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It was easier getting ready for this show with fewer people in the backstage area, but we did miss the acts that couldn’t be here. While we changed, the Sunday Lunch Club were all chatting to each other with Christmas music playing in the background and Claire making sure they were all alright, which involved waking a few of them up. I could understand – a big lunch made us all sleepy – but we had a show to do. No time to rest yet.

Without the dancers to open, the kids and Pickles opened the show. As they launched into the by now well-known routine, the whole hall erupted with cheers.

By the time we got to the finale I was full of mixed feelings yet again. Happy that we had performed yet another successful show, sad that it was all over for the year and also sad that Christmas Day was coming to a close. The following day we had smaller family gatherings to look forward to, and the older children were going to go and volunteer at the shelter in the evening, which made me so proud of them. I planned to go to give them a paw.

Aleksy and Connie were overjoyed as the final curtain fell, and Tommy was so excited he actually gave Sienna a hug. When I saw them both blushing red, I thought perhaps she had fallen for his charms after all. Then I noticed them holding hands. Maybe I didn’t need to matchmake … Another teenage romance to look forward to, that was my prediction. And we all liked Sienna, she was such a sweet girl.

At the end of the show there were lots of hugs and congratulations; everyone had enjoyed it more than they imagined. And as mulled wine was handed out and mince pies eaten– although how anyone had any room, I will never know – I flitted around, listening as our guests all seemed to be happy and complimentary about the show and the lovely Christmas they’d had. There was nothing I liked more than seeing happy people. It warmed my heart. It was what Christmas wasall about.

I loved Christmas Day, I really did, but I always felt a bit sad when it came to a close. We had spent so long planning for it and working to make it amazing– and it was – but it seemed to go far too quickly. I had to look around and take a snapshot for my memory. The show, the hall which we might not see again – at least not for a while; the Sunday Lunch Club, who were all having the most fun, social time, rather than being on their own; my own families, who were smiling and laughing; my son, who I couldn’t have been more proud of; and Snowball, my love. Life was complete … I would hold the picture in my mind forever. There was nothing, simply nothing, that could make this day any better.

‘Dad, I can’t find Hana,’ George said in a panic, interrupting my sentimental moment.

‘Well she can’t be far.’ I looked around but couldn’t see her either. We had a quick search of the hall – under chairs, in the kitchen, the backstage area – but we couldn’t see her at all. Oh no, today of all days I really didn’t need another crisis.

‘What should we do?’ George asked, getting more and more upset.

‘Let’s go find Connie, make a lot of noise and hopefully she’ll find her,’ I said.

‘Anything we can do to help?’ Dustbin and Ally, who had stayed hidden at the back of the stage, came forward.

‘Amazing show by the way,’ Ally said.

‘Just keep your eyes out for Hana,’ I said. ‘We’ll go and get Connie.’

Connie was talking to a group of people when we approached her.

‘Meow,’ I said.

‘MEWMEWMEW,’ Snowball shouted.

‘YOWL!’ George added.

‘What is it?’ Connie turned and looked at us. ‘Where’s Hana?’

‘MEOW!’ We don’t know. She started looking.

‘Has anyone seen Hana?’ she shouted. The hall stopped talking, and started looking for her. Some people didn’t know where to look so they just glanced around, puzzled. But there was no sign of her. Hana wasn’t the sort of cat to wander off, that much I knew, but she had been tired. I hoped she’d just fallen asleep somewhere, but where? We had looked pretty much everywhere we could think of. Oh, no, poor Hana. It better not be Barbara.

‘Have you seen Hana?’ Aleksy asked Barbara.

‘No I haven’t, honestly. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt any of your cats,’ she said quickly.

‘I was asking not accusing,’ Aleksy said.

‘Hey, we’ll find her, son,’ Harold said, putting his hand on Aleksy’s shoulder. It must have crossed some people’s minds that Barbara might have had a relapse, I know it crossed mine.

‘Hana, Hana,’ Franceska and Sylvie were both shouting. There was still no sign.

We carried on looking, getting more and more frantic. She can’t have disappeared into thin air.

‘Um, George, Alfie, I think you better come back here,’ Dustbin said. ‘Backstage.’ We followed him. Because the final scene was the Santa scene, the Nativity set had been moved into the area behind the stage. As we approached, we could all hear a noise which sounded strange, alien almost.

‘What is it, have you found her?’ George asked.