“Well- okay, if you’re sure,” Janet said into the telephone. “If you need anyone to talk to, the offer still stands, as believe me, I have some experience with this sort of thing.”

“Thank you, Janet,” the ebullient voice of Joshua Benedict replied. “I shall see you back at work in the new year, and I hope you and your family have a very merry Christmas!”

“You too,” Janet said, smiling as she ended the call before sighing as she turned her attention back to the living room.

Even though there were only three days left until Christmas, it was still a Saturday morning, which meant that Ellie and Lindsay had rooted themselves to the sofa, coffee in one hand and their phones in the other. The two girls would soon be heading out to their part-time weekend jobs, but for the time being were content to stay in the warmth of the living room. Janet couldn't help but notice that the two girls fixed themselves to the exact same spots on the sofa they did every morning, and were even sitting at the same angle relative to each other. Janet had no doubt in her mind that Lindsay and Ellie were sisters in all but blood- just as she was Ellie's mother in all but blood.

“Are you two planning on going to work in your pyjamas, then?” Janet asked, smirking as the two teenagers snorted derisively and shook their heads.

“We’ll get dressed in a bit,” Lindsay moaned. “It’s cold…”

“And I suppose I’m making your breakfasts as well, am I?” Janet asked, smirking again as the two girls rolled their eyes. “It’s okay, I know you two have worked hard, especially in the term just gone. You’ve definitely earned this holiday.” And not just because of college and university, Janet thought to herself with a sad smile.

The upcoming festive period would bring with it several firsts for all the women in the house. It would be Ellie’s third Christmas as a female, but her first as an adult woman. It would be everyone’s first Christmas in their new house, and Janet’s first in her new job. But what weighed on Janet’s mind the most was that it would be Lindsay’s first Christmas away from her mother and her brother, and even though the 17 year old girl was, on the surface at least, almost stereotypically blasé about the situation, Janet knew that deep down, she was undoubtedly in a lot of pain.

The one source of consolation for Janet was that in Ellie, Lindsay had a sympathetic ear, someone who knew what it was like to be estranged from their family home. Janet felt sorry for Ellie that this was still the case for her, but she was quickly reminded of another ‘first’, albeit for a woman not present in the living room- it was going to be Jade’s first ever Christmas as a woman, and unlike Ellie, she would be celebrating it at home with her family.

To Janet’s relief, the jealousy that Ellie had felt toward her sister had steadily dwindled over the prior few months, ever since Jade had started at her further education college; but Janet had witnessed first-hand how depressed Ellie had been over the prior two Christmases, and she found herself mentally preparing for the worst case scenario…

“Bye Janet,” Ellie said nonchalantly as she grabbed her handbag and left the house, closely followed by her younger friend.

“Bye dad,” Lindsay said, only looking back when her parent spoke.

“Seriously?” Janet asked. “You’re wearing THAT to work?”

“Seriously?” Lindsay replied. “You’re wearing THAT to sit around the house?” Janet simply smirked as her daughter gestured to her long t-shirt and leggings, before sighing and tugging down the hem of her own short black skirt.

“See you later,” Janet said to her red-faced daughter as she left the house, leaving Janet to muse once again on how the influence of two genetically male people like herself and Ellie had caused a former tomboy like Lindsay to embrace the world of femininity.

Janet smiled as she thought back to Halloween, and how the two girls had spent hours in the weeks beforehand designing their costumes. Ellie and Lindsay had both gone to their Halloween party dressed as black cats, wearing sheer black tights, skimpy black leotards, high-heeled shoes, long black fake nails and extra-thick make-up. Janet had been aghast when she saw the two girls dressed for the first time, but secretly, she was as excited for the girls as they themselves were- even if she was envious that she'd never been able to wear such a costume when she was younger. What Janet most loved about the costumes, though, was that Ellie and Lindsay had worked on them together. Janet had always regretted that Lindsay hadn’t had a sister growing up- both she and her ex-wife had been closer to their son than they were to their daughter- and seeing Ellie and Lindsay grow closer filled Janet’s heart with happiness. It also made her feel sad, though, as she knew that the 'sisterhood' would eventually have to come to an end- Lindsay and Ellie would each eventually find their own way in life, and would inevitably grow apart from each other. Janet just hoped that that would happen later rather than sooner...

After eating a quick breakfast of her own, Janet sat down on the vacated sofa to watch television, but like her young charges, she found her attention was quickly drawn to her phone- especially when it pinged to inform her of a new message.

‘Hey you two!’ Shannon sent to both Janet and Meredith. ‘I missed having a night out yesterday, do you fancy meeting up for a quick pre-Christmas lunch?’ So much for leggings and a t-shirt all day, Janet thought to herself with a smirk as she typed her response.

‘Sounds great!’ Janet typed. ‘Usual pub at 12-ish?’

‘That works for me!’ Meredith typed as Janet’s smile widened- she might have been older than Ellie or Lindsay, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t have fun with her friends if she wanted to. And as far as Janet was concerned, it had been far too long since she’d last hung out with her two friends- the first friends that ‘Janet’ had made.

Shortly before noon Janet strode into her regular pub, her leggings and t-shirt having been replaced by a warm sweater, an A-line skirt and thick black tights. A wide grin spread across Janet’s immaculately made-up face when she saw her two friends sitting at their regular table with a glass of white wine ready and waiting for her.

“Hi Janet!” Shannon said with a wide grin. “Love that skirt!”

