Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 Day 20 (Saturday 12th June)

   We woke up as usual about 8:30 and went for a shower then downstairs for
an easy going breakfast, we lazed around the rest of the morning and I
remembered this afternoon is supermarket day.  Ellen says she can't get
over how I want to go shopping all the time, she say's it's not natural.  I
asked if she didn't want me to go with her and Libby and she answered
quickly, she would fall out with me if I didn't go now.  The doorbell rang
and Libby went to see who it was and walked back into the lounge with
Charley gliding in behind her, she said her good day's and asked if we
minded her being here.  I walked over to her wheelchair and crouched down
on one knee.  "Charley, both you and your mother are welcome in this house
anytime, you do not have to ring the bell to get in, when we get the lifts
in you will be able to go straight up to Libbies room.  Now I'm going to
tell you about privacy, okay?  (She nodded) If you ever find the front door
locked, we are either not in or we want privacy.  Also if you get to
Libbies room and you find it closed, please knock and wait for whoever's in
the room to invite you in but if the door is open or ajar that is an open
invitation to enter.  Do you understand, darling?" "Oh yes, that's a good
way, then everyone knows where they stand, I'll see if we can do that in
our house" "Right, we are going shopping, do you want to come Libby?" She
said "If you don't mind Charley and me want to go up to my bedroom for a
while, would you take her up daddy?" "Of course, come on my little glider,
glide to the bottom of the stairs" She laughed and glided, I picked her up
and she put her arms round my neck and stared into my face, then snuggled
into my shoulder, I said quietly so she was the only one to hear "What's
the matter, princess?" She mumbled into my ear "I wish I could dance with
you, I don't know how I am going to learn how to become a woman, I have
feelings I can't explain and I've tried asking my Mum but it's very
embarrassing, can you help me?" "Libby knows a lot, why don't you ask her
some of you're questions and if she becomes stumped I'll try to help out,
how's that, darling?" "I find it easier to talk to you than my mum" "I'll
have a word with her if you like, I'm sure we can sort out your problems
between us" "Okay" Then we were up and in Libbies room, I put her on the
bed and said "There you are in the perfect place to ask Libby about your
sexual liberation" I giggled along with her, she blushed when Libby came
into the room and asked what we were talking about.  I said to get the ball
rolling for Charley "Libby, Charley has some questions she wants to ask you
but feels a little embarrassed while I am here" She said "Then go" "I'm
gone" I replied I left and went downstairs and brought up Charlie's
wheelchair and put it outside Libbies door and knocked, Libby came to the
door opened it and retrieved the chair.  Since there was only the two of us
now, Ellen asked me if I minded if she ask Stella if she wanted to go, I
agreed that it was a good idea.  She went out and was back within 5 minutes
to say Stella would meet us at the car, Ellen and I went out and sat in the
car, I opened up the roof and before it was stowed Stella got into the car
and strapped in, then we were off.  I parked the car and we all grabbed
trollies and off we went, I enjoyed the `Deli-experience' picking up things
that Ellen didn't think to buy, like tubs of ready mixed pasta's and some
spices, ginger, lemon grass, olives and such, I was so engrossed in this
area Ellen disappeared, I went looking for her and glimpsed her picking two
packets up, I crept up behind her and shouted "Boo" She dropped the packets
and I leaned down and picked up the pregnancy testers and handed them to
her before I realised what I had done.  I picked her up and swung her round
then put her down slowly, I said "Sorry, I'll be more gentle from now on,
Ellen does this mean.....I mean this is for you, isn't it?" She held up her
hand to stop me talking and said "Well Libbies been on the pill for a while
now, of course it's me, I'm only checking, it's early days yet but I think
I should have been due a day or two ago, don't get upset if it's a false
alarm, I'll wait till we get home, I'm going to get two to be sure" "Oh
God, I can't wait, what will Libby say?  I'm sorry but I have to tell
someone" A voice behind me said "You've got to tell somebody what?" It was
Stella.  I picked up one of the testers from Ellen's trollie and handed it
to her, she just stared at it a moment then she said "Who's this for?" "Who
do you think?  Me?" Stella burst out laughing and said "Ken, are you
pregnant?" "I think I am" We were all laughing then, people were staring at
us as if we were idiots.  Stella stood still thinking to herself then said
to Ellen "It could be born on April Fools Day if you could hold on for a
week extra" She laughed I didn't think it was funny, I didn't think any of
this was funny, it was great news, I said "Does Libby know?" Ellen said
"Nobody knows yet, I haven't tested yet" I said "I think I've had enough
shopping for today, I think it's time to go home" Ellen and Stella said
almost together "Right lets head for the tills" The queue seemed to crawl
but eventually we got into the car park, packed everything away, some of it
on the seat beside Stella but safe and drove home, I said to Ellen "You go
and do what you have to do and we will get things put away" She grabbed one
of the kits and headed inside, we sorted out which shopping was Stella's
and which ours, she said she would put hers inside quickly and join me back
here.  I got everything packed away, well 99% of it then I picked up the
second tester kit and took it upstairs, I knocked on Libbies door and I
heard a muffled "Hang on" then two minutes later she said "Come in" I
entered and saw that Charley was under the covers and Libby was sitting on
the edge of the bed.  I threw the tester on the bed beside Libby, she
picked it up and looked at it and said "Daddy, it's not mine, honestly,
where did it come from?" "I'm sorry Libby.  I know it's not yours, it's
your mothers, she's just brought two of them, she is in the bathroom in our
bedroom with the other one, I leave you two for a moment so you can get
decent, Stella is coming in, in a little while, okay?" Libby said "Thank
you daddy" I left and went downstairs and boiled water to make tea or
coffee then heard a scream from upstairs, I raced up and Ellen was standing
in the doorway and had a tester in her hand, she said "It's positive" I
just stood there looking at her I said "I have to ask you a serious
question.  Is this something you want?" She said dreamily "With all my
heart, are you okay with it?" I said as I held her in my arms "I am over
the moon about this, you are making me the happiest man alive, I love you
future mother to our child" I kissed her and hugged her, not too tight. 
