18 - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
He had left her several days ago now. She wanted to be strong. She had to be, for the children. But Christmas was a time for family, and he was her husband. Nellie sniffed into her pillow, thinking. What had she done wrong? Left her for another woman, a new model, for want of a better phrase. And now she had several young children, the youngest barely able to string a proper sentence together, the oldest not old enough to lead a troupe of siblings through the split. She couldn't say she didn't want him back, because she did. She did love him, no matter what a fool he was, no matter what he did. He was her husband. And Christmas, for Nellie, was a time for family. She let a few more tears fall. Why had they split? And why couldn't he come back for Christmas? She didn't want the children to face this one without their father. And she didn't want to face it without Freddie either.