“Thanks!” The middle-aged woman replied as she turned to show her friends the delicate pattern on the knee-length garment. “Saw it on an online store and thought, well, early Christmas present from me to me, heh!”

“You’ll have to tell me which store,” Meredith said. “I’ve been looking for a skirt like that for ages, and, well, it’s not like anyone else is going to buy it for me, so I may as well- well, you know…”

“You should’ve told me, I could’ve put one in one of these,” Janet said, gesturing to the small bag of gifts and cards she’d brought with her.

“Oh- you really didn’t need to get us anything, honestly,” Shannon said as Janet handed her a small box covered in shiny wrapping paper.

“I really, really did,” Janet retorted. “I’m making a lot more money than I was this time last year, enough that I can spend £25 on a skirt almost on a whim, and- well, you two made the start of my transition a lot easier than it otherwise would’ve been. This really is the least I can do to thank you.”

“Well- thanks,” Meredith said with an emotional smile, before handing Janet a small Christmas card. “I mean, well, THIS is literally the very least I could’ve done, next year I’ll remember to get you something a bit, you know, more…”

“The card is perfect, thanks,” Janet said. “Shannon, I kinda got you and Jason a joint gift, if that’s okay?”

“Yep, that’s absolutely fine!” Shannon giggled. “Though this time next year… You may need to put three names on the card, hehe!”

"Wh- really?" Janet asked, squeaking with excitement as Shannon nodded. "Oh my god, congratulations!"

"Thanks!" Shannon giggled as she exchanged a gentle hug with her older friend.

"I found out a couple of days ago," Meredith said. "And I've spent the entire time reminding Shannon that she said there was absolutely no chance of her having kids until a long time after she was married, and- well, I'll let her explain."

"...It just kinda happened, really," Shannon shrugged. "Must've been a faulty condom or something, I dunno, but I took a test and- well, here we are, heh."

“When is the little one due?” Janet cooed.

“Mid-July,” Shannon replied. “Won’t find out the exact due date until next month.”

“And you’re just a kid yourself!” Janet sighed happily.

“What, 29 is ‘just a kid’?” Shannon retorted, making Janet giggle and roll her eyes.

“It’s still younger than I am,” Janet said.

“Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?” Meredith asked, before her eyes went wide with shock at her question. “Oh- umm, not that I mean one gender is better than the other, or that gender is important, or-“

“Relax, Meredith!” Janet calmed her friend. “It’s not an unreasonable question, I was thinking it myself!”

“…We’ve not really got a preference,” Shannon said in a quiet, timid voice. “Boy or girl, we’ll be happy.”

“We were the same way before our first,” Janet said, before feeling her eyes start to well up as she remembered that she hadn’t had any contact with her firstborn child in months- and even then, said contact was watching him be sentenced for his assault on Ellie.

“Janet?” Meredith asked. “Are you okay?”

“Uh- yeah, I’m fine, honestly,” Janet said, taking a deep breath to calm herself. “It’s just this talk of, you know, firstborn children…”

“Your son,” Shannon whispered, grimacing as Janet nodded. “It’s okay. We can change the subject, I mean, I have another seven months-“

“No, no, it’s okay, I don’t mind,” Janet said. “We SHOULD be celebrating! With lemonade for you, obviously!”

“Way ahead of you!” Shannon giggled as she held up her non-alcoholic drink. “But anyway, I want to change the topic, as I want to know what’s everyone doing for Christmas?”

“Spending it with my sister, her partner and their kids,” Meredith replied. “I mean, with you two talking about kids, but I never wanted them- and now that I’m almost forty, it’s not like I’m going to get the chance, but with my nephew and niece at least, you know, I get to enjoy Christmas with someone’s kids, and- well, yeah.”

“Christmas is infinitely more fun when the kids are younger, believe me!” Janet giggled. “I’ll be lucky if Ellie or Lindsay are awake before noon on Christmas Day.”

“Are the three of you spending Christmas by yourselves, then?” Shannon asked.

“Looks that way,” Janet sighed. “I don’t mind. It’s better to spend Christmas with the people you really love than with the people who make you tear your hair out, heh! Ellie will get to see her sister plenty over the Christmas period though, and I think they’re going to a birthday party for one of Ellie’s uni friends between Christmas and New Year, too.”

“Ah, that’ll be cool,” Shannon said with a happy giggle.

“I kinda wish that Ellie and Jade could spend Christmas Day together,” Janet mused. “Though that’s not going to happen any time soon…” Janet felt a pang of guilt as she remembered that Ellie wasn't the only girl living with her who would be separated from her family- especially her sibling- over Christmas...

Despite her best efforts, Ellie let out a long sigh as the clock ticked over to 5pm, signifying the end of her working day.

“Yeah, I think you’ve earned that,” Chris- Ellie's supervisor- said as he locked the front door of the shop. “Last Saturday before Christmas is always mental.”

“You going out anywhere tonight?” Penny, one of Ellie’s colleagues, asked. “I mean, you finished uni yesterday, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but I’m staying in tonight, I think,” Ellie replied. “Not really in the mood for a night out, I’m, umm, too tired…” Ellie bit her lip as she prayed that her friend wouldn’t realise that she was lying. Any other weekend, Ellie would’ve loved a night out with her friends, but on that particular weekend, Ellie would’ve been far too distracted to properly enjoy it.

