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Rose’s dad flips the switch, and the fairy lights on the tree spring on. The whole lot of guests at the party cheer and clap politely.
Everyone’s smiling politely too, except the man you’ve been told is Rose’s uncle from out of town. “You know,” you hear him telling Rose’s mum, “best Christmas tree I ever saw was on a planet that’s actually called Merry Christmas. They go bananas for it. The trees there have a symbiotic relationship with these tiny creatures called Nai; they’ve got little wings, and they glow in the dark while clinging to the branches.”
“Literal fairy lights?” Rose’s mum suggests.
“Exactly! …maybe we could take a quick trip out?”
“Take it slow, spaceman,” she chuckles. “Maybe later.”
“All right, earth-girl.”
The crowd’s begun to disperse, and you find yourself seeking out Rose. Finally, you spot her, carrying a tray of sweets. You tap her arm.
“Oh, hi! What’s up?” she asks you.
“Sorry if this is a weird question,” you tell her. “Is your uncle an alien?”
She looks at you for a second with a funny expression, before breaking into laughter. “Sorry,” she says, quickly. “But, yeah? And?”