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She pulled it on and did her best not to let out an audible sigh at how good it smelt.

Dylan sat on the floor next to the tree with the coffee she’d brought him warming his hands. He put the plate of sugar cookies next to him. He was wearing pyjama bottoms and a T-shirt and pulled a blanket from the sofa to wrap around him. His hair was ruffled from sleep and he looked absolutely delicious. She stood frozen for a moment, taking him in, before he looked up at her. “Come on then,” he said, impatiently.

She smiled and came over to join him. Placing her coffee on the floor, she accepted the blanket he handed her.

“Wouldn’t we be more comfy on the sofa?” she asked.

“Maybe. But we can smell the tree better down here and get to the presents.”

“There’s one at the top you need to open first,” Lucy said, feeling a warm glow at how excited she was to see his reaction to the gifts she’d chosen for him.

He ripped the paper off eagerly and took out the photo frame she’d bought him.

“It should fit one of the scan photos. Either one of the ones we have, or one from the next batch.”

“I should probably rescue one of the ones from the fridge, before your flamboyant cooking methods destroy them all.”

“Oi!”

“Thank you, I love it. Here’s one for you.” He passed her a heavy, rather haphazardly wrapped parcel. Inside was a pile of books.

“I asked Carrie for the names of the books your book club is going to be reading for the next six months. Apparently, you lot aren‘t that organised, but she chose me some she thought you’d like.”

“They’re great, thanks,” Lucy said. “She knows I’ve been after this one, in particular.”

“Your main present is that you are going shopping for maternity clothes, my treat. Carrie wants to go with you and I’ll work in the coffee shop for the day.”

“You don’t have to do that!”

“I do. You’ll be stealing all my clothes if we don’t sort something out soon. Not that I’d mind, but I am quite a bit taller than you and I’d have nothing to wear in the shop under my apron. Customers would complain . . . We’d probably be closed down . . .”

“Thank you,” Lucy laughing. “It sounds like you’re averting disaster.”

* * *

Carrie and Michael’s kitchen smelt amazing, and Dylan went over to help his best friend at the stove as soon as they arrived, insisting upon wearing the new apron Lucy had gifted him and making Lucy’s heart ache at the reminder that he always needed to feel like he was earning his place. She sorted him out with a drink and took it over to him before she was dragged up to Poppy’s room to see everything she’d had from Father Christmas.

Christmas lunch was served at two. Lucy found herself sitting at the other end of the table from Dylan, between Mary and Michael. They caught each other’s eyes every now and again.

She still felt a little awkward about asking Dylan to spend the previous night in her bed, but was doing her best to put it aside as he seemed to want to. Being with him had been what she’d so needed, but had she been selfish? Putting what she needed ahead of Dylan’s feelings? This Christmas was a big deal for Dylan and she didn’t want to spoil it by analysing what had happened when they should be having fun with their friends. She’d unpick it later and accept the comfort she felt when he checked on her with a questioning tilt of his paper crown attired head, which she replied to with a nod or a smile. Everyone chatted and laughed, and the food they’d brought with them was devoured and the recipe for the stuffing begged for. It was so relaxed, Lucy didn’t feel at all like an outsider, like she’d originally feared, though she’d known even then she was being silly.

When everyone had eaten their fill, pulled crackers and complained about the contents before Poppy claimed them all for herself, and voted to wait until later for any sort of pudding, they began clearing up. Poppy, Mary and Ellen were gently shooed off to play a game together, and Michael suggested that Carrie and Lucy relax as well, but they both declared they needed to move around a bit before they fell asleep after eating so much, and they began to pitch in.

Lucy watched Carrie and Michael together as she cleared up the remains of the Christmas crackers from the table. They were so in sync as they worked alongside each other. Communicating without words as they moved around one another.

Poppy came up behind them, and they both stopped what they were doing to give her a hug.

Could she and Dylan have that? If someone had asked her that even a month ago, she would have laughed in their face, but now . . . Now, she and Dylan had begun to move in tune. To work together not as two separate individuals, but actually together. A unit, supporting each other. And she wanted that. She wanted it so much. How could she not have realised that Dylan was the perfect person to run her business with? To help her, yes, but also just because everything was better with him. She didn’t have to do everything by herself. And he didn’t take over, he added to her life.

She’d naturally come to rely on him for things she didn’t even realise. Not so much the physical things, like his cooking for her and helping her close up the coffee shop, though she appreciated those. It was his company, his support, the jokes they shared together . . . She couldn’t imagine doing without any of it now that she had it. And how ridiculous that she hadn’t let him in before.

She turned her attention to Dylan, gently teasing Mary, as he refilled her drink, about her new boyfriend, who they were apparently all going to get to meet on New Year’s Eve. Dylan was so handsome, it made Lucy’s stomach flip, but the way he was with people was what made him truly attractive. The way he gave Mary his attention and made her feel special.

As if realising he was being watched by her, he looked over at Lucy and flashed her a smile. She blushed as she grinned back.

Suddenly, she needed to just be with Dylan. As lovely as everyone else was, and as wonderful a day as she’d had, she had to be with Dylan as soon as possible.

She wiped down the table and went over to where Dylan was now drying the dishes Michael was washing up. Seeing that she wanted to speak with him, he stepped away from the sink.