For those who haven’t seen The Children: Helena (‘Chloe’ in the film) is married to Robbie, they have two children – Leah and Nicky. Elaine (or, Lainey), Helena’s younger sister, is married to Jonah, they have three children – Casey (not Jonah’s biological daughter), Miranda and Paulie. Just to clear things up! 

 

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The air was crisp and dark, Jack Frost’s poison licking at windows and clinging to trees like misshapen medals. The cold, however, did not stop the family within the large manor house from dispersing into its merciless grasp. With cheery faces and reddening cheeks, the small family ran to the fleeing contents of the just-arrived-vehicle. The family-carrier lay still and unattended as the occupants welcomed themselves into the open embraces, sharing a riotous mix of greetings and well wishes. Once the hugs and kisses had been given and equally returned, armfuls of delicately wrapped gifts were carried from the boot of the car into the large house, and soon the only sign that the frost of the evening had actually existed remained only on the abandoned Wellingtons by the front porch. 

“Robbie, would you light the fire?” Helena asked, her arms filled with two bags of wrapped presents. She smiled at her husband as he nodded and made his way towards the fireplace, removing the fireguard for a moment as he created a blaze and then replacing the little safety barrier to its original position. “Okay, we have Miranda’s, Paulie’s and Casey’s in here, and Lainey’s and Jonah’s in this one,” Helena grinned, handing the larger of the bags to a small blonde girl and her younger, equally as fair-haired, brother to tear into, watched by a quiet teenager who looked eagerly for her name amongst the wrapped gifts. 

“This is loads! It‘s way too much!” Elaine cried, receiving the bag of shared gifts and handing her older sister the smaller bag of gifts for her and Robbie, the children having already tore into their wrapped goods. 

“Oh, it was nothing,” Helena dismissed, taking the presents and falling into a seat beside Robbie as she passed him one to open. 

Once the presents had been unwrapped, ‘thank yous’ said and the wrinkled paper had been collectively thrown into one pile in the centre of the room, Robbie stood from the sofa – placing his Christmas jumper down over the arm – and began to clear away the mess. “Would you like a drink?” Helena asked, also standing and making to head into the kitchen.