During Christmas 2016 and Christmas 2017, Ellie had been miserable. Sure, Janet had gone out of her way to make sure that Ellie had a Christmas that was at least enjoyable, and while Ellie appreciated the effort, it didn’t change the fact that she’d spent two Christmases isolated from her family in a tiny flat. While her living arrangements had changed, meaning that she’d spend Christmas 2018 in a comfortable house rather than a shoebox, and she’d have Lindsay to spend Christmas with as well as Janet, Ellie would still have little to no contact with her parents over Christmas- and wouldn’t be able to celebrate her sister’s first Christmas as a girl with her either.

“Meh, guess everyone’s already gone home for Christmas from uni, anyway,” Penny said.

“Something like that,” Ellie shrugged.

“You doing anything special for Christmas this year?” Penny asked, making Ellie pause and try to hide her grimace.

“…Nothing special, no,” Ellie replied. “You?”

“Yeah, just going to my grandparents’ in Herefordshire,” Penny gushed. “My granddad was 80 this year, so we’re spending Christmas with him, the whole family, my aunts, uncles, cousins, everyone.”

“Cool,” Ellie replied, even as she felt her jealousy boil up inside her.

“Yeah,” Penny giggled. “My grandparents have got a HUGE house, used to love it there when I was a kid, heh.” Ellie bit her lip to keep herself from scowling as her colleague continued to (from Ellie’s perspective) brag.

“Yeah,” Ellie said. “I, um, need to catch my bus…”

“Well- okay,” Penny shrugged. “See you after Christmas!”

“Yeah, see you,” Ellie said with forced enthusiasm as she walked out of the shop and toward the nearby bus stop. Ellie wore a scowl on her face as she waited for her ride home, though her smile returned when she saw a familiar face walking toward her.

“Hey Ell!” Lindsay said with a grin as she greeted her housemate with a gentle hug. “Good day at work?”

“Ugh, if by ‘good’ you mean ‘knackering’,” Ellie replied, before shaking her head. “M eh, I dunno. Christmas has just got me feeling… I dunno.”

“Ugh, I know how you feel,” Lindsay snorted. Really? Ellie thought to herself. Do you really know how I feel?

“Right,” Ellie said nonchalantly.

“I mean, this’ll be my first Christmas where I don’t see my mum OR my brother,” Lindsay sighed, and Ellie immediately felt her insides begin to knot as she realised that Lindsay knew EXACTLY how she felt. Ellie had been so preoccupied with her own problems that she hadn’t even considered that Lindsay- one of her closest friends- might have been in as much pain as she was.

“…I’m sorry,” Ellie mumbled, her cheeks quickly reddening in the cold December air.

“What are YOU sorry for?” Lindsay snorted. “I mean, despite what my mum thinks, it’s not your fault Ethan- well, you know.”

“Yeah,” Ellie whispered.

“I still sometimes think Ethan was pissed off that I wasn’t a little brother for him,” Lindsay snorted. “Meh, his problem if he wants to be a misogynist prick.”

“Yeah,” Ellie said with a snort.

“It’s still going to be weird waking up on Christmas morning and him not being there, though,” Lindsay mumbled, once again causing Ellie’s insides to churn.

“Would- would you rather be living with your mum and your brother than your- than with Janet?” Ellie asked hesitantly.

“…I’d rather be living with mum AND dad,” Lindsay sighed. “But- but I know that isn’t an option, not anymore. Ugh, I dunno. I’m- I’m just really not looking forward to Christmas, you know?”

“Yeah, I know,” Ellie sighed. “Still, at least we don’t have to be miserable alone, right?”

“Yeah,” Lindsay chuckled tiredly as she and Ellie boarded their bus home.

The two girls arrived home a short while later, and after a quick dinner, went straight back to their preferred spots on the sofa, much to Janet’s amusement.

“Good day at work, then?” Janet asked, receiving non-committal grunts in reply. “I’ll take that as a ‘maybe’, then…”

“Ha ha,” Lindsay snorted derisively. “And if you must know, it was a REALLY long day.”

“Last Saturday before Christmas, it was bound to be,” Janet said. “Still , you’ve both got tomorrow and Monday free, right?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Ellie shrugged. “Is it still okay if Jade and the others come over tomorrow?”

“Yeah, you know it is,” Janet replied with a warm smile. “Seems like ages since you last saw Monique and Kacey, are they both doing okay?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Ellie replied with a nonchalant shrug.

“…Well, as riveting as the conversation is, I’ll leave you two to it,” Janet said, smirking as the two teenagers both sighed and rolled their eyes. “I’m going to take a bath, so if you need the loo, use the downstairs, okay?”

“Eww,” Lindsay and Ellie both simultaneously replied, making Janet giggle as she headed upstairs to the bathroom.

As she relaxed in the warm, sweet-scented water, Janet found herself once again worrying about the two girls. When she was younger, Lindsay had always loved Christmas, and ‘John’ had always made sure to make the festive season as special as possible. Even as recently as the last Christmas Janet had spent with Lindsay, when the girl was 14, she had insisted on helping with everything Christmas-related. She'd helped to decorate the tree, gone shopping with both of her parents, and even helped bake Christmas cookies. On Christmas morning, she was awake at 5am and eager to start unwrapping presents. Three years on, however, Janet couldn't imagine Lindsay getting out of bed before 11am unless it was absolutely necessary. Lindsay hadn't helped Janet decorate the tree or the rest of the house, she hadn't done any Christmas shopping beyond buying gifts, and even those were mostly bought online, and the only contribution Lindsay had made to the Christmas food was to eat it.

