Giving tree forms had gone home in the children’s book bags, and many had already been returned. After work tomorrow she’d take a stroll to Bluebell Park and see how many had been handed in there, but so far, more requests had come in than she’d expected.

‘What type of things are people asking for?’ asked Caro, cutting pieces of Sellotape and handing them to Cynthia who was busy wrapping presents for Santa to hand out to the children. A huge pile of animal colouring books sat next to ones of superheroes. A box full of little packs of colouring pencils was being tackled by Nina over on the armchair.

‘It’s crazy but it’s not what I expected at all. I thought it would be people asking for the latest fancy toy or a new bike, but it’s not even close. So far, I’ve had at least a dozen requests for scarves and gloves or new boots and one for a car seat because the family can’t afford one. And when I told the kids about it in assembly this morning, little Sarah from Year R caught up with me, slipped her hand into mine and asked for a huge meal. She said her mum gives her food but sometimes there isn’t that much and she’s always hungry. It was heart-breaking.’ Bella took a deep breath, again experiencing the pain she’d felt then. ‘She looked up at me with these big round eyes and I only just managed to hold back tears.’

Evan would probably have hugged her and told her she couldn’t fix everyone’s problems, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t try. She’d always thought of him as supportive, though last year he’d not been happy about being kicked out of the cottage so the three of them could wrap the presents for Breakfast with Santa at the school, even though he got to go to the pub. She always organised it for nights when his favourite football team were playing as well, but he always moaned about having to leave and asking why they couldn’t do it at Caro’s or her mum’s. Thoughts of Evan kept trying their best to fly into her brain, but she focused on the people around her and the Christmas music playing quietly in the background.