Libby opened her bedroom door and walked out, Charley glided behind her
looking a bit sheepish, I smiled at her and winked.  I said to no-one in
particular "We are going to be a bigger family next year" Libby ran to her
Mum and hugged her and said "Is it a boy or a girl?  Oh, I'm so happy, can
I have a brother?" Ellen said "Libby, we don't know what will pop out, at
the moment it's just a wriggler with no sex, but soon enough we will be
able to know what it's going to be if we want to plan ahead" We heard the
doorbell and I shouted "Come in, Stella" She opened the door gingerly,
walked into the hall and looked up at us, "Stella, I'm going to be a daddy
again" Ellen looked at me in horror "What do you mean, again" I said
hurriedly "I have Libby my daughter first when you agreed to marry me and
now we will have another" She said "I'm sorry I misunderstood you, I
thought about something else" "It's okay, we are one, all of us, there is
no harm done my darling" I said "I think we have to celebrate this
monumental event, I think we should all go out on the town, what's the best
place in town we can take two 16 year olds to" Stella said she knew of a
couple of hotels that had restaurants and entertainment but they are
expensive, I asked her what the names were and she told me, I said for them
to go down to the lounge and I would join them.  I went on the phone and
got the numbers for both of them and rang them, I explained that I was new
in town but would like to entertain some friends of mine, could I book a
large table for this evening, the first choice said it didn't have enough
notice to do that so I laid it on thick for the second one and said that I
had arrived from abroad for a reunion and the venue had let us down.  They
asked how many and I told them they said that owing to our circumstances
they would find room for us.  I entered the lounge and said "Okay you lot,
go and get your glad rags on we are going to the second best place in town"
I told them the story I had given for the short notice and continued "I
have booked the restaurant for 8pm so that gives you plenty of time.  I'll
order a taxi for us" I ordered the taxi so it would get us to the hotel
about 20 minutes before we needed to be there.  I got out my cream suit
with a dark shirt and matching tie, Ellen looked stunning in a red dress
that showed off her legs, Libby had on a black dress and it showed off her
blonde hair, my God they are so beautiful.  The taxi came and Stella
brought Charley out, Stella also had on a black dress and Charley was
wearing a pink dress that showed off her dark auburn hair, I thought to
myself `anyone out tonight will envy me' I said "I am truly in the company
of angels tonight, you all look gorgeous" They all thanked me with a kiss,
I felt as if I was covered in lipstick, I asked Libby but she just told me
not to be so silly.  We arrived, we all piled out, I paid the driver and
tipped him and he left happily.  We made our entrance, I announced who we
were and were shown to a table big enough for us all, I spoke to our waiter
and he brought over menu's and handed one out to each of us, it was Stella
who spoke first "Ken, I've seen the menu's each side of me and mine and
there are no prices on them, what's going on?" Ellen nodded and they all
looked at me, I said "I purposely asked for this type of menu, I didn't
want to cloud your minds with worrying about what something costs, I want
you to enjoy the food, I will sort out the money, Stella before you say
anything, this is not negotiable, just enjoy" We had a mixture of starters
including prawn cocktails, avocado with prawns and soup, I pushed Ellen and
Libby into trying something new but we all agreed the minted lamb with
boiled spuds and veggies sounded to good to pass on so we all had that.  We
mixed the deserts a bit, Libby and Charley went for the Knickerbocker
Glories, I opted for some arctic roll and Stella and Ellen went for
biscuits and mixed cheeses.  Towards the end of the meal our waiter told me
that 5 seats at a table had been reserved for us in the nightclub area so
we could enjoy the variety show for the evening, I thanked him and he
brought over the card reader for the meal, I put the big card in his
machine, he saw what it was and watched me as I entered my pin, he smiled
as the receipt rolled out and I dug in my pocket for a generous tip, he
said gratuities were included in the bill, I said that I thought he
deserved a little more, he thanked me and left.  Well I don't know if our
waiter had said anything to anyone else but we had 1st class service all
evening, in between the acts there were musical intervals but we didn't get
up to dance, maybe everyone in our company thought that that was something
we should keep private.  All of us enjoyed the evening and we arrived home
at around midnight.  We poured out of the taxi and went our separate ways
and we were so tired we all went to bed and slept, well Libby soaked some
oats first, good girl.