmas music, hoping it would help his son forget the pain. He’d made a fire in his own burner and the cottage was warm and cosy as it transformed to their own magical Christmas grotto. He had been worried the real tree would need more decorations being bigger than the fake one in the loft, but in fact it needed less. Nick and Freddie both enjoyed seeing the lush green of the branches behind the decorations and when it was finished, some baubles and tinsel still lay in the box.

‘What shall we do with these, Dad?’

‘Well, I was thinking we could put our old fake tree up in your room. What do you think?’

‘A tree in my room? Yes, please.’