Pulling his thoughts back to the moment, Josh sipped his wine then brought up another practical concern.

“I don’t really know how many a girl her age is supposed to be able to feed,” he observed, “but think how long a normal turkey lasts and there’s a lot more meat on Samantha! We’re never going to get through her all by ourselves!”

“Well let’s make a list,” the ever-practical Laura picked up a notepad and pen from the coffee table and flipped it to a clean page. They had both assumed there would be other guests joining them for Christmas but neither had really thought about who exactly they might be. Now that they had settled on the main course of their festive feast, it was important to work out exactly who was going to share it with them! “There’s your parents and my parents,” she began her list, “Martin and Clive, Julie and Mike, and their kids of course.” she added more names, “That’s ten adults, including us, plus five children. What about your new friend at work? The divorcee?”

“Aaron?” Josh responded with mild surprise but liking the way his wife was thinking. “Yeah he did say he’s got his daughter with him for Christmas Day and really wants to make it special for her. I bet they’d love to come!”

“How old is his daughter?” Laura asked, sucking the end of her pen thoughtfully. Josh realised he had never actually asked but thought about the photo his friend kept on his desk that he knew had only been taken that summer.

“I’m not sure…” He admitted. “Fourteen or fifteen, I guess?”

“I’d better put her down as another adult.” Laura concluded, adding “Aaron + daughter” to her list. “What about Mrs Menzies, Sammie’s teacher? She lost her husband around this time last year so it’s sure to be rather difficult for her and I don’t think they had any kids or other family.”

“Sam’s certainly very fond of her!” Josh agreed. “I think that would be nice. Pop her on the list. How many is that now?” He leaned over to see what his wife had written.

“Thirteen adults and five children.” she informed him.

“Might Sam want to invite a couple of friends?” Josh speculated, thinking that as this whole party was really in his daughter’s honour, she should at least have some say over the guest list.

“Maybe,” Laura agreed, “but it’s Christmas so I expect most families will want to be together. We can always ask. I’m sure there’ll be plenty to go around!”

“What about Miranda from across the road and her girls?” suggested Josh. “I know she struggles financially even if she does her best and taking the burden of Christmas dinner off her might mean she can relax a bit and maybe get the girls a few more presents? Plus the kids have always got on really well.” They both smiled, thinking of the water-fights out in the street over the Summer and the time the their neighbours daughters had come over on a snow-day when the school was closed and their mum had to go to work. They and Samantha had been so proud of the snowman they had built in the back garden.

“Good idea!” Laura added them to the list. “So that’s fourteen adults and seven children, plus maybe one or two more if their parents agree. I think that should be enough, don’t you? We don’t want too much in the way of left-overs but we don’t want people going home hungry either!” They both smiled but then froze for a moment, remembering simultaneously that it was their daughter they were talking about, discussing how many people she could feed as casually as if she were a frozen turkey from the supermarket!

“Of course,” Laura sucked the pen again, staring at the list of names on her pad, “we’re assuming everyone is going to actually want to come. That they will be okay with… you know!” This was a valid concern for sure! Cannibalism may be legal and becoming more and more socially acceptable but that did not automatically mean that everyone would be okay with eating a young girl, especially one that they were fond of! Some people might even be horrified by the idea!

“I think once they see how keen she is, nobody is going to have a problem with it.” Josh set down his wine glass and leaned closer to his wife, putting his arm around her shoulders. “But I agree we shouldn’t, you know, spring it on anyone! We should make it clear when we invite everyone what, I mean, who is on the menu!” Laura nodded and conceded teasingly that her husband did have smart ideas from time to time!

“So you think we should do formal invites?” she tilted her head thoughtfully, “Rather than just asking people?”

“I think it would be best.” Josh nodded. “Save any confusion. But how exactly are we going to express it?”

“A photo would be clearest, I guess?” suggested Laura. “Sammie on her back with an apple in her mouth or something? It could say ‘Come share our extra-special turkey!’ maybe?”

“Is that allowed?” Josh frowned. “She is only eleven after all. Can we send out naked pictures?”

“There’s loads of pictures of naked girls on the Sidney’s website!” his sensible wife reminded him. “And on all those caterers we looked at. You can always photoshop a sprig of holly over her privates if you’re worried?” she teased. “But everyone will see her naked when she’s served anyway!” This was a fair point and a compromise Josh felt comfortable with.

“I’ll talk to her about it tomorrow,” he agreed, “when I take her to test out the oven. See what she thinks.”

“I’m pretty sure she’ll be up for it!” Laura chuckled, setting the notepad back down. “We’d better get moving with all this ‘though, there’s a lot to organise!”

“Tomorrow!” Josh promised. “Tomorrow you can make one of your famous lists and we’ll divide the tasks between the three of us. But for now, I don’t know about you but I’m ready for bed!”

To be continued...