On Christmas Day I switched on the telly at about ten in the morning and only abandoned it briefly to put my Marks’ Christmas dinner in the microwave.

Dr Lorenz texted “Happy Christmas” at around 2pm. I struggled over how to reply and finally left it at: “Thanks. Likewise.”

Lyre sent her greetings by text around then. Dear girl. Haven’t seen her for a while. Radio silence from Connie, who is usually so fastidious about these things.

I slept between three and three thirty.

Peony called just after four to say she was really sorry that she hadn’t joined us this year but that she and Justine wanted to give John all their attention. It’s more likely they didn’t want to run into Justine’s parents.

“Does Grunma mind my not being there?” she asked.

“Err, no.” I said.

“Sweet. See you tomorrow then. Say happy Christmas to Ken Tray for us.”

“God! I’d forgotten all about him!”

I pushed Ken outdoors and he sniffed around the place for a happy hour while I watched the rest of Monsters vs Aliens.

At ten I ate some chestnut puree out of the tin (it had been intended to go into a Christmas log) and took my new Persephone classic up to bed. I wondered why my cheeks hurt so much and looked in the bathroom mirror. I was grinning and had clearly been grinning lavishly all day.