**Diary Entry 12th December**
Bloody typical. Just my luck.
“Claire, you still home?” Lucy poked her head into the bathroom where her older sister was fixing her hair before work.
“Obviously! Not all of us start at some ungodly hour like you telecom lot. Civilised office workers keep decent hourseight till five.”
Lucy snorted. “Oh, office workersplease! Youre just another factory girl, really. Only difference is you swan about in a lab coat in R&D, acting like youre the clever ones.”
“Couldve studied engineering yourself,” Claire shot back, bristling. “But no, you had to follow that prat Chris to technical college, didnt you?”
“Oh, give it a rest!” Lucy waved her off. “Chris is ancient historygone and married some girl from his course, the git.”
She hated being reminded of that mess. Chris, her old classmate, had been stupidly handsomeat least to her teenage eyesso shed followed him to telecom school like a lovesick fool. Fat lot of good it did her.
Lucy rinsed off under the shower, threw on her cosiest pyjamas, and shuffled into the kitchen.
“Right, whats edible at this hour? Need something to stop me waking up starving.”
“Theres half an omelette under the lidmade enough for both of us,” Claire offered.
“Ugh, eggs again? How dyou eat them every day?” Lucy grabbed instant oats instead, poured boiling water over them, and stirred lazily.
“Youll fall asleep mid-bite,” Claire smirked.
Lucy choked down two tasteless spoonfuls and shoved the bowl aside. “Nope. Bed.”
She vanished into her room, and soon, rhythmic snoring echoed down the hall. Claire checked the clock. “Whyd I get up so early? Half an hour left to scroll.” She curled into the armchair by the radiator and lost herself in her phone.
A sharp knock at the door. Claire answered, signed for a telegram (because some relatives still lived in the 19th century), and returned to her chair.
ThenLucy stomped past to the loo, paused in the hall, and yelped, “Oh, for crying out loud!” Claire listened as shoes scraped, a coat zipped, and the front door slammed.
“Lucy? Where the hell?” Claire jumped up, but her sister was already gone, phone left behind on the side table. “Mustve forgotten something at work.”
She shrugged and went back to the warmth of the kitchen.
***
Lucy sprinted down the icy pavement, squinting at shadowy figures ahead. Still dark, but she hoped to spot Claires wool coat. The telegram had woken her, and after tossing in bed, shed stumbled to the looonly to see Claires factory pass on the table.
“Idiot!” shed muttered, picturing Claire barred from work. Shed thrown on boots over her pyjamas, snatched the pass, and bolted after her.
But Claire wasnt among the workers trudging toward the factory. The place was barely ten minutes away, so Lucy reached the gates quicklyno sign of her. The security guard frowned when she asked.
“Not seen her. Its only half sevenshe usually rocks up at five to.”
“Half seven?!” Lucy groaned. “Oh, Im such a twit.”
The guard eyed her like shed smuggled in a missile.
“Leaving!” she yelped, spinning on her heel.
Claire would be tearing the flat apart for that pass!
Gasping, she was nearly home when her foot hit black icewham. Flat on the pavement.
“Christ!” A stranger rushed over, helping her up. “Can you stand?”
“DunnoI dont think so,” she whimpered, looking up.
Tall bloke in a winter coat, white lab coat peeking underneath. Tired eyes, but kind.
“Whats the hurry on ice?” he asked gently.
“Long story. II need to get back, or my sisterll murder me!” She tried standing, yelped, and wobbled.
He sighed. “Right, hold onto me. Tight.”
He scooped her up, carried her inside.
“Which floor?” he asked in the lift.
“Third,” she mumbled, face burning. Never been this close to a man beforelet alone a fit one. He smelled faintly of aftershave and antiseptic.
They rang the bell.
“Lucy?! What the?” Claire gaped at the stranger holding her sister.
“Evening. Think shes sprained or dislocated something,” he explained, stepping inside.
“Later, Claire, alright?” Lucy thrust the pass at her.
“Oh, you legend!” Claire stuffed it into her bag, dashed out, then doubled back.
“Lu, you good with him? Hes not some random?”
“Hes fineIm a doctor,” he assured. “Mind the ice.”
Claire nodded and clattered downstairs.
“Right, Lucy,” he said, businesslike. “Lets see that ankle.”
He eased off her boot and whistledher foot jutted sideways grotesquely.
“That bad?” she groaned.
“Dislocation. Hospital, Im afraid.”
“Ugh, noIm knackered! Cant we skip the X-rays?”
“You work nights too?” He raised a brow.
“Factory switchboard. 24/7 operationcant leave the kit unmanned.”
“Ah. Still need an ambulance. Got to numb it before resetting.” He pulled out his phone. “Steve? Got a dodgy ankle here. Slipped on ice.” He smiled at Lucy. “Address?”
She rattled it off, then panicked. *Oh god, what if theyre burglars?*
“Relax,” he said, patting her shoulder. “Steves my matebrilliant with bones. Hell sort you.”
“He knows what hes doing?”
“Steve? Absolute wizard. Youll see. Im Max, by the way.”
She shook his handwarm, huge. Part of her didnt want him to let go. Or better yet, pick her up again and
***
That New Years Eve, they all celebrated togetherLucy, Claire, Max, and Steve. They toasted black ice, Claires forgotten pass, and the magic of the season that sparked not one, but two love stories.
**Lesson:** Lifes a slippery pavement. Sometimes you fall. Sometimes you land right where youre meant to be.
