good at swimming while on holiday and later takes up swimming classes when she gets home. When Em travels to London to meet her favourite author, the family runs into Frankie again, as he has apparently broken up with Sarah and found a new girlfriend, Hannah, before moving back to London. Emily runs after Frankie, falls and breaks her arm and Dancer (Vita's reindeer puppet), but her dad stops and takes her to the hospital. The story ends on Christmas Eve just under one year after Frankie left, with Frankie sending Dancer back to them as a Christmas present. Somebody taps on the door pretending to be Father Christmas. The book finishes with the line "It looked like it was going to be the best Christmas ever", implying that her stepfather has returned. Characters Emily (Em) – The main character. She loves reading, making up stories about Dancer, Vita's reindeer puppet, and her special emerald ring. She is the narrator of the story. She is a little overweight but has lovely blonde hair. She has a very gentle, soft nature and wants nothing more than for her beloved siblings, Maxie and Vita, to feel safe and loved. Emily's father nicknames her Emerald, thought to be having emerald green eyes. Emily loves her father very dearly, and when he leaves the lovely, sweet family to be with his new girlfriend, named Sarah, she feels as if her home is now just a house, her smile is now just an expression, and love is now just a word to everyone but her. She is ever so sensitive to other's emotions, and when she discovers Maxie truly remembers Dad, she describes the scenario as "nearly making her cry, too". Vita – Em's half sister. She has a reindeer puppet called Dancer. She has mousy brown hair and likes to be fashionable. Vita sometimes laughs at poor Em's size, but when a shadow of sadness is cast over their family, she turns to Emily for support, and one lonely night, Em finds poor Vita crying alone in bed, and used her lovely, soft reindeer puppet named Dancer to cheer Vita up. Maxie – Em's wimpy half brother who was given a set of expensive felt tip pens for Christmas. He potentially has a developmental disability—for example he does not want to sleep in a proper bed, he hates pyjamas, and is a fussy eater