Janet tried to convince herself that the change in Lindsay’s behaviour was just her being a stereotypical teenager, that she was always going to lose interest in childish things like Christmas, but Janet couldn’t shake the thought that if she was still living with her mother, Lindsay would be having a happier festive season- and Janet especially couldn’t shake the thought that she was to blame…

Despite having the following day free, the three women all opted for an early night, with Janet being the first to turn in. However, her worry for her two girls meant that as hard as she tried, Janet just couldn't drift off to sleep.

The following morning, Janet got out of bed before dawn and was unsurprised to find that she was the first one up in the house. Janet smirked as she put on the kettle and made herself a cup of strong coffee, knowing that the smell would eventually draw the two teenagers out of their beds. Sure enough, minutes later, Lindsay and Ellie entered the kitchen wearing their warm dressing gowns, each grabbing a mug of hot coffee before flopping down on the sofa in the exact same spots where they'd sat the previous day.

“Morning, girls!” Janet said with forced enthusiasm that quickly faded as she remembered the previous day’s discussions. “What time are the others getting here?”

“I dunno, probably around 10-ish,” Ellie replied, not diverting her attention from her phone.

“Okay…” Janet said. “Have you done a secret Santa again this year?”

“Mm,” Lindsay mumbled affirmatively. “Just for us girls, though, we were going into our boyfriends, but, well- yeah.” Janet nodded and smiled sympathetically as Ellie frowned- it had been a few weeks since Ellie had split up with Dane; and while Janet knew that Ellie was the one who dumped him, rather than the other way round, she still worried about the effect the separation was having on the young girl.

“Well, that’ll still be plenty to go around, right?” Janet asked. "Eight of you?”

“Yeah,” Ellie shrugged.

“…So, anyway, I’ll be in the kitchen most of the time your friends are here,” Janet said. “And just so we’re clear, that’s because I’ll be staying out of your way, NOT because I’m going to be waiting on you hand and foot.”

“Yes dad, we know,” Lindsay sighed, making Janet smirk and shake her head as she switched on the television and sat down in her own preferred chair.

Ellie and Lindsay’s friends began arriving a short while later, and as she had promised, Janet retreated to the kitchen to watch television in there. It wasn’t long, however, before the noise coming from the living room threatened to drown out Janet’s TV- though under the circumstances, she didn’t mind one bit. The louder the girls were, the happier they were, and the happier they were, the more contented Janet felt.

“Aww, I’m still SO jealous!” Monique gushed as Ellie finished telling her friends about her first semester of university. "I mean, Nottingham's great and all, but I so wish I'd got into a London uni."

“Me too,” Kacey sighed. “I mean, I’m not gay, but those LGBT parties sound AMAZING.”

"They are, believe me!" Sade said with a proud giggle.

“And we can bring along friends if you want to come to one in the new year,” Ellie shrugged. “Friends who are over 18 only, I’m afraid.”

“D’aww,” Keira pouted, before giggling. “Ah, can’t wait to go to uni next year, living away from, umm, home…” Keira bit her lip and grimaced as she briefly met Ellie’s gaze, before looking away.

“…What?” Ellie shrugged. “Just ‘cause I’m not living away from home…”

“Umm…” Jade said hesitantly.

“THIS is my home,” Ellie said defiantly. “Jade, I- ugh. Now- now isn’t the time, can we talk about this later?”

“Umm, okay,” Jade said, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

“Anyway,” Lindsay said, trying to spare her friend’s blushes, “how are we gonna do the presents, then? I mean, if we all give everyone the presents we got them, it’s not gonna be a ‘secret’ Santa, if you know what I mean?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Monique said as a smile spread across Ellie’s face.

“Janet!” Ellie suddenly shouted, startling a couple of her friends.

“You bellowed?” Janet asked as she emerged from the kitchen, earning eye rolls from both of the young women under her care.

“Can you be Santa for us?” Ellie asked bluntly. “We need to give out our Secret Santa presents, we can’t do that without revealing who got who and-“

“Sure, I don’t mind,” Janet said, heading back into the kitchen and returning a short while later with a large carrier bag. “Stick your presents in here, I’ll give them all out. Heh, reminds me of ten years ago, when I used to dress up as Santa, remember that, Lindsay?”

“Dad…” Lindsay hissed, her cheeks quickly reddening.

“One year Lindsay even came down and caught me, and she-“ Janet said, before biting her lip as she saw a look of not just embarrassment, but anger in her daughter’s eyes. Janet suddenly remembered that while many teenagers’ fathers would tease their children about having dressed up as Santa in the past, few would tell them while wearing a knee-length sweater dress and opaque tights. “Umm… I’ll just take the presents and hand them out.”

“Good idea,” Lindsay growled as Janet sat down in her usual chair and handed out the gifts to the seven girls, before quickly currying back to the kitchen. “Ugh, SO sorry about that…”

“Nah, you know we like your dad, right?” Monique reassured her friend. “God knows my dad would be WAY more embarrassing.”

“Yeah, but he-“ Lindsay said, before meeting Ellie’s gaze and closing her mouth. “Umm, never mind…”

“No, go on,” Ellie said. “You were going to say, ‘but he wouldn’t be wearing a dress’, weren’t you?”

“No,” Lindsay mumbled, before sighing. “Maybe…”

“Anyway, we should, umm, we should start opening-“ Jade said feebly.

“It’s okay if you were,” Ellie interrupted her sister. “I was thinking the same thing. Difference is I don’t see your dad as a man.”

