It’s a day that comes with a lot of pressure to be perfect. The perfect festive lunch, the perfect tree decorations and perfectly wrapped gifts. I was desperate for Christmas 2021 to be special as it was our 11-month-old daughter Lena’s first. I couldn’t wait to spend it with her, my husband Robert, then 35, my children Mariah, then 17, Isabella, 12, Robert Jnr, eight, and my grandad Franco, 79, who lived with us. The house was bustling with excitement and chaos – just the way I liked it – and Robert and I had bought the kids lots of presents, including a toy bumper car for Lena, which she spent all morning riding.
‘Flames were raging but I had to get to my
