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Beth felt overwhelmed. “I need to check on the girls.”
Posy’s cheeks were flushed from the effort of rubbing. “I checked on them just before you arrived. They were in the den, writing their lists for Santa. And before you panic again, I confiscated the glitter.”
“They’ve already written lists for Santa. We did it weeks ago.”
“Well, they’re doing another one.” Posy rubbed hard at a red streak. “You left us in charge, we get to choose the activity and you don’t get to criticize.”
Beth dumped her coat over the back of a chair. “What if they ask Santa for something different? The gifts are bought and wrapped.” She couldn’t bear the idea that they’d be upset on Christmas Day. “They can’t change their minds.”
“Well, tell them—” Posy floundered. “I don’t know. Tell them Santa likes surprises.”
“Do they still believe all that?” Hannah rocked back on her heels. “You could just tell them Santa won’t be coming because he doesn’t actually—”
“Santa won’t be coming?” Ruby’s voice came from the doorway. “Why won’t he be coming? Because I drew on the walls? Does he know I was bad?” Her voice cracked. Her bottom lip wobbled.
Beth scooped her up. Could this day get any worse? “What Aunt Hannah means is that she doesn’t believe Santa will be coming to her.”
“Why? Has Aunty Hannah been naughty?”
Beth tried to carry Ruby out of the room, but she twisted and wriggled until Beth had to put her down.
“Aunty Hannah—” Ruby ran across to Hannah, ignoring the dripping cloth and the marks on the wall. “Why won’t Santa be coming to you? What did you do?”
Beth was so tense she felt as if her spine might snap.
If her sister rejected her little girl this time, that would be the final straw.
She was not going to bite her tongue.
She watched, her heart in her mouth, as Ruby crawled carefully onto Hannah’s lap and wrapped her arms round her.
So trusting, Beth thought, terrified for her daughter, who was blissfully unaware of the rejection that might follow such an unrestrained display of affection.
She stepped forward, determined to intervene so that little Ruby could keep her belief in people intact for a little longer, but then she saw Hannah’s arm come around her.
She froze, watching as Ruby kissed Hannah on the cheek.
“Have you written him a letter, Aunty Hannah?”
“I—No,” Hannah said. “I haven’t written him a letter.”
“Then he can’t know what you want. You should write. It’s not too late. I could help you write it.” Ruby slid off Hannah’s lap and tugged at her sleeve. “You can use my sparkly pens if you like.”
“Sparkly pens,” Posy muttered. “I removed the glitter, but I forgot about the sparkly pens. Danger is everywhere.”
“Sparkly pens.” Hannah stood up slowly and took Ruby’s outstretched hand. “That sounds like fun.”
Fun? Had Hannah actually said it sounded like fun?
Beth couldn’t remember a time when her sister had voluntarily played with the girls.
“Wait!” Posy levered herself to her feet and dropped the cloth in the bucket. “I am not cleaning this wall by myself while you lot get to write to Santa with sparkly pens.”
“It’s important, Aunty Posy. All my pens are in the den.” Ruby dragged Hannah out of the room, the conversation floating back to them. “What would you like for Christmas, Aunty Hannah?”
“I don’t know.”
“You must know. Think really hard. Everyone has something they want. If you had one wish and you could have anything in the world, what would you have?”
