Jessica's Story - Part 19 free porn video

Jessica's Story - Part 19 When Saturday arrived, the children were totally glad, as was Anne. Work had prevented her from joining in any holiday activities so far. But for the weekend, she was free from work. To save on petrol (and the need for two cars), Anne and Julia decided upon public transport to get to their planned destination. The first caught a bus into Walsall before catching the train from there to Birmingham. Another train from Birmingham took them to their planned destination. "Kidderminster," said Anne. "That's our stop." "This is for the steam trains," said Julia. "Yes!" said Edward. "I get to see Thomas!" "Thomas isn't here, but some of his friends are," said Anne. How were they to explain that steam engines didn't have faces? Their destination was the Severn Valley Railway, a several mile route along the River Severn. It was a preserved line that was home to numerous steam and diesel locomotives. Kidderminster was one at one end of the line, and the main rail station was next door to the Severn Valley Railway station. "Special guest locomotive "Olton Hall" will be pulling selected trains this Easter weekend," read Julia. The sign was by the ticket booth, where they were now headed. The children, girls included, were keen to see some steam locomotives and wanted to get on the platform. "Wait a minute," said Anne. "Got to get the tickets first." Even Edward, the Thomas the Tank Engine fanatic, was keen to get on the platform. Julia had to fetch him back. "I'm not sure if Helen remembers steam," said Anne. "I don't. When I was a girl, diesels were in." Helen had decided to stay at home and look after the place. After buying a day ticket which allowed unlimited travel and access to the museum halfway along the line, they went onto the platform. But as eager to see a steam locomotive as the children were, they were disappointed. There was no train there. "Not due yet," said Anne. "Now, just to explain what we'll be doing. We'll have a ride on the train first, down to Bridgnorth. Have a look round the shops there, then we'll catch the train again, stop off and look at the museum, catch the train back here and look round the shops here." "Busy day by the sounds of it," smiled Julia. "That's the whole aim," said Anne. "Now, the train isn't due for another 10 minutes." The children had seen something to keep them occupied: a souvenir shop. "Ok, I'll go after them," said Julia. "Wait, I'll come too," said Anne. The shop had a number of items which interested them immensely. Edward found items featuring his favourite steam locomotive too. "Don't spend too long in here. The train will be here soon," said Julia. Even though many would consider it a boys subject, the shop had items aimed at the fairer sex too. The children were too absorbed to take any notice of what Anne and Julia were saying. It took something else to make them leave the shop. "The train is here!" said Sandra,as they all raced back onto the platform. The train had indeed arrived, and it was pulled by a bright red steam locomotive: 5972 Olton Hall. "Where have I seen this locomotive before?" asked Julia to herself. The locomotive was getting plenty of attention as many on the platform had got their cameras out. "I think I have the answer," said Anne. "Look at the tender." While Anne joined the many taking photographs, Julia went to look at the tender and noticed a crest that didn't belong to any railway company, past or present. The crest bore 4 animals: lion, snake, badger and eagle, with a capital H in the centre. If that didn't give away the locomotive's alter identity, the crest was flanked by the words "Hogwarts Railways". "It's the Harry Potter engine!" said Julia. Anne just smiled in acknowledgement. The children overheard and were suddenly excited. They had seen the films and had been read some of the books. "Does this mean we're going to Hogwarts?" asked Kelly. "Only wizards and witches go to Hogwarts," said Anne. "Now we need to get on the train." They all headed towards the coaches, but couldn't resist looking in the cab. They noticed that the locomotive was being uncoupled, just so that it could be taken to the other end of the train* *Author's note: Train is really the term given to the trucks or coaches pulled by a locomotive and not the locomotive itself. "Did you get any photos?" asked Julia. "Got a few," said Anne. They found some seats on one of the coaches and managed to sit everyone into a seat for 4. The girls managed to squeeze onto one side, while Anne and Julia sat opposite. Edward sat on Anne's lap. "I wish we were going to Hogwarts," said Sandra. "Learn a spell to help Jessica." "Well, this train isn't going to Hogwarts," said Anne. "And the steam engine is called Olton Hall, not Hogwarts Castle." "It was in the films," said Julia. "They changed the name plates," said Anne. A jolt told them that Olton Hall had just been coupled to the other end. As there was no turntable, the engine