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‘Still It could happen It is the season of aze fixed onto Jack’s as she spoke What was she thinking? He wished he knew

Then Holly jerked her head towards the huge Christmas cake propped up on the dresser in the corner of the kitchen, and an envelope with Kathleen’s naot it

Jack couldn’t help but grin as he realised what Holly had planned She really was so special

‘We realised last night that Kathleen, next door, is going to be on her own for Christht weto celebrate with her, since Holly and I are both alone for the day this year too Perhaps you ested

‘It’s not the whole coht be a start,’ Holly added ‘And maybe there are others who are alone this Christmas ould want to join us’

‘I won’t be alone My son and his family will be here,’ Mrs Teht no ‘Apparently they won’t be staying long this year, though So I ht have some time to help you out’

Spending Christood ti to find a cohbour spend half the day alone, when he could help

Perhaps, Jack realised, as Mrs Te a s a community at all

Perhaps it was about building one

And ht here, could be the first step

When I woke up froe under Kathleen’s , the sun was already on its way down again Days are so short in the winter, soht hours

That hadn’t been a probleain!

Really, this was unacceptable

Well, I’d htfall, or I’d leave Maple Drive

It was make or break time

Kathleen still showed no sign of opening the front door, so I figured I was going to have to find another way in Checking around to ensure that I wasn’t being watched – and that neither Holly nor Jack had slipped out of nus and juh Kathleen’s

No good All I could see were the leaves left on the bush I’d been napping in

I shuffled back a little way, out of the bush, and tried again, springing up like a bird about to take flight,at air as I stretched out to try and make it to the

Still nothing The closest I got was the bricks under the sill

I sighed, and scooted back a little further I couldn’t give up now If Kathleen could just see me, I reasoned, she’d have to come and let me in I just had to alert her to my presence

Which

This tiht, I didn’t pause I surged straight back up again, launchingto erbread!

My nose edged above the sill, and this tih to see Kathleen, sitting on her sofa I juet her attention – would she hear h the asn’t sure

With each jump, I saw a little more – Kathleen, a book in her lap No, not a book An album, filled with pictures, like the ones Daisy had of Bella and Jay Another ju? I couldn’t tell

I wanted to comfort her To sit with her and let her pet erbread

Just one more jump …

‘What on earth are you doing?’ Perdita’s lazy purr of a question co from behindto try and find ht

I huffed round in a circle to face her ‘None of your business’ This wasn’t her house, and these weren’t her gingerbread men

‘When you’re ht next door to my house, then it’sher paws

They probably had food on the to lick her paws myself