Nell: Why are you awake so early?
Me: I’m too excited to sleep. Only one more day until the family arrive.
Nell: Harriet is the same. She can’t settle. She just keeps looking out of the window.
Me: I love her Santa hat.
Nell: She was only supposed to try it on but now she won’t take it off.
Me: Bless her. She’s going to be so pleased to see the children tomorrow.
Nell: She’s not the only one.
Me: It’s been over a year since you saw them last. They’ll have changed a lot.
Nell: Faye has never spent Christmas with us.
Me: You’re right. It’s her first English Christmas.
Nell: And Johnny was only very young and probably doesn’t remember.
Me: All the more reason to make it extra special.
Nell: We’re going to make sure of that. Don’t you worry.
Me: I want to get everything Just Right for them.
Nell: Stop all that nonsense. Nobody gets everything Just Right. Not even me.
Me: Well, Nearly Right, then.
Nell: Christmas is all about Being Together. Things don’t have to be perfect. In fact, it’s the mistakes you remember and laugh about the most.
Me: True. Like the time my mother accidentally served the gravy as soup and only realised what she’d done when she found the saucepan full of soup.
Nell: It probably wasn’t funny for her at the time.
Me: No, but it makes a good story.
Nell: Don’t do that with our gravy, please.
Me: I’m sure Herr Hoffmann will have it all under control.
Nell: All that needs to be done now is to complete the final touches before they arrive.
Me: We’re going to have a wonderful Christmas, aren’t we?
Nell: Of course we are. The family will be here.
Me: Yes. Sorry.