would be pulling the train backwards. Minutes later, a blast from the whistle announced that the train was ready to go. Soon, they were moving off, and 3 girls and a boy were suddenly looking out of the window. As they went along, stopping at the various stations along the way, they saw some of the resident locomotives in sidings. At the middle station, they saw another train going in the opposite direction. For Edward, his only disappointment was that none of the locomotives had faces. He saw a steam engine that looked like Duck, one of his favourite characters, but wondered why it was a darker shade of green. After an enjoyable ride, they came to Bridgnorth. They got off, and headed off to the town. But there was a slight delay as the children wanted another look at the locomotive. They wouldn't go until they had had their picture taken standing by it. * * * The station at Bridgnorth had a shop too. Anne and Julia told the children that they could look inside when they came back. After noting the times of trains later in the day, they made the walk into Bridgnorth town centre. The town divided into two, as it was on a hill. Most of the shops were in "High town" while the railway station was in "Low town". There was a funicular cliff railway that linked the two. Seeing how the children would be intrigued by it, Anne and Julia decided to use it. Upon arriving in the "High town", they set about looking around the shops, as well as finding a place to eat. "Wait till we tell the others, that we've seen the Harry Potter train," said Kelly. "And we have a photo to prove it!" said Jessica. "Ok," said Anne. "So, enjoying your day so far?" They were looking round a toy store that they had found. "Yes," said Sandra. "Can we come here often?" Anne was wondering how to say no without causing offense. Julia came to the rescue by offering to buy them an ice cream after dinner. They spent a couple of hours looking around Bridgnorth, including stopping at a cafe for something to eat. They then returned to the railway station via the cliff railway. As promised, they looked round the shop there. It had a few more things than the shop at Kidderminster. As a result, the children came out with souvenirs. But they were still made to hurry as Anne and Julia still wanted to show them the museum halfway down the line. The next train was pulled by one of the resident locomotives: Hagley Hall. Though not a celebrity like Olton Hall, the children still went to have a look at it. Anne once again took photos. At the museum, they looked at various railway items of yesteryear, plus more locomotives. One was called Gordon, though Edward was disappointed that it was not the character from his favourite show. This Gordon was black with red trim. "He's not an English locomotive by the looks of things," said Anne. "Still pretty big though," said Julia. After looking round the museum (and another shop!), they headed back to the station to get a train back to Kidderminster. Upon arriving, they looked at their watches to see how much time they had left. "Not sure if we have enough time to look round Kidderminster," said Anne. The children were slightly disappointed. They looked around the station shop at Kidderminster once more while Anne took more photographs of the station itself. They then made the short walk to the main line station and started the journey home. After riding on train pulled by a steam locomotive, the journeys on diesels were dull by comparison. They still took interest in looking at the scenery from the window, even if at times, it was houses and other buildings. Anne and Julia sat together, holding hands. They were thankful that they had a table that concealed this. "I'm really enjoying this," smiled Julia. "Us, our children, being together." "I am too," replied Anne. "They've finally accepted us." Julia turned to see if anyone was looking and turned to Anne and placed a kiss on her lips. She went to venture further, but Anne cut her off. "Plenty of time for that," she smiled. After arriving in Birmingham, they caught the bus back to Walsall. Upon arriving home, they found that Helen hadn't been alone all day, and still wasn't. "Oh, the happy family are back," said Sally. "Where have you been?" "Just the Severn Valley Railway," said Anne. "What are you doing here?" "Oh, just come round to see you, but you weren't here," said Sally. "She and Carol have been great company," said Helen. On cue, Carol came from downstairs, having just been to the toilet. "Nice to see you again," she said, kissing Anne and Julia on the cheeks. "Took the children out, I presume?" "Yes, took them to see some steam trains," said Julia. "Saw the one from the Harry Potter films too." "Can you read us one of the books Aunt Sally?" asked Sandra. "I'm in demand again," smiled Sally. "Which book?" "Harry Potter," said Sandra. Even Edward was keen to join in. "Alright. Let's see which ones you have," said Sally. She was led upstairs by all four children. * * * "You sure