“Neither do I,” Lindsay said defiantly. “Not anymore.”

“Good,” Ellie said with a smile. “’Cause your dad’s more like a mum to me than my mum ever was.” Ellie either didn’t see or chose to ignore the look of sadness on her sister’s face as she and the other young women began opening their presents, which brought the excitement levels in the room back to where they previously were.

The rest of the afternoon was spent comparing each other's presents, trying (usually in vain) to guess who had been everybody's 'Secret Santa' and deliberately avoiding the topic of Ellie, Lindsay and Jade's living arrangements.

Eventually, everyone departed, until just those three girls were left in the living room, and when Jade excused herself to use the toilet, Lindsay turned to her housemate with a look of guilt on her face.

“Ellie, I- I am so, SO sorry about what I said earlier,” Lindsay said, trying her hardest to blink back tears. “I- it’s important that you know I am absolutely NOT embarrassed to have a transgendered dad, I mean-“

“It’s okay, really,” Ellie said. “Janet really was being totally embarrassing, I’d probably have crawled in a hole and died if she’d said that about me too. But- but I mean what I said, you know? Janet’s more like a mum to me than my own mum is. You are lucky that she’s your dad.”

“Heh, the last few months, she’s been more like a mum to me than MY mum,” Lindsay snorted.

“Umm, okay…” Ellie mumbled. “I wasn’t going to say anything…”

“Nah, but it’s true, though,” Lindsay shrugged. “Two days before Christmas and I haven’t heard shit from her, and all because I actually want to have my dad in my life. Well- fuck her. She’s forced me to choose, dad didn’t, so it’s obvious who I’d choose, right?”

“Well- I guess,” Ellie said.

“And god knows you’re more of a sister to me than Ethan ever was a brother,” Lindsay said. “You AND Jade.”

“Oh- come on…” Ellie feebly mumbled.

“Nah, I mean it, though,” Lindsay said. “Just ‘cause of what our parents have done, doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy Christmas, right?”

“…Right,” Ellie said with a smile as a knock came from the front door. “Ugh, speak of the devil…” Ellie forced a smile on her face as she opened the door, but it soon faded when she saw her mother standing on the doorstep.

“Hello Ellie,” Sharon said stoically. “Is Jade ready to go?”

“She’s just on the loo,” Ellie replied, before biting her lip and standing aside to let her mother in. “You can come in and wait if you’d like.”

“Thank you,” the older woman said as she entered the living room and sat down on the sofa after moving a pile of discarded wrapping paper. “I see you had fun today, then?”

“Yeah, we were doing our Secret Santa,” Lindsay said as she sat down next to Ellie opposite Sharon. “Jade got those eyelash curlers on the table, she seemed really pleased by them.”

“Yeah, they’re cool,” Jade said as she returned to the living room. “Oh, umm, hi mum, guess it’s time to go?”

“’Fraid so,” the girls' mother replied with a smile that her eldest child couldn’t help but be irked by. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah, just let me get my bag,” Jade said with a sad sigh. “I’ll see you two after Christmas then, I guess?”

“Yep,” Ellie replied. “Dunno yet if we’re doing anything for New Year, a week today is a uni friend’s birthday and he normally lives in Cardiff, so if we go there it’ll be an overnighter, so- yeah. Might be too tired for New Year’s Eve, heh.”

“Well, let me know either way on Facebook,” Jade said. “If you only have New Year’s here it wouldn’t be a problem if I slept over, would it, mum?”

“No, none at all,” the girls’ mother said in a clipped voice. “As long as it’s okay with Janet?”

“I’ve got no problem with her staying overnight with her sister,” Janet said with a warm smile.

“Well, okay then,” Sharon said, fidgeting as her younger daughter looked at her expectantly.

“…You forgotten something?” Ellie asked.

“Yes,” Sharon said, taking a deep breath. “Would- would you like to, umm, to come to Christmas dinner at our house?” Ellie’s face went blank and her jaw slowly dropped as she tried to process what her mother had asked her.

“I- I’m- what?” Ellie asked.

“We feel it would be nice if you came to our house on Christmas to eat with us,” Ellie's mother reiterated. “And, umm, spend the evening, if- if you’d like.”

“…Ellie?” Janet asked softly.

“I- umm…” Ellie feebly mumbled as she felt her heart start to race. She’d never even considered the possibility that her parents might have wanted her to spend Christmas with them, despite the recent thaw in their relationship. As far as she was concerned, they saw her less as their child and more as one of Jade’s friends who they couldn’t stand. For the first time in a very, very long time, Ellie started to feel loved by her birth family- but before she could accept her mother’s invitation, the words she’d spoken to Lindsay mere minutes earlier rang through her head. Sharon wasn’t her mother anymore, not really- Janet was. And Lindsay was her sister. And their so-called 'family' wasn't going to make any such invitation any time soon. However, Ellie quickly realised that it wasn't just her mother making the invitation.

"Please," Jade mouthed, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"I- umm, I don't want to leave Janet and Lindsay by themselves..." Ellie feebly mumbled.

"Oh- don't not go just 'cause of us," Lindsay said.

"Absolutely," Janet said. "We'll be fine, really."

"...Why don't you two come as well?" Sharon said, bringing a look of confusion to the Coles' face.

"Wh- really?" Janet asked.

