Tell her you got this.

You’re not even sure where the next words come from.

‘I’ll pay,’ you tell her. The young mom’s mouth falls open. ‘Seriously, I’ll pay. Let me worry about claiming it back at the end. I can afford it, so…’

The young couple look mightily impressed, while the young mom looks like she can’t believe her ears. ‘Are you – are you sure?’ she stammers. ‘I mean, it’s so generous of you, but – you don’t even know us!’

‘Yeah, well…’ You’re struggling a bit to justify your decision to yourself – but in the end, it’s surprisingly simple. ‘I know what it’s like not having money. Not so long ago, I would’ve been sleeping here under a jacket. But it’s the holidays, and your kid needs somewhere to hang his stocking. I got this.’ You smile at her awkwardly. ‘Merry Christmas, I guess…’

*

The walk up to the hotel isn’t far, but it’s freezing – fortunately, you packed more than one sweater in your luggage, but you can still feel the wind biting at your bones. All around you, people trudge along in similarly bad shape, leaving dirty footprints in the ash.

Daisy appears suddenly, dropping into step beside you. ‘Hey.’ She nudges you gently. ‘That was really, really sweet, what you did for them.’

‘Well, hey…’ You find it hard to meet her gaze for some reason. ‘I meant what I said – I’ve been there, you know? No money, no friends and no phone on Christmas. And if the shoe was on the other foot, you bet I’d want someone to do that for me.’ You laugh, realising something. ‘Even if I just properly screwed my Grinchy reputation. Guess you win after all.’

Daisy’s eyes sparkle. ‘I was just about to offer to pay for her, by the way. If you’d held off a second longer, you’d have escaped with your wallet and your reputation intact. Just thought you should know.’

You chuckle. ‘Yeah, thanks for that. You think we’re nearly there yet?’

Daisy squints at the crest of the hill. ‘Better be. I’m pretty sure I just lost a second toe to frostbite.’

You glance down at her feet – and then do a double-take. Daisy’s wearing a pair of ridiculous little strappy sandals over her sheer black pantyhose, both of which are already soaked through and muddy.

‘Why didn’t you tell me you had any shoes?’ you demand, forgetting to be nervous around her for once. ‘You could’ve borrowed mine for this!’

Daisy gives you an affectionate smile. ‘Yeah, and then what would you have worn? Besides…’ She glances up ahead at the young mom and her kid, who you now notice are both wearing suspiciously expensive-looking furry boots. ‘You already got there first with the hotel room. Let me claw back some dignity by lending out my footwear to Tiny Tim and his mother.’

You laugh, surprised. ‘Jesus, though… you must be freezing!’

‘I’m tougher than I look.’ Daisy winks. ‘But, also, yes, I can no longer feel my feet. Oh, don’t even think about it!’ She speeds up as you bend down to unlace your boot, leaving you hurrying to catch up. ‘We’re almost there now, come on. Race you to the top of the hill!’