you want children of your own when our lot seem intent on keeping you busy?" asked Anne. "Quite sure," said Carol. "After all, we were made for each other." "I feel that way about Julia and myself," said Anne. "I've never really thought myself as being a lesbian, or bi for that matter." "You're not the first to rethink their sexuality," said Carol. "I've always known I've been a lesbian. It was at school when I found out. I didn't make any moves until college though." "When did you tell your parents?" asked Julia. "It wasn't long after I discovered my attraction to girls that I told mine." "It was only when I started a relationship that I told mine," said Carol. "Though I knew their view on homosexuality was frosty, I knew I had to tell them. They gave me the cold shoulder, as I expected. I went back to them a while later, but their minds hadn't changed. They were willing to accept me back if I found a boyfriend, and that wasn't going to happen." "I tried to please mine," said Julia. "I found a husband, had a daughter. But I couldn't lie to myself, I wanted a woman in my life. I found a lover, but I was discovered. Lost my husband and was shunned by my parents as a result." "Did your daughter ever know her father?" asked Carol. "Not really. She was only 4 when we split. I moved to this neighbourhood to start afresh. The girfriend who cost me my marriage broke up with me weeks later. Didn't want children in her life." "That was tough. But you've found Anne now," said Carol. "Yes, and it was down to Jessica that we met," said Julia. Julia and Anne explained how they had first met, as a result of Jessica nearly losing her wig. "But at that time, my marriage to Adam was still ongoing, but that would change just weeks later," said Anne. "We met up often, simply because of our daughters. Once my ex was out of the house, we met up here. It was then that I found myself attracted to Julia." "Then we met up at a LGBT group meeting," said Julia. "Anne was seeking advice about Jessica and I needed help coming out to Kelly." "I think we blew it though at first," said Anne. She went on to describe how Kelly had caught them kissing on the sofa back at Julia's house. "We were smitten, and here we are now, engaged," said Anne. "Well, my first girlfriend didn't last," said Carol. "She was experimenting and later found she liked boys better. So, I felt bad at first, but I forgave her." "Did you have anyone else before Sally?" asked Julia. "I didn't really," said Carol. "After my parents ditched me, I had to make my own way in life. I always had wanted to have my own business. My business partners were fellow members of the LGBT group at my college. We got together and opened the nightclub that you frequently visit." "And then you found Sally," said Anne. "Yes, I found her. She was lucky I did, and now, looking back in hindsight, I was lucky too," said Carol. "I didn't know, when I found her, that I would fall in love with her." "Well, you're back together and very much settled down," said Julia. "Yes, though I regret the London episode. If I had known how long I would be away for, I would never have gone," said Carol. "Do you ever get in touch with your business partners?" asked Anne. "I don't. I fell out with them and came back here at the first opportunity. My life was here, Sally was here," said Carol. Helen, who had been listening, had been busy making drinks in the kitchen. Carol had been telling her all this while the others were out. "So, here we are, two happy lesbian couples," said Julia. "And heres to the day we say I do!" "Agreed," said Carol. "But we can't really have a toast without all of us being here." "We might be waiting a while," said Anne. She clearly heard children giggling upstairs. "I suppose we can discuss Kelly's birthday while we're at it," said Julia. "She hasn't really had a proper birthday party." "What sort would she want?" asked Carol. "A repeat of Jessica and Sandra's, no doubt," said Anne. "But as we've got some saving up to do, we may have to go easier on them this time." "Their friends will undoubtedly want to come," said Julia. "What are friends for?" said Carol. "That's something else we'll have to prepare for," said Anne. "Their friends will have parties, and our girls will be invited." "Jessica has got a few friends now," said Helen. "Yes, her life has definitely got better in the past year," said Anne. Talk of parties was put on hold as Sally finally freed herself from her young audience. "Enjoyed yourself?" asked Carol with a smile. "Sure!" said Sally. "Note in diary, read chapters from Harry Potter to them every Saturday until all the books are finished." "You're in luck," chuckled Anne. "We haven't got them all." "If they have any say in the matter, we will do," said Julia. After finishing their drinks and saying goodbye, Carol and Sally left. * * * The following day, Easter Sunday, birthdays turned up again, but only because Anne had a phone call. "Hi, it's Sally here. Carol mentioned birthday