"The more the merrier," Sharon said, though Janet could instinctively tell that her smile was forced, and the offer was only extended as it would help make Ellie feel more comfortable, rather than a genuine desire to have her and her daughter celebrate Christmas with them.

"Well, we DO have a lot of food in..." Janet mumbled, before internally sighing at the expectant look in Ellie's eyes. "But I suppose it's not written anywhere that we can only eat turkey on Christmas Day. Lindsay, do- are you, umm, shall we eat Christmas dinner with the Blakes?"

"...Sounds great!" Lindsay chuckled.

"Then it's settled," Sharon said, her smile gradually becoming more and more sincere. "It'll be the five of us- well, six, including the girls' father."

"Dad's okay with this too?" Ellie asked, musing on how if her relationship with her mother was strained, it was all but destroyed with her father- or so she thought, anyway.

"He's absolutely fine with it," Sharon replied. "And you know how he always buys too much food at Christmas anyway..."

"Yeah," Ellie mused as memories of past Christmases came flooding back to her, of her and Jade- or rather, her and Jack- eating turkey sandwiches for most of January, of having vast amounts of chocolate left over after Christmas, apart from the green triangles, which their father always ate first; and of cheese biscuits that neither sibling could stand but they always ate anyway as they were expected to... It suddenly dawned on Ellie that within 48 hours, she would be making more of those memories, when just minutes earlier, that seemed like an impossibility...

"We usually eat around 12:30, so we're done by the Queen's speech," Sharon explained. "We'll see you around noon?"

"We'll be there," Janet said with a smile as Jade bid farewell to her sister with an excited hug, before following their mother out of the house. "...Well, okay, that was unexpected. Good thing I haven't defrosted the meat yet!"

"Yeah..." Ellie chuckled nervously. "I- umm, I need to go upstairs for a bit..."

"Ellie?" Janet asked, her face filled with concern as the young woman abruptly ran out of the room. "Ellie?"

"Dad," Lindsay whispered, subtly shaking her head as a signal to Janet that she shouldn't follow the distraught young woman.

"I-" Janet said, before sighing and flopping down in her usual chair. "Surely she's happy about this? I mean, compared to the last two years, this is a big, HUGE step even..."

"Mm," Lindsay mumbled as she sat down on the sofa. "Dad, you know- you know she tells me stuff that she maybe doesn't tell you, right?"

"Well, I could probably guess, yeah," Janet replied.

"She- literally just a few seconds ago, before her mother arrived," Lindsay said cautiously, "she said that- she said that you were more like her 'real' mother than her, well, 'real' mother, if you know what I mean?" Janet bit her bottom lip to keep herself from crying, even though it was something that Ellie herself had hinted at on more than one occasion.

"She had called me 'mum' a few times," Janet said. "But- I dunno. God knows what she must be thinking, whether this is, you know, even a step toward moving back in with them?"

"It may be," Lindsay shrugged. "Dad, don't you- don't you want Ellie to move out?"

"I- I dunno," Janet replied, before sighing. "First, it's important that I say that I absolutely do NOT see Ellie as more important than you. No one is, full stop."

"I never thought you did," Lindsay said.

"As for Ellie moving out..." Janet said, before letting out another, longer sigh. "I know it's on the cards eventually. Me and her were only supposed to be a short-term thing anyway, but things change..."

"Yeah, you can say that again," Lindsay snorted, causing Janet to feel a pang of guilt in her chest. "I think Ellie said she was thinking of moving in with Sade in September anyway, getting their own place, that sort of thing."

"Yeah, I think Ellie's said that too," Janet mumbled. "But the question is, what do we do about Christmas? With Ellie in this state, I- I'm not sure it'd be in her best interests to go on Christmas Day..."

"Well whatever she decides, we'll be there for her, right?" Lindsay asked.

"Of course," Janet replied with a nod. "Because that's what families do."

Ellie laid on her bed, tears streaming down her cheeks as she tried to process what had just happened. Mere minutes earlier, she'd been so certain that her parents had wanted nothing to do with her, but now they were inviting not just her, but her new family to eat Christmas dinner with them? Ellie couldn't rationalise the change in her mind. She was sure that Jade had influenced her parents in some way, that the invitation was her idea and not theirs, but the difference in her mother compared to when Ellie had come out to her was incomprehensible.

Ellie couldn't tell how long she was lost in her jumbled thoughts, but a knock on the door quickly brought her back to reality. Ellie took several deep breaths to compose herself, before wiping her mascara-streaked face with a tissue and sitting cross-legged on her bed.

"I'm okay, Janet," Ellie said.

"It's Lindsay," the voice on the other side of the door said. "Can I come in?"

"Umm, okay," Ellie replied, smiling as the brown-haired girl entered the room and sat down at Ellie's dresser.

"You okay?" Lindsay asked softly.

"Yes," Ellie immediately replied, before sighing. "Ugh, I dunno..."

"Yeah," Lindsay mumbled. "Do- do you want to, you know, go to your family's house for Christmas?"

"I- I dunno..." Ellie moaned, before flopping back onto her bed. "They're not my family anymore. Not really. Well..."

"...Jade is?" Lindsay asked softly.

"If I go, I'm going for her, not for mum- not for Sharon and David," Ellie said. "Do you- do you really want to come too?"

"It's not like I have a family to eat with anymore," Lindsay snorted, before grimacing. "I- I'm sorry, that's not fair... I DO have a family. You and dad. And god knows it'd be more fun spending Christmas with other girls than with Ethan and mum. And yes, you and Jade are totally, unquestionably 100% girls just as much as I am."

