'Anyone,' he murmured, at last. 'Anyone, I could've picked. Take your choice, they said, have anyone you like, they said, dazzle her with your skills, they said, and whom do I choose? You.' 'You mean...this isn't a reality TV show?' He leaned forward and rested his head on his hand. 'No,' he muttered, it is not a reality TV show.' 'Not any kind of...' 'No.' 'Not...Bus Swap...or Celebrity Bus Queue or anything?' I suggested, feebly. 'Only you did kind of sound like...' 'No. No. And No.' *** What would you think if the stranger standing beside you at the bus stop told you he was Santa Claus? How would you feel if you discovered he was the Mr Right that you'd spent 36 hours with the previous year? Adopted at a few months old, Phillippa Grubb grew up feisty and independent, with a rather cynical view of life. Until 2.45 on the 23rd of December. Instead of boarding the Number 12, she boards a roller coaster ride that changes her life forever. *** 'They say there are only two certainties in life, death and taxes. I should like to add something to that list. Anything can happen before the day is through. I am living proof.' Phillippa Grubb 2011.