parties to me and it reminded me about James. John's son is 10 a fortnight on Monday. Just wondering if you want to send him a card?" "I would, but I need the address," said Anne. "Mom has the address. It's a surprise she hasn't told you," said Sally. "Ok, I'll ask her," said Anne. "Thanks for telling me. Bye." "Bye," said Sally. Anne put down the phone and went over to Helen. "That was Sally. Just saying that it's James' birthday next week." "But of course! We'll have to send him a card," replied Helen. "I've got tomorrow off. I'll go and get one out of town," said Anne. Anne was finding herself with plenty to do in the upcoming weeks. She had still to book an hotel for August. There was still the weddings to book too. There was selling the cars to think about also, and Kelly's birthday next month. There was also Jessica's next appointment at the gender clinic too. But for now, she spent time in the kitchen preparing dinner. As with Christmas, she served turkey for Easter. The children were content with watching DVDs in the living room along with Julia. Their Easter eggs had been put away in a cupboard for now, to prevent them from eating them before dinner. "What are doing this week?" asked Kelly over dinner. "We can go to the library again," said Julia. "You enjoyed it there last time." "We can go into town tomorrow," said Anne. "I need to get something for James." "Who's James?" asked Kelly. "Our cousin," said Jessica. "He's Michelle's brother." "He likes boy things so he didn't come to our party," said Sandra. "It's his birthday a week tomorrow," said Helen. "He'll be 10." "What are you getting me for my birthday?" asked Kelly, as though a certain word had an effect on her. "We're keeping it a surprise," said Julia. "Can we go to the cinema again?" she added. "It will be a surprise," said Anne. Kelly decided to drop the subject - for now. After a pudding of jam roly-poly and custard, the children were made to wait a while longer for their eggs, just so that their food could go down. While they waited, they talked in their room. Kelly was getting used to her top bunk and often sat up there when they talked. "So, this James is a boyish boy?" asked Kelly. "Yes," said Jessica. "Not into girly things at all." "I suppose having a few boys in the family helps," said Kelly. "So, I wonder what this surprise is for my birthday?" "We don't know," said Sandra. "Mommy won't tell us, in case we tell you." "I wonder when Lisa's birthday is?" asked Jessica. "Rachel's birthday was in September." "I don't know," said Kelly. "I started school at the end of May. She must have had her birthday by then or she would have invited me." Jessica knew that she wouldn't have been invited then, as this time last year, she was still going to school as a boy. "They would have sung happy birthday to her in class, but I didn't pay much attention," said Jessica. "We'll have to ask her next time we see her," said Sandra. "But for my birthday, I'm wearing my princess dress again," said Kelly. "I think we will too," said Sandra. * * * Monday saw them go out with Anne and Julia. A simple day in Walsall, with window shopping once again being top of the agenda. Most shops were open, and only the few smaller shops were closed for the bank holiday. Anne was on the lookout for birthday cards, especially football themed ones. "Typical, they don't have any with black and white," said Anne as she perused the birthday cards aimed at boys. Some cards had pictures of footballers on, though not any team in particular. Without sponsors or badges, they could represent any team with that colour scheme. Blue and white, and red and white were the main schemes. "Let's try another shop," said Julia. "Newcastle are not the only team that play in black and white." "But the best known," said Anne. One card shop did have a card with the appropriate colour scheme. Anne bought it and put it in her handbag. "That's that done. Now we can just concentrate on looking round." They looked in toyshops as usual, with the girls looking at dolls and accessories while Edward looked for more toy trains. Kelly was looking for potential birthday presents, and one caught her eye immediately. "Oh, a pram," said Anne. "You want to take your doll for a ride?" "It will last her a few years, then she'll be too tall to push it," said Julia. Kelly took offense at Julia's words. The pram was small, intended for children to push. There were also pushchairs on the same scale too. Jessica and Sandra were also interested. "And another thing," said Anne. "I thought you wanted a doll that pees, just like the ones your sisters have?" Kelly was stuck. She did want a doll that peed, and she wanted a pram too, but she knew she could only have the one. She pondered for a few minutes before deciding. "I want a pram. Jessica and Sandra can use it too," she said. Jessica and Sandra smiled at this. "Ok, we'll get you a pram for your birthday," said Anne. They quickly went back to the Thomas section so that Edward could