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Summer tugged on her hand, and Natalie held the microphone out to her. ‘I was too sick for Christmas last year. I was in a hospital and too sick for visitors. Even Santa. Only my mum was allowed.’ She paused as murmurs of sympathy rippled around the crowd, and Jake felt like his heart would burst from pride. ‘So I wanted to say thank you. Everyone. For coming to my Christmas.’ She hesitated again, before adding, ‘I’m Summer, by the way.’

Next to him, almost unheard amongst the laughter and cheers of thousands, Evelyn made a choking noise somewhere between a laugh and a sob. When he saw the sparkle on her cheeks, he pulled her against him, her back against his chest, and his arms tightly around her waist to offer the support and comfort she needed.

When he looked up again, the microphone was in the hand of Santa. ‘Ho, ho, ho! Merry Summer’s Christmas!’ He waited for the applause to wane. ‘You’ve all heard what these two lovely ladies have had to say, and you all know how important this weekend is. So, as the expert on all things Christmas, I now declare Summer’s Christmas officially open! Ho, ho, ho!’ He waved his hand, and the park gates were swung ceremoniously open.

Another, huge cheer went through the crowd, and people started to file through the gates, through the avenue of decorated trees, and into the waiting fete grounds.

Evelyn laughed as she caught Summer and spun her around in the air.

‘Did you see me? Wasn’t that awesome!’ Summer squealed in delight. ‘Jake, did you see when I waved to you? I blew you a special kiss.’

‘I know, munchkin.’ He wrapped her in a hug when she launched herself at him which ended up in him carrying her. ‘And I loved that you blew me my own special kiss.’

‘It was the bestest thing ever!’ Summer declared, bouncing in his arms. ‘Can we go and get reindeer ice creams? And I want to try the ring toss and snowman coconut shy. And I did want to go and see Santa, but,’ and she leaned closer to Jake, ‘I don’t think it’s really Santa.’

‘What do you mean?’ Evelyn felt her heart drop. She didn’t want today to be the day when Summer’s belief in magic ended.

But, as usual, Jake saved the day.

‘Well, obviously he isn’t the really real Santa. He’ll be busy in his workshop designing new toys, and helping the elves make them all. This is one of his super special, affiliated, and magically approved alternatives. Like how your mum is sometimes a locum nurse, when the normal nurse is busy.’ He shot Evelyn a wink. ‘Isn’t that right?’

Her throat constricted tightly, and not for the first time that day, she wondered if she’d done the wrong thing trying to put limits on their time together. She’d wanted to protect everyone from being hurt when she and Summer left for Boston – but watching how Jake and Summer interacted, she worried they were all in too deep already. She could handle the heartbreak – she’d do anything for her daughter. But the thought that she might be hurting Jake and Summer too tore her up inside.

He nudged her and grinned. ‘I said, isn’t that right?’

She forced herself to answer. ‘I have sometimes been a locum, yes. And people have done the same for me too.’

‘So is it OK that I think your dad might be a Santa locum?’

Evelyn grimaced, not quite knowing how to answer.

Jake shrugged. ‘Who better to tell Santa who belongs on the naughty list and the nice list than a GP? They always know what’s going on.’

‘I guess.’ Summer seemed mollified, and Evelyn breathed a sigh of relief. She watched as Jake placed Summer carefully on the ground and smiled when he tweaked her nose and made her giggle, and her chest ached. It was so unfair that right when she’d finally met an amazing man who made her feel so happy and safe and loved, and who showed Summer the attention and affection that her own father had withheld, she’d have to leave him. The timing was so bad that she sometimes wondered if she’d been cursed to never be happy in love.

Needing to distract herself from such morose thoughts, she gave Summer a bright smile. ‘So what do you want to do next?’

Summer thought for a second, before jumping up and down with excitement. ‘Everything. I want to go to the fete, and pet the reindeer, and ride the donkeys, and get a Rudolph ice cream, and go in the snow globe and dance in the snow, and play every game in the whole village.’ She slipped one hand into her mum’s, and grabbed Jake’s hand with her other – the simple act tugging at Evelyn’s heart. Summer hadn’t even hesitated before reaching out to Jake, and Evelyn envied her the ease and confidence of the gesture. She wished she could pull him as close and hold him tight with as much ease as her daughter did.

‘Annnnd,’ Summer continued, unaware of her mum’s inner turmoil, ‘I want to go and see Santa in his grotto. Even though I know it’s not really the real Father Christmas, if he’s approved by the real Santa, he can get a message to him. Do you think?’

‘I think that makes a lot of sense.’ Evelyn nodded in agreement. ‘Did you want to ask for something else?’

‘Maybe.’ Summer pursed her lips as she thought. ‘But I mostly wanted to say thank you. For my presents, and for lending us his magic so we could make Christmas now. Do you think that would be OK?’

‘I think that would be very, very OK.’ Yet again, Evelyn was amazed by the kindness and thoughtfulness that Summer showed. She’d been through so much pain and suffering – more in the last few years than most people did in a lifetime – and still she was such a beautiful, kind soul who put others first.

‘I think that’s a great list.’ Jake lifted his arm in time with Evelyn’s so that Summer could swing between them every few steps. ‘But if I get any say in this, food will definitely be involved soon.’ As if in agreement, his stomach growled and made Evelyn and Summer both laugh.

The village was absolutely packed, and as they made their way across it, Summer held tightly onto Jake’s hand and admitted that she’d never seen so many people in one place. She was asked for photos again and again and smiled and posed patiently each time, even though he sensed her starting to get tired. As he watched, her smile started to droop a little, and on occasion she seemed to stumble and he was reminded of what this whole event was for; though she was a bright, stubborn, sometimes precocious and always adorable little girl, she was still sick, and there was a tumour in her spine.

After a moment of thought, he hustled her into the doorway of one of the beauticians – now closed so staff could enjoy the day and paint faces, and offer hair braids at their stall in the fete. He whipped off the lightweight overshirt he’d not bothered to button over his T-shirt, and wrapped it around Summer, before gently removing her tiara and replacing it with his baseball cap. As disguises went, it was pretty weak, but he figured it might give her enough anonymity to at least get something to eat. His shirt hung almost to her ankles, which made him smile, but it did cover most of her dress.

‘Thank you.’ Evelyn gave him a smile of such heartfelt gratitude and love that he almost gave in to the urge to drag her against him, and cover her in kisses. If they’d been anywhere else, he was sure he would have. But instead, he contented himself with holding her hand, and taking Summer’s hand in his other, and leading her to The Brockle’s Paws where Margaret and her team had set up stall to sell Christmas themed ice creams and ice slush drinks – in raspberry and lime flavours.

Within a few minutes, they’d got their refreshments and found a spot on the wall where they could all perch in the shade, and Summer happily bit the cherry nose off an ice cream masquerading as Rudolph. She grinned up at Jake, and offered him one of the chocolate pretzel antlers. When he leaned forward to taste the treat, Summer giggled and pushed it up, daubing his nose with spiced chocolate ice cream.

But instead of grinning at him as he’d expected her to, Jake felt Evelyn stiffen beside him. He looked at her with concern; she’d gone from being happy and laughing to shaking, with horror painted across her features, in just a few seconds.