Morning Echo by Hope Dickson Leach

6.00

The Moffatts are in trouble. Their sick young daughter Franny almost died in October, and, wanting to make her final days good ones, they held a fake Christmas for her. A couple of months later, as the Moffatt household wakes up on December 25th, Franny is still alive, and the rest of the family have fallen apart. Big sister Veronica has hidden the family cat in the cupboard, and spends her days searching the streets for a new family. Brother Neil has given up talking altogether, and barks like a dog at his parents who are arguing about health food. When Franny finally wakes up she announces, with a smile on her face, that today is Valentine's Day.