"Point taken," she says, sighing a little as she stays close to him, contented and peaceful. "Thank you for letting Charlie and I take over the flat a bit to set everything up. I don't think we did too terribly at all."

In addition to the tree, almost dripping in lights and garland and as many ornaments as they thought the branches could hold, they'd strung lights around the sitting room windows, hung a wreath on the front door, even set up a little tableau on the coffee table out of an old mirror and a few reindeer figurines Rosie had found in a thrift shop the other week. It's all a bit haphazard, maybe even slightly overboard, but it's theirs, and that counts for far more.

She leans up to kiss him, gentle and sweet. "Are you enjoying your first Christmas, then?"