It was Christmas Eve and plans across the world were starting to take form,

people getting ready with last-minute preparations and others winding down,

finally settling in for the night, or getting ready for a quick trip to the pub for Christmas Eve drinks.

Ellie Edwards' brother had sent her a message,

What's the plan for tomorrow? What's the plan for Christmas Day?

That year, it was Ellie's turn to cook, the family Christmas dinner.

Usually her dad took charge, but this year, the table would be hers.

Connor remembered walking past her room, just hearing her laughter.

Memories, he would soon, never hear again.

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It was a Friday like any other.

Ellie Edwards, 26, had spent that morning in a local dental practice,

tending to patients and keeping a steady smile on her face while navigating a long week.

Monday to Friday, this was her routine, a life structured by her work as a dental nurse,

responsibility and the small victories of helping others.

But Friday afternoons were different.

By early afternoon, she would leave the dental clinic behind and step into a world that reflected a very different part of who she was.

At a nearby beauty salon, she transformed herself into the Ellie Everyone Loved outside the fluorescent lights of the dental chair.

She did make-up for clients preparing for a Friday night out, chatting, laughing,

sharing small moments of joy with strangers and friends, and actually, anyone who walked into the salon as a new client,

as a stranger, soon felt like they were friends with her.

...