Page 6 of Yule Party on Sunflower Street

The green was busy with people. A choir sang carols on a small raised stage, while refreshment stalls were set up around the edges of the green and children ran around with their friends playing tag and laughing excitedly.

‘This is very festive,’ Sadie said, her breath like puffs of smoke in the cold air.

‘It’s lovely, isn’t it?’ Tara looked around. ‘Are you hungry?’

‘No, but I am thirsty and the mulled wine smells delicious!’

‘Come on then, I’ll treat you to a glass.’ Tara led the way to the stall selling mulled wine and ordered one for herself too.

The wine was served in recycled cardboard cups with handles, and she wrapped her hands around hers, savouring the warmth and the aroma of cinnamon, cloves and oranges. ‘Mmmmm.’ She took a sip. ‘Heavenly!’

They strolled around the green browsing the food on offer from mince pies with buttery golden pastry to festive chocolates to turkey, brie and cranberry rolls. The air was filled with the aromas of food and the sound of people enjoying themselves.

The green was lit by the streetlights, but Tara could make out the bulbs strung around lampposts, trees, and the large Norwegian spruce at the centre of the green.

There was a sense of anticipation in the air and it made her think of the Christmases she’d enjoyed as a child, when the season had seemed particularly magical. She could recall shaking with excitement on Christmas Eve when she was trying to get to sleep so Father Christmas could deliver their gifts. Even back then, though, it hadn’t been about the gifts for her; it had been about the magic of the season, the sense that anything was possible and that it was a special time of year. It still worked that way for her now with the build-up to the festivities, the decorating, the baking and the way that people seemed to soften and become more genial as Christmas drew near. The festive atmosphere never failed to cheer her and Sadie, and that was why they’d loved the idea of a Christmas pop-up shop. What better time to start a new business venture than when people were at their most warm and generous?

A hush fell over the gathered crowd and Sadie whispered, ‘I think it’s time.’

They walked a bit closer to the tree and linked arms again. Tara thought of how Sadie must be feeling with her husband so far away and knew it wasn’t easy for her, but Sadie was making an effort. And that was Sadie: kind, considerate, loving and stoic.

Tara glanced at her sister’s face and saw the girlish glow of excitement there. She squeezed her arm tighter so Sadie would know how much she meant to her.

Sadie squeezed back and leant closer. ‘I love you too, sis.’

And then the countdown began and they joined in: ‘Five! Four! Three! Two! One…’

All around the green and across the village, strands of gold, silver and crimson bloomed against the dusk as bells, holly, mistletoe and angels flickered to life. Tara gasped as she looked around, her chest tightening with emotion as the vibrant colours brought festive magic to Wisteria Hollow. And then, starting from the roots, the tree lit up with thousands of tiny fairy lights twinkling like a galaxy of stars on the green branches.

‘Wow!’ Sadie said. ‘It’s so beautiful.’

The choir had gone silent for the countdown but now they sang ‘The Holly and the Ivy’, and all around the green, people joined in. Tara and Sadie sang with big smiles on their faces as they began what they hoped would be a successful Christmas for them both.

When the song ended, Tara and Sadie finished their drinks then strolled around the green and Tara spotted a familiar face.

‘Look! It’s Seth,’ she said, a strange fluttery feeling starting up in her tummy.

‘Let’s say hello,’ Sadie said.

‘Oh, hello, ladies,’ Seth said when they reached him. ‘Quite the spectacle, eh?’

‘It’s wonderful,’ Tara said.

‘A bit over the top, perhaps, but hey, I hear it’s a village tradition.’

‘I think it’s magical,’ Tara said.

‘Would either of you like a drink?’ Sadie asked. ‘I’ve got a craving for another mulled wine.’

‘Yes, please,’ Tara replied.

Seth shook his head. ‘No, thanks. I’ve got to drive soon.’

Sadie went to the stall and Tara stood with Seth, feeling a bit awkward.

‘So you don’t like the lights?’ she asked.

He shrugged. ‘I get the appeal, but it seems like a massive waste of electricity. Plus… well, I can think of better things to do with people’s time and money.’