show them what he liked. With his birthday not to far away either, this was one more present to be planned. They did have an idea though. The train set that he had got for Christmas was expandable, with more track and engines available. "Would you like that for your birthday?" asked Anne. She pointed to an engine shed and turntable set. "Yes please," he said. "And an engine." "Which one?" asked Anne. "Gordon," he said. "What about Edward?" asked Anne. "Same name as you." Julia watched on with interest. She knew that Edward would want everything eventually. Seeing that he wanted something now, Anne bought him Percy. This meant buying something for the girls too. They found a collection of dolls clothes and were bought those. "Your dolls can share them," said Anne. The girls were satisfied and just smiled. They ate out, going to an eat-in fish and chip shop before catching the bus home. Anne pointed out the register office to them while they waited. "That building is where Julia and I are going to get married," she told them. "Sally and Carol too." They looked at the building, which was a fairly modern stone building. They didn't look too impressed by it. "It's closed today, so we'll have to try later in the week," said Julia. "It's not far from the library," said Anne. "You and Carol could come here tomorrow, while Helen could take the children in the library." "Good idea," said Julia. "You don't mind another visit to the library?" The children didn't mind in the slightest. * * * Visiting the register office to book the civil ceremonies was a simple task, but one that needed to be done. Anne phoned Sally and asked her if Carol would come and help do it. "Of course she will," said Sally. "Her club is shut during the day, so until the evening, she has nothing to do." Carol, being the owner of the LGBT club, was under no obligation to be there every night. Even when she was in London, she kept tabs on the place by phone. Still, she liked being there, and would occasionally help behind the bar if it got busy. She didn't want to be seen as an office bound tyrant, though she still made it clear that she wasn't to be pushed around. When not at work, she was at Sally's house lying low. She occasionally brought home paperwork from the club, just to ensure that money wasn't leaving in unwanted ways. But apart from that, she enjoyed the out of business hours. Especially if it could be spent with Sally. The children arrived home from Walsall with library visits not on their minds. Edward wanted to give Percy a run round on his track while the girls were keen to show their dolls the new clothing they had been bought. "And Kelly is getting a pram for her birthday, so you can go out for a ride if you're good," said Jessica to her doll Emily. The dolls were soon wearing one of the 6 outfits that had been bought (2 sets of 3 had been purchased). They were soon being presented to Anne and Julia before being taken back upstairs. Anne had spent the afternoon filling out the card for James. Helen had got the address in her handbag. "To James, Happy Birthday, from Gran, Aunt Anne, Edward and the girls," said Anne as she wrote inside. "That should do. Just need a stamp and it can go in the post." She decided not to mention it to John that there was a card being sent to James. She was back at work the following day, meaning that Julia and Helen had the children to themselves, until Carol arrived as expected. "Time to book that all important day for us?" she asked Julia when she arrived. "Very much so," she replied. "Helen is taking the children to the library while we do it." The children were already ready to go, and so, minutes later, they were all heading for their destination on the bus. With the children once again finding books to read, Julia and Carol went to the register office next door. "Good morning. Where do we go to book civil ceremonies?" asked Carol. "Go to the first floor," said the man at the reception desk. Booking the ceremonies proved a little awkward though, for it appeared that it needed both partners from a couple to be present. "So, we need our partners here?" asked Carol. "But they're at work." "We can take your names, but all four of you must be present to confirm it," said the woman at the desk. "Ok, we'll come back," said Carol. "Do we need any documentation?" "Just proof of ID, documents that prove your nationality and that you're living in the district." "Ok," said Julia. "We can manage that." They picked up a leaflet that detailed the required documents and left feeling slightly disappointed that the event hadn't been fully arranged. "Legal jargon," said Carol. "And don't worry about costs. I'll pay the up front fees if needed." They went back to the library and met with Helen. "All four of us are needed to give notice," said Carol. "It will have to be of a weekend or at a time when Sally and Anne can get time off from work." "And it's ?35 each," said Julia. "?140 for us all." "Don't worry. I'll cover that," said