‘Now make a wish,’ whispered Libby.
With a huge smile on her face, Holly squeezed her eyes shut and made a wish, her fingers crossed.
As soon as she opened her eyes Libby asked, ‘And what did you wish for?’
‘I can’t tell anyone, because if I do it won’t come true.’
‘How about a little clue?’ probed Libby with a smile.
The little girl shook her head and waggled her finger. ‘Nope.’
‘Holly! Where are you?’ Guy shouted and soon appeared at the door, spotting Holly standing next to Libby. ‘There you are. You shouldn’t go outside without telling me,’ he said as he tugged at her scarf to wrap it more warmly around her. ‘Get yourself into the warmth.’
Holly turned back towards Libby. ‘Thank you for letting me make a wish,’ she said, leaving Guy looking puzzled.
‘You’re very welcome, and whatever you wished for, I hope it comes true,’ Libby said, watching Holly attempt to stomp back indoors. The boots were way too big for her and she stumbled but Guy caught her. As he lifted her up, her feet waggled in the air, the boots stuck in the snow.
‘Daddy! I’ve lost the boots! Don’t put me down,’ she squealed.
‘Then stop wriggling!’ He laughed, swinging her round and lowering her slowly onto the mat inside the front door.
‘Daddy, can we put up a tree?’ Holly said hopefully, tilting her head to one side.
‘Don’t look at me like that, you know it’s too early. We can put the tree up a couple of weeks before Santa arrives.’
‘But Daddy, Libby has her tree up.’
‘Into the lodge!’ He pointed, leaving Holly screwing up her face before she ran back inside. Turning back towards Libby, he said, ‘She’s got character, that one.’
Libby met Guy’s gaze. ‘Daddy?’ she said, surprised.
‘Yes, Holly’s my daughter.’
‘And adorable.’
‘She is, but I’m biased.’
‘Daddy! Pickle has pickled the carpet.’
Guy rolled his eyes. ‘Never a dull moment. That’s my cue to leave.’ He pointed towards the door and began to walk backwards. ‘I’ll catch…’
‘You later,’ Libby finished his sentence as the door shut behind him.
She stood there for a second with her arms wrapped around her body, staring at the Christmas tree. Once upon a time she’d made a wish on a star just like Holly, but her wish hadn’t come true. She blinked back a tear as there it was again, that very familiar tug at her heart. The word ‘mum’ pulsated inside Libby’s mind. She responded to the empty, sad feeling that had suddenly crept back in by immediately turning it into a positive, remembering all the love, support and advice that Flynn and her father had given her. It had been difficult acknowledging that she would never have a biological child of her own, but she’d allowed herself to cry and be angry, and sharing her fears with her family had helped her understand that the future might hold other possibilities. She was looking forward to exploring them when the time was right, because in her heart she knew she would make a pretty awesome mother.
ChapterSix
Four weeks to Christmas
It was Libby’s first day on the job. Holding a mug of coffee, she stared at the mountain of clothes piled on her bed. This was a disaster; what the hell did a wedding planner wear? She held up some sort of baggy green tweed dress against her body and looked in the mirror. How did she ever think this was a good idea? She wasn’t used to dressing for work. Her usual attire was comfy lounge wear or her pyjamas, as often there were days when she didn’t bother to get changed after waking. Having changed outfits what seemed a million times she texted Isla, feeling exasperated.
What does a wedding planner look like?
Almost immediately her phone beeped and Libby glanced at the screen to see a line of laughing emojis.
You don’t struggle with style! You’re a fashion designer!
This was very true. Libby knew how to make clothes look good on others, but wearing her comfies wasn’t going to appeal to the competition winners. She needed them to have faith in her ability. So, knowing she needed to dress the part, she was after a look that was professional yet not stuffy. She texted back.
