Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience. >The Girl at the Bus Stop by alan14 Copyright(C) 2021 by alan14 Chapter 39 Belle was up first the next morning, she was cooking waffles for everyone, including Helen, who hadn -(TM)t made it home after a late night with Jenny. I slept, just slept, with Poppy and Belle. I arrived as she was mixing batter, she refused my offer of help, instead giving me a quick kiss on the cheek and poured me a mug of fresh coffee. -It was fun having you in bed again, even just sleeping. I like snuggling up to your chest, like a big teddy bear. - -And I enjoyed having you snuggling up to me. - -Was it weird knowing Jenny was sleeping with Helen? - -Kind of, but Helen was very upset earlier, thinking about the awful things she did, stuff she -(TM)s only just remembering., and she just wanted female company for the night, and didn -(TM)t want to go home and explain it all to Nita. - -That makes sense, was it the room? - -Yes, it was the room that brought back the memories. - -But the room has gone now, hasn -(TM)t it? - -The room, the computers, the videos, they -(TM)re all gone. - -So Poppy is safe, all the bad stuff is gone. - -Well, the videos are gone, but the memories, they -(TM)ll keep coming back. - -I -(TM)ll be able to help her with those, I can make her think happy thoughts. - -Keep that up, but be prepared for more tears, Poppy -(TM)s problems run deep. - -I think I -(TM)m ready, I give very good hugs. - -You do give very good hugs. - -Now scoot, because I have work to do. - I refilled my mug and took it to the table, where I watched Belle pressing fresh blueberries and cooking them in sugar syrup to make a compote for the waffles. Poppy arrived next, stumbling into the kitchen still wrapping her hair in buns. She poured orange juice into four glasses, -something smells amazing, Belle. - -I -(TM)ve a new body spray, do you like it? - Poppy put her nose close to her sister, -it -(TM)s nice, but it -(TM)s not what I -(TM)m smelling. - -Then it -(TM)s probably the blueberry compote for the waffles, sit down, I -(TM)m just about to make some. - -I can help. - -You can, but I -(TM)m not going to let you. - -Come sit down, - I told Poppy, -she won -(TM)t let me help either. This is her penance for being suspended. - Lia and Katie were next, they grabbed a glass of juice each and joined us at the table, just in time for Belle to bring over a plate stacked with waffles, a jug of warm compote and a can of squirty cream. Lia grabbed a couple of waffles, -oh wow, this is amazing. I like living here. - -It -(TM)s only like this when Belle -(TM)s suspended, - Katie laughed, -otherwise we get Frosties and cold milk. - -I can do this at weekends though, - Belle called over as she poured more batter into the waffle iron, -I don -(TM)t mind. - -We mind though, - Poppy replied, -it -(TM)s not fair that you -(TM)re cooking all the time. - -It -(TM)s OK, I love cooking. - -And I love having you snuggled up with me in bed while someone else cooks. - -Oh sweetie, I didn -(TM)t think of it like that. Maybe we could snuggle then eat later, because I want to make French toast and honey this weekend. - Poppy put her fork down and held her arms out for Belle, who came running, -you just love cooking don -(TM)t you. - -I do, it -(TM)s all the flavours we dreamt about, I can taste them now, it -(TM)s amazing. - -I -(TM)ll cook on Saturday, - Lia said softly, -we might all die, but you can get your snuggle time. - Poppy looked over at Lia, -I think Belle might fight you for it, - she smiled. Jenny and Helen emerged as Poppy and Katie were putting their coats on ready to leave for school. Jenny hugged both girls, -it -(TM)s a good job I -(TM)ve no early meetings today, I completely slept through the alarm this morning. - -Good sex is tiring, - Poppy replied with a smile. -It is, but we just talked. - -And kissed, - Helen teased as she hugged Katie. -OK, we kissed a bit as well, but we mostly talked. Did you have fun with Alex? - -We just slept, - Poppy replied. -And cuddled, - Belle added. -Well, obviously, but no sex, not on a school night, - Poppy turned back to the kitchen, -be good today, Belle, Lia needs to concentrate on charity work. - -We won -(TM)t even be in the room with Lia, so I won -(TM)t be tempted to interrupt them - -I -(TM)ll try to speak to someone in Pastoral today, to find out how Jade is. - -Oh, please phone me as soon as you know, even if she -(TM)s a cow I feel really bad for decking her like that. - Jenny looked over at Belle, -by the way, how did you knock her out so quickly? - -Oh, that was easy, she swung to slap me, I swept her arm away, punched her hard, then kicked her legs out from under her as she wobbled from the punch, she -(TM)ll have a lovely black eye. - Jenny nodded with approval, -very