Carol. "We'll have a ceremony and all. Don't want to deny the girls a chance to dress up for the occasion." At home, Anne was given the news when she arrived home. "That's awkward," she said. "We can get the documentation. They want deed poll papers as well?" She was reading the list of documents that may be required. "I'll just have to book a day off work," she added. "Sally will have to do likewise, I imagine." Sally was a bit annoyed too. "I'll just have to wait for Anne to get time off first," she told Carol. "The girls at work are sure to give me the afternoon off." With the civil ceremony arrangements on hold for now, Anne and Julia turned their attention to selling cars and booking hotels. Again, it wasn't easy, with the children still off school for the remainder of the week, and Anne still at work, it meant evenings were the only time that they could do any planning together. * * * Over the course of the week, Julia was busy taking the children out places. Most of the time, it was for a ride to any of the nearby towns that were in the region, or to museums. In the afternoons, she perused the holiday brochures with Helen, looking for hotels in Scarborough that weren't going to cost too much. They shortlisted a few hotels and then calculated the prices for the week required. After 3 afternoons of deliberating, they decided on a hotel. "We just need see if they have any rooms for that week, and then tell John," said Anne. "Wish me luck." She was in luck, as the hotel wasn't yet fully booked. Still, she didn't make the reservations just yet. "I've told them that I'm awaiting details from another hotel first," she told the others. "But, I'm just hoping John can get in too." The car problem proved to be such. The plan was to sell the two cars they had, and purchase a bigger car. But some of the dealers were more interested in the selling part, and not the buying. Though most would do a part exchange deal, they just weren't prepared to buy 2 and sell just 1. "This is annoying," said Anne through gritted teeth. "That showroom had a nice 7-seater that would have done us, but no, they don't want 2 cars!" The MPV that Anne had taken a shine to, was pricey, but with the money they could raise from the sale of the cars they had, it slashed the price considerably. "I don't get it," said Helen. "These dealers are always after a sale. And it wasn't as though you were just selling." For now, the one car was back in use, as Julie was back to doing the school run. At school, Jessica and Kelly were after answers. They got them without even asking. "I've been told to ask you before it gets too late," said Lisa. "My birthday is next month and you're invited of course." "We were going to ask you when your birthday was," said Jessica. "Busy for birthdays at the moment." "Mine is next month too," said Kelly. "What day?" asked Lisa. "12th," said Kelly. "No way, mine is the 14th!" said Lisa. "Two more birthdays?" asked Rachel, who had just arrived. "It appears that our birthdays are close together," said Kelly. "Great, you could have another joint party," said Rachel. "So, when are they?" "Next month," said Kelly. "Another joint party?" said Lisa with a thought. "Sounds good, but whose house?" "We'll have to tell our mommies," said Jessica. "So, what did you do over the holidays?" asked Rachel, deciding to change the subject. "Seen the Harry Potter steam train," said Kelly. "Even had a ride on it," said Jessica. "In the coaches behind it," added Kelly. "Oh, we went to Warwick Castle," said Rachel. "Went to the dungeon and it was not very scary." Lisa and Kelly looked at her as she said it, and thought she may have been lying about the scary bit. "You weren't scared?" asked Jessica. "Not one bit," said Rachel confidently. Kelly and Lisa were sure that Rachel was lying now. "What about you Lisa?" asked Rachel. "Went to the Black Country Museum," said Lisa. "Everything is set over a hundred years ago," "What do you mean?" asked Kelly. "It's like a village, but all the shops are like they were over 100 years ago," said Lisa. They continued their chat in class, only to find that Miss Abbot was once again asking them to write down their holiday experiences. At home, Kelly and Jessica told their Anne about Lisa's birthday being days after Kellys, and how they wanted a joint party. They had told Sandra and Julia on the way out of school. "Another joint party?" said Anne. "I suppose it's a good idea. We'll just have to ask Lisa's parents about it." "Maybe they can host the party?" suggested Julia. "They might," said Anne. "But best ask them first." But birthday parties were not the priority for now. Anne was sorting out the documentation that the register office required. This included divorce papers, birth certificate and deed poll papers. "Lucky I still have documents for my divorce too," said Julia. "But I kept my married name." "Which name do you want, once we're "married"?" asked Anne. "I'll take yours," said Julia. "It would completely cut the