"Thanks," Ellie said with a smug smile that made her friend giggle. "But- ugh, I dunno. I dunno if this'll be a one-time thing, or-"

"Or if you'll eventually end up moving back in?" Lindsay asked.

"THAT isn't gonna happen," Ellie said. "Bastards made their decision when they kicked me out."

"But that was two years ago," Lindsay whispered. "And you can't deny things HAVE changed."

"Well- true, I guess," Ellie sighed. "But this is my home, and you and Janet are my family. Besides, we can't have chats like this if I move out, can we?"

"Umm, we can over FaceTime?" Lindsay said, before sighing and smiling as her friend sat up and gave her a gentle hug.

"Not the same thing," Ellie said with a smile, before sighing and leading Lindsay back downstairs to where Janet was waiting.

"Feeling a little better?" the 45-year-old woman asked.

"Meh, maybe a bit," Ellie replied.

"Still trying to make up your mind about Christmas Day?" Janet asked.

"No, my mind's made up, I'm going," Ellie said. "But for Jade's sake only."

"Well, then we'll go with you too," Janet said, smiling as Lindsay enthusiastically nodded along. "For YOUR sake only."

"...Thanks," Ellie said, blinking back tears as she basked in the love of her surrogate family.

The three women spent Christmas Eve watching television, chatting with their friends online and preparing for the following day. With no big meal to prepare for, Janet found herself at a loose end, which meant that she couldn't distract herself from her concerns for both Ellie and Lindsay. Janet knew that the meal would be tense for Ellie, having to be polite and grateful to parents she's openly talked about despising in the past. But Janet also knew that the meal would be tense for Lindsay, too- eating in unfamiliar surroundings was something Lindsay had trouble with as a child; and despite Sharon's reassurances, she couldn't be certain that her and her husband would make Lindsay feel welcome in their home. However, Janet also knew that the same could be said about her...

As Janet had predicted, she was the first to wake up on Christmas Day, rising just after 7:30am. However, Ellie and Lindsay both got up shortly afterwards, lured downstairs by the sound of the television, the smell of freshly brewed coffee and bacon frying, and the prospect of the two large piles of presents Janet had placed on the sofa last night.

"Merry Christmas, girls!" Janet said with a giggle as she gave each girl a gentle hug, which Lindsay and Ellie were, for once, happy to reciprocate. "I'll just get your breakfasts ready, then you can start opening. And NOT before, okay?"

"Did she have this rule the last two years?" Lindsay asked Ellie, who simply rolled her eyes in response.

"Did she have this rule the last seventeen years?" Ellie replied, making her brown-haired friend giggle as Janet sighed and returned to the kitchen.

"Just be thankful I DIDN'T dress up as Santa this year," Janet said.

"The costume and the beard wouldn't really suit you anymore," Lindsay said with a warm smile that made Janet feel happy inside.

Once the three women had eaten their breakfasts, they eagerly tore into their expertly wrapped gifts. With her new, much better paying job, Janet had spared no expense in giving Ellie and Lindsay a Christmas to remember. Both girls unwrapped designer clothes, expensive shoes and fancy perfume and make-up. Lindsay was most excited by her new Galaxy Note 9, while Ellie wasted no time in setting up the Xbox One X Janet had given her.

Janet's own presents were less extravagant than the girls', but she was no less grateful for them- her new dress wasn't from a designer label, but was still beautiful nonetheless, and she intended to make the most of the spa day Ellie and Lindsay had clubbed together on.

Eventually, though, all the presents were unwrapped, and the time came for the three women to head out. Janet, Lindsay and Ellie all spent extra time and care on their look for the day, each wearing a new dress, shoes with between a 2- and 3-inch heel, elegant make-up and some of their new perfume.

However, while Janet and Lindsay were ready with plenty of time to spare, Ellie spent far longer getting ready- so long, in fact, that Janet immediately started worrying when the clock ticked over to 11am and she still wasn't out of her bedroom.

"Ellie?" Janet asked, knocking on her bedroom door. "Are- are you okay? If you've changed your mind about going, it's no trouble to-"

"No, I'm okay, I'll be out in a bit," Ellie said, emerging from her room but looking very unsteady on her feet.

"Ellie?" Janet asked. "Are you SURE you want to do this?"

"...No," Ellie sighed. "But I said I would. Let- let's just get this over with, okay?"

"Okay," Janet said. "I'm sure you'll feel better once you and Jade start talking."

"Yeah," Ellie chuckled. "Doubt my par- umm, I doubt Sharon and David will have got her an Xbox, heh. Hell, it'll be a miracle if they even bought her a new dress..." Janet forced a smile on her face as she led the two teenagers to her car- while she was upset to hear Ellie disparaging her parents, a selfish part of her was relieved that Ellie wouldn't be leaving her anytime soon...

The car pulled up outside Ellie's parents' house a short while later, and all three women forced smiles on their faces as they knocked on the door- though Ellie's smile instantly became genuine when her sister answered the door.

"Ellie!" Jade squeaked as she gave her older sister a tight hug that caught the 18-year-old by surprise. "I'm SO glad you came!"

"I am too," Ellie giggled. "Is that a new dress?"

"Yep!" Jade giggled, doing a twirl to show off the knee-length, dark grey garment. "So are these!" Ellie smiled as Jade showed off the delicate crystal drops hanging from her ears.

"They're beautiful," Ellie gushed as she started to feel self-conscious about the gold studs in her own earlobes.

