Goodwill To All

Katie wanted to make her peace with her sister, but she didn’t know how

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IT'S time to write the Christmas cards, Katie thought as she arranged hot mince-pies on a cooling rack.

Next to feeding the birds, sending cards was the seasonal job she liked best.

Settling down with all the cards and her list of names from last year, Katie wrote her mum's card first.

Then, with a smile, she wrote some soppy words inside the one with To My Darling Fiancé on the front.

Her face changed when she came to the third name on her list.

She scratched out the name Genevieve so hard that the paper tore.

"She started it!" Katie muttered.

Jumping up, she marched out into the kitchen to cool down.

A perky little robin was hopping about on the bird table outside the window.

As Katie was wondering why life couldn't be as simple for humans as it was for birds, a second robin arrived in a flash of scarlet.

Puffing out its chest and posturing, it bounced the first bird off its territory.

With a sigh, Katie made herself a cup of tea. With only one card left to deliver, Katie took the route home that went past the primary school.

Mr Palmer had been the caretaker there when she and Genevieve were pupils.

He still lived in the small house beside the school gates.

Now that he was retired, village life had become his occupation.

He ran both the local panto in winter and the summer fair.

Katie's mum and sister were usually the stars of both.

Katie preferred to be one of the invisible army who painted scenery and made refreshments.

As she walked down the Palmers' front path, she saw a movement inside the house.

Katie waved, and Mr Palmer opened the window with a smile.

"Happy Christmas!" she called, waggling the white envelope at him.

She wasn't going to let her sister ruin today in the same way the past three weeks had been ruined.