impressive, but please, promise me you will never start a fight. - -Why would I want to start one? I only learnt those moves to stop fights. I want to be friends with people, not enemies. It -(TM)s not my fault Jade is so insecure. And she shouldn -(TM)t be, she -(TM)s really pretty. - -Well, not so much at the moment, - Katie laughed. -Ahh, no. And I -(TM)m so sorry about that, but she started it. - Jenny pulled Belle close and hugged her, -we can -(TM)t control how other people react to us, there -(TM)s all kinds of weirdos out there. Look at Poppy, she -(TM)s the most wonderful, gorgeous creature alive, and some people don -(TM)t like her. - -That -(TM)s because they -(TM)re jealous, - Belle replied into Jenny -(TM)s chest. -Exactly, and they -(TM)re jealous of you, because they don -(TM)t realise that underneath your beautiful body is the sweetest person in the world. I -(TM)m not asking you to be friends with everyone, because Jade and her friends will probably never like you... - -Especially after I knocked her out. - -Yes, especially now. Just try to pretend nothing happened, if she comes after you, speak to a teacher or your pastoral leader rather than fighting with her again. - -I -(TM)ll try mum, I really will. - -That -(TM)s all I ask. - Poppy looked at her watch, -we really need to go, have fun with dad and Lia today. - -I will, but not too much fun, because I -(TM)m not supposed to have fun when I -(TM)m suspended. - -That -(TM)s exactly right, - Poppy laughed as she ran for the door. Helen and Jenny helped themselves to waffles from the fresh stack Belle delivered to the table. -This sauce is amazing Belle, did you make it? - -I did, there -(TM)s a bottle of blueberry sauce in the fridge, but I thought I -(TM)d make my own, it -(TM)s really easy, just blueberries, caster sugar and a bit of lemon juice. Is Nita going to be angry about you staying over? - -Well, - Helen started as she took another bite of her waffle, -luckily she was working all night, she texted me last night that there was an emergency, and she would be in surgery overnight. -My little drama was after I had a small breakdown on Alex, some more shit I did long ago bubbled to the surface, I couldn -(TM)t face telling Nita, not then. Luckily Jenny is very understanding, she listened to my traumas and helped me put some pieces of memory in the right context. - Belle brought a plate to the table and helped herself to a waffle and some compote, -mmm, these are nice, I -(TM)m going to boss Food Tech if they ever let me back in school. - We ate in silence for a while, as she finished her breakfast Helen looked at Belle, -did you ever do drugs on the streets? - Belle looked up in surprise, -me? - she replied, shaking her head, -I never even smoked. We had some cider or cheap wine some nights, but I never took drugs. Poppy would have killed me if I did, but even if she wouldn -(TM)t I never saw the point. You -(TM)d see people down alleys or under bridges, totally fucked out of their skulls. I guess if their lives were so empty, they needed crack or meth to take it all away. We had a decent life, relatively, we had each other, we had a roof most of the time, and we always had food because I was the master shoplifter of old London Town. - -I had all those things, I had friends, or at least people who pretended to be friends while I had money, I had a roof over my head and so much food; I also took industrial quantities of drugs; E, coke, ketamine, even heroin. I didn -(TM)t take them because my life was empty Belle, I took them to forget the horrific shit I did to earn money. - Belle stopped eating, her fork hanging in mid-air, -oh fuck Helen, really. But you -(TM)re clean now? - -Oh yes, everything about that life ended around the same time. Once I stopped doing shit I was ashamed of I didn -(TM)t feel the need to take drugs to forget what I -(TM)d done. Also, the friends I thought I had, they all disappeared once the supply of drugs dried up, so the bad influences were out of my life. - -You quit just like that? - -Well, not quite, I did 6 months of narcotics anonymous meetings which helped me understand the cravings and find ways to distract my mind. That -(TM)s where I first found an interest in psychology, so a proper case of every cloud having a silver lining. - Belle stared at Helen for a few moments while she finished chewing her waffle, finally she put her fork down, -wow ... just ... wow. I never expected that, you seem so, I don -(TM)t know, sensible I guess... - -Hahaha, - Helen laughed without humour, -sensible, that -(TM)s not a word I -(TM)d use about myself. I was wild for a while, Belle, and in a way, it -(TM)s just as much a miracle I -(TM)m still around as Poppy. - Jenny put her arm around Helen and pulled her into a hug, -do you want me to be