"Yep!" Jade giggled. "I didn't ask for them either, mum and dad must've just seen them and bought them. But come in, come in! Don't stand out in the cold, hehe! Hi Lindsay, hi Janet!"

"Hi Jade!" Janet chuckled as she removed her coat. "Do we take our shoes off?"

"It seems a pity to, seeing how gorgeous those shoes are, but- yeah, I'm afraid so," Jade said with a half-sigh, half-giggle. "Come on through, mum and dad are preparing the meal, but you can help yourself to some nibbles. Would you like anything to drink?"

"Sure, just a soft drink for me and Lindsay, please," Janet replied. "Ellie? You are eighteen now..."

"...Just a soft drink too," Ellie mumbled as she fidgeted on the sofa.

"Ellie?" Janet asked as Jade disappeared into the kitchen.

"I'm fine," Ellie said defensively. "It's just- ugh. I dunno. Being back here... I- I dunno."

"If at any point you want to go, just say," Janet said softly.

"I'll be fine," Ellie whispered as Jade emerged from the kitchen, accompanied by her mother.

"Hello you three," Sharon said with a warm smile. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas!" Janet said as she exchanged a light handshake with her host. "Thank you for having us for dinner, your home looks beautiful!"

"Thank you," Sharon said. "Ellie, we- we bought you a few gifts." Ellie looked up in shock as her mother handed her a small, festive-themed bag containing a handful of carefully wrapped packages. "Well go on, open them!"

"You- you didn't need to," Ellie mumbled as she opened the first gift and gasped at what she saw inside.

There, inside the small box, were a pair of crystal earrings identical to the ones hanging from Jade's lobes. Ellie bit her lip to hold back her tears, before leaping to her feet and giving her mother a long, tender hug.

"Thank you," Ellie whispered.

"Merry Christmas," Sharon whispered back. "My daughter."

"Well?" Jade asked with a nervous giggle. "Are you going to try them on? We can, you know, get a picture together, the two of us- or maybe, you know, the four of us?" Ellie smiled as she removed her studs and pushed the new earrings into her lobes, giggling as she looked at her reflection in the mirror- and how much she looked like her sister.

Ellie happily posed for the photos that Jade requested, and after unwrapping the rest of her presents- which included a new bracelet and a smart black skirt- she, Janet and Lindsay joined the family in eating a Christmas feast fit for a king.

After the meal, Janet thanked Sharon not only for the food, but for her faultless hospitality and the generosity that she'd shown her oldest daughter.

"It was the least we could do," Sharon replied. "After all, she IS family. And family shouldn't walk out on each other."

"...That's true," Janet whispered as she and Lindsay donned their coats and shoes. "Well, we should be getting home now, but thank you so much for having us over. Ellie? Are you ready?"

"Umm..." Ellie mumbled hesitantly. "Actually, I- is it okay if I, umm..."

"Of course it is," Sharon said with a smile that warmed her daughter's heart. Ellie bit her lip as Janet nodded as well, though she couldn't help but notice a look of sadness in the older woman's eyes.

"We can drop her back round later," Ellie's father said. "Unless, of course, you want to stay over? We- we've moved all the stuff out of your bedroom, you can sleep over if you'd like? I know Jade would love it..."

"...Maybe next time," Ellie said. "But- but thank you."

"You're my daughter, you don't need to thank me," David said, before giving his oldest child a warm, albeit hesitant hug.

"Well- we'll see you later," Janet said as she and Lindsay bade their farewells before heading out to Janet's car.

"Well, that went well," Lindsay said as she sat down in the car and fastened her seatbelt. "D'you think Ellie's parents are actually gonna accept her?"

"Well, this is the time of the year for miracles," Janet replied, before cringing- while Ellie may have had a happy Christmas with her mother, the same could not be said of Lindsay. "When- when we get home, umm, do- do you want to call your mother?"

"What's the point?" Lindsay snorted. "She knows my number, if she wants to call, she can, and she obviously doesn't want to."

"Well- ugh, I dunno," Janet sighed. "Let's get home and watch the Queen's speech, okay?"

"Okay," Lindsay shrugged as the two women headed back to their home.

Janet and Lindsay arrived back just before 3pm, giving them just enough time to remove their coats and their shoes before sitting down to watch Queen Elizabeth II's annual address to the nation and the Commonwealth.

"I believe this message of peace on Earth and goodwill to all is never out of date," the elderly monarch said at the conclusion of her speech. "It can be heeded by everyone; it's needed as much as ever. A very happy Christmas to you all." Janet smiled as the Queen's image disappeared from the screen, to be replaced by the beautiful voice of a young male chorister singing the opening verse of Once in Royal David's City. As she looked over at her daughter, though, she could tell that the young woman was deep in thought.

"...Lindsay?" Janet asked.

"Dad," Lindsay whispered. "I- I'd like to call mum, if that's okay?"

"Of course it is," Janet replied softly, sitting back and trying not to stare as Lindsay removed her phone and dialled. A brief pause filled the room, before Lindsay nervously spoke.

"H- hi, mum," Lindsay said, before her face contorted and tears started to stream down her face. Lindsay throwing her phone onto the sofa was all Janet needed to see to determine how badly the call had gone. She immediately rushed over to her daughter and wrapped her in a tight, loving hug, letting Lindsay cry onto her shoulder as she mused that while Ellie was finally mending fences with her family, for her own daughter, that was as far away as it had ever been...