ties from my old marriage." "Makes sense," said Anne. "I took my old name to break away from that narrow minded bigot of an ex-husband." "Well, apart from that, we need to get the cars sold," said Julia. "I know. I really had my heart set on that 7-seater," said Anne. * * * At school the next day, Lisa told Jessica and Kelly that she had told her parents about the birthdays. "They were just planning a party for me, but they don't mind if we have our parties together," she said. "But she wants a word with your mommy first." "Which one?" asked Kelly. "Your mommy," said Lisa. She was obviously referring to Julia. "Ok. I'll ask her to go to your house," said Kelly. Lisa's parents were unaware that Kelly's mother was in a relationship with Jessica and Sandra's mother. For now, it was to stay that way. Julia was spending her day at home looking through the car ads in the newspaper, as well as phoning other dealers, after finding them in the phone directory. "How are you doing?" asked Helen. "Some are interested, but they want to see the cars," said Julia. "Secondly, we want a part exchange if possible. And that means they must have a car that appeals to us." "Find someone reputable though," said Helen. "Anyway, can't do much without Anne here. She has just as much a say in this as I do," said Julia. Anne did look at the details that Julia had written down and pondered them. "I feel like going back to that dealer and telling him that I want that car," she said. "The only problem with our cars is that they are a few years old. He could sell them." "There is bound to be someone else though," said Julia. "Or we could sell them individually." "Possibly," said Anne. "Oh, there goes the phone." It was John, and he was after information on hotels. Anne quickly found the notes she had made for the hotel they had decided on. "Yes, we've decided on a hotel," said Anne. "They've already got rooms for us reserved. We just need you to get in touch with them." She read out the details to him. He had his brochure with him, just to make things easier. "Ok, I'll get onto them," said John. "Hopefully got time to save up the money." "We have," said Anne. "We're currently trying to sell our cars. Only thing is that the dealers are not keen on buying 2 and selling 1. They'd rather do it the other way round." "Typical dealers," said John. "So, unless we can find a dealer who will take both cars, we might try and sell the cars individually," said Anne. "I wish you luck," said John. "Everything ok with your lot?" "Very much so," said Anne. "Julie was in charge of the kids over the holiday, since I've got a job. Did get to go out over the Easter weekend. Went to the Severn Valley Railway. Edward enjoyed it immensely as he loves trains. The girls enjoyed it too." "Well, we couldn't go far, since Liz is housebound, and I'm just like you: go to work," said John. "Oh, and James is 10 next week and I'm taking him to Newcastle United for a stadium tour." "Oh yes, Sally told us. We've sent a card out to him," said Anne "We've got another birthday coming up too. My soon to be step-daughter Kelly." "I presume she'll be coming with you to Scarborough?" asked John. "Yes, she will," said Anne. "But how about Michelle?" "Getting along. She's now sitting with two of her friends in class. The teacher got her to sit there," said John. "Just having a problem with her hair now - she may have to get it cut to make it look more girly." "Oh, I've had that with Jessica. Still do actually," said Anne. "Been keen to have her hair long since coming out. Doesn't help having many girls around with really long hair." "So, what did you do?" asked John. "She started wearing a wig, then as it started to get long, she stopped using it. But since her hair wasn't very long to begin with, giving her a girl style wasn't hard," said Anne. "But Michelle's hair is already quite long, if I remember." "Just short at the front," said John. "I've suggested her let her hair grow a bit more before it is styled, while using the wig to hide it." "Good idea," said Anne. "Wouldn't have worked with Jessica. Her wig was straight and she's naturally curly." "I see," said John. "Well, the wig may be of further use, as it will help disguise her in September." "I bet she is looking forward to that?" asked Anne. "Very much so, but July is on her mind for now. She can say goodbye to Michael then." "Reminds me of Jessica," said Anne. "Well, got dinner to prepare. Let me know when you've contacted the hotel." "Will do. Bye then," said John. "Bye," said Anne. She went back and told the others. "So, lets hope John can get in," said Helen. "But I can understand his worries about Michelle. She is just like Jessica was. Her hair can't grow fast enough." "Just like yours," said Julia. She walked up to Anne and ran her fingers through her hair. "You really do look better as a redhead." "Why do you think I've never gone back to brown for?" smiled Anne. They shared a kiss before Anne went to the kitchen to start on dinner.