there when you tell Nita? - -I don -(TM)t know, if I tell her tonight it -(TM)ll be kind of like I -(TM)m ambushing her with terrible news, so it would be good to have some backup. But also, this is private stuff, so how do I bring you all in to help? - Belle put her hand up like she was in class, -I know what you can do! - -What honey? - -You can bring her here for dinner tonight, I -(TM)ll cook something vegan for you all, say it -(TM)s because I -(TM)ve been off all day because I was bad or something. Then after dinner, while you -(TM)re relaxing, someone could bring up the fire and the conversation can run from there. - -That -(TM)s not a bad idea actually, yes, if that -(TM)s OK with you Alex I think we -(TM)ll run with that. - -It -(TM)s fine by me, you -(TM)re both welcome round here any time. - Jenny stepped away from the table, -OK, I -(TM)ll have to love you and leave you, I really need to get to the station. All being well I -(TM)ll be finished by 6, is that OK timing for everyone? - -Fine by me, - Belle replied, -I have a plan for dinner that won -(TM)t take long to cook, I -(TM)ll need to do some shopping though. - -Will you let me help, - Lia asked, -I -(TM)d like to learn how to cook. - -Of course you can help me, Katie and Poppy will have homework to do, so they can -(TM)t help. - Helen rose from the table and fetched her coat from the hall cupboard. -Thank you everyone, for being so understanding, especially you last night Alex, I -(TM)m afraid you got the full force of my breakdown. I need to tell Nita, so I -(TM)m going to spend the day thinking positive thoughts to build up my mental strength. - Belle ran to Helen and jumped into her arms, wrapping her own arms and legs around her auntie, -I -(TM)m giving you positive vibes, - Belle said as she kissed Helen -(TM)s neck. -That -(TM)s worked already, - Helen laughed as Belle climbed down, -I can feel positive energy running through me. I -(TM)m not kidding either, I feel better already, thank you. - Once Helen and Jenny left, Lia helped Belle clear up the breakfast things whilst I phoned the office to check when Esther was available. With the kitchen clean we headed for the station, first stop would be Carnaby Street, where Belle had found an army surplus store. The store was down an alley, in a basement chock full of ex-army clothing and equipment. As Belle took Lia down to the collection of coats from various nations I had a look through the camping equipment, not that I needed anything, except perhaps this very powerful LED torch, and some enamel mugs. I didn -(TM)t need them at all, but I still added them to the wool lined coat Lia put on the counter, and the t-shirts, and the small shirt Belle had found, and the small canvas boots. -Look dad, these are waterproof, and they -(TM)re camouflaged, so no-one will see me coming. - -Well, they might if you -(TM)re also wearing that pink t-shirt, - Lia replied. -Duh, when I go on secret missions, I don -(TM)t wear pink. Unless the secret mission is raiding a Hello Kitty store, then I do wear pink. - The guy behind the counter moved his head side to side as the girls chattered. -Are they always like this, - he asked as I slipped my credit card into the card reader. -No, they -(TM)re usually worse, - I replied as I handed a bag each to the girls. It -(TM)s not too far to walk from the army surplus shop to my publishers in Russell Square, and we had over an hour to kill before Lia could meet with Esther, so we walked slowly down Poland Street, onto Oxford Street then along Tottenham Court Road, were Belle stopped at a camera store. -Poppy spoke about buying some digital cameras for the street kids to use, to take photos for our book. - -That -(TM)s a really cool idea, - Lia replied, -I know nothing about cameras though. - -Neither do I, shall we ask the man? - -There -(TM)s no harm in asking, - I replied. Belle dropped her bag at my feet and entered the store, we filed in behind her. She approached the counter and politely asked, -err, excuse me, I have an odd request and I -(TM)m wondering if you could help me. - The man behind the counter looked at Belle and couldn -(TM)t help but smile at the earnest girl standing before him. -I -(TM)m sure I can try, what do you need? - -Well, my sister and I, we -(TM)re writing a book, oh, not this sister by the way, my other sister, Poppy, she -(TM)s at school, where I should be really, but I got suspended for fighting, and none of this is in any way important, I -(TM)m so sorry. -Anyway, Poppy and I, we were homeless for a long time, and Alex here rescued us, so we -(TM)re writing a book about our time on the streets, and also about homelessness in general. So, Poppy had this idea that we -(TM)d buy some digital cameras to give to homeless kids to take photos of their life and