Page 60 of The Christmas Fayre on Holly Field

‘No, thanks. I’ll wait here, while you join the queue.’

Hot dogs and doughnuts bought, Harriet was touched when she returned to the spot where she’d left Owen to find him holding a hot chocolate for each of them.

‘You didn’t have to,’ she cried, feeling guilty – she should have thought about a drink.

‘I wanted to,’ he said.

‘Thank you, it’s very thoughtful.’ She accepted it gratefully, sipping at the hot liquid. It was delicious and she suddenly began to feel Christmassy.

The bonfire had taken hold and was burning merrily by the time the children had finished eating, and the four of them enjoyed the warmth for a while, watching the flames and listening to the crackle and snap as the wood was hungrily consumed. Sparks drifted skywards and Harriet’s gaze followed them, mesmerised.

Eventually, though, the children grew bored and it was time to head home.

‘I need a wee,’ Bobby announced. ‘Can I go in your van?’

Harriet closed her eyes and shook her head, before opening them again. ‘He’s fascinated with your van, the loo especially. Anyone would think he’s never seen one before. You can wait until we get home,’ she told her son. ‘We’ll be there in fifteen minutes.’

‘I want to gonow,’ Bobby protested, crossing his legs to prove a point.

‘I don’t mind,’ Owen said. ‘We’ll be walking past the van anyway, so he can easily pop in.’

‘Yay!’ Bobby cried, earning himself a disgusted look from his sister.

‘You’re such a freak,’ she said, but Sara didn’t sound as though she meant it, and Bobby stuck his tongue out at her.

Miraculously, now that permission had been given to use the loo in Owen’s van, Bobby no longer appeared to be quite as desperate, and he skipped around the adults, still full of beans, despite it being close to his bedtime.

‘Be quick,’ she warned, when Owen opened the door and Bobby darted inside.

It wasn’t long before he came back out, and Harriet could immediately tell something was wrong.

‘It doesn’t work, Mammy.’

‘What doesn’t?’

‘The toilet. It won’t flush. I didn’t do anything, honest! I just had a wee, then pressed the button, but nothing happened. It’s not my fault.’ He was close to tears.

‘I’ll go take a look, shall I?’ Owen said. ‘I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.’

Harriet put her arm around Bobby’s shoulders while they waited for Owen to reappear.

‘Bet he’s broken it,’ Sara taunted.

‘Haven’t!’ Bobby protested. ‘I didn’t break it, Mam.’

‘Of course you didn’t. Sara, what’s got into you lately? You never used to be so mean to your brother.’

Sara hung her head. ‘Nothing. He’s lame, that’s all.’

‘I’m not!You’relame. Lamey, lamely, lamey,’ he chanted.

It was definitely time to go home. Both children were becoming fractious, and she was relieved when Owen eventually appeared in the doorway. He’d been in there longer than she had expected.

‘Everything OK?’ she asked.

‘Fine,’ he said, but she could tell he was fibbing and she hoped to goodness that Bobby hadn’t broken anything. ‘Let’s get you two home, shall we?’ he said to the children.

‘Are you coming with us?’ Sara asked Owen as they walked through the gate and onto the lane.

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