surroundings, you know, squats, railway arches, back alleys and stuff. Then we -(TM)d take the memory cards and let them keep the cameras to sell. - The guy, whose badge proclaimed him to be Eric the duty manager, was quiet for a while, processing the barrage he -(TM)d just heard. -Ok, I think I get what you -(TM)re asking. You want documentary type shots of street life, and there -(TM)s two schools of thought here. Some people want street photographs to be pin sharp, so they reveal the whole picture in the finest detail. Others feel that a more grainy, lo-fi image tells the story better. - Belle nodded at this as Eric continued, -so, you have two options, a good camera with a sharp lens that would take the best pictures, or a budget camera that would take decent photos that you could turn black and white to give a good documentary feel to the images. - -And I -(TM)m guessing one would be much more expensive than the other. - -Indeed, the sky -(TM)s the limit for the good camera, personally I -(TM)d choose a Fuji X100, which for me is the perfect street camera... - -And it costs? - -Over a grand, so really not the answer you were looking for. - -Not really, and I also like the idea of lo-fi images. I -(TM)m guessing we could use software to tidy them up to look professional. - -Oh yes, but what I -(TM)d suggest is to get a good camera for one person to use, maybe yourself, to get some really good shots, then to give the street kids something like this... - Eric opened a drawer and pulled out a yellow camera that he unceremoniously tossed to Belle, -these things are tough as nails, they -(TM)re waterproof, they run on regular AA batteries, and they take surprisingly good photos. - -Oh, I like this, how much are they? - -Well, that one is brand new, so it -(TM)s about £250, but I -(TM)ve got a load of ex-display and refurbished ones back in the warehouse that I -(TM)m going to be listing in eBay, how many would you need? - -I -(TM)ve no idea, - she looked at me, I shrugged, -err, how much would 10 cost me? - -I -(TM)ll tell you what, I -(TM)ll do you a deal, and you can think about it and give me a call tomorrow. I -(TM)ll sell you an X100, brand new, and a box of a dozen of the tough cameras for £2k. The X100 alone is £1250. So that -(TM)s about 60 quid a piece for the tough cameras. - Belle looked at me again, -what do you think? - -That -(TM)s OK with me, and I -(TM)m sure we -(TM)d find a use for the good camera afterwards. - -Err, we -(TM)re a bit overloaded right now, and we -(TM)ve got a meeting in a bit, can you deliver them? - -The cameras aren -(TM)t here anyway, I -(TM)d have to bring them in from the warehouse, so delivery is no problem. - Belle insisted on paying for the cameras, she found her card case somewhere in the depths of her coat and handed it over while I filled out the details for delivery. -I hope Poppy isn -(TM)t angry about me buying the cameras, - Belle said after we -(TM)d left the shop, -it was her idea and everything. - -I -(TM)m sure she -(TM)ll be pleased you took the initiative, - Lia replied, -and more to the point, you paid for them, so she can -(TM)t complain. - -Ha, there is that I suppose, ahh, I -(TM)d better text her and tell her what I -(TM)ve done. Can you remember what make the cheaper cameras were? - -All I remember was it was called an Olympus Tough something or other, - Lia offered. -That -(TM)ll do, - Belle muttered as she laboriously composed a text message on her old Nokia phone. We stopped for coffee and cake close to the office, Lia had a big slice of Black Forest gateaux with her coffee, Belle just had a fully loaded hot chocolate. -I love how much you -(TM)re enjoying that cake, - Belle laughed, -I was so hungry for a while after Poppy rescued me, I ate like a horse, I thought I was going to pop. - -I love cakes though. - -I saw the way you looked at them in shop windows, I used to try to figure out ways I could steal you some, but they -(TM)re always in fridges behind the counter, I could never work out how to grab some cakes without getting caught. - Lia pulled Belle close and kissed her, -that -(TM)s so sweet of you, I -(TM)d hate for you to get into trouble for me, so I -(TM)m glad you didn -(TM)t manage to get any. - I finished my coffee and checked the time, -we -(TM)d better be going. - As Lia swallowed the last of her cake, Belle picked up her napkin and wiped around Lia -(TM)s mouth, -there you go, you -(TM)re presentable now. - -Thank you, nobody ever did that for me before. - -You -(TM)re our family now, we look out for each other. - -Family, I -(TM)ve not really had family before, at least not one that looked after me. - Belle stood and held out her hand, helping Lia to her feet, -we take such good care of each other, you -(TM)ll soon get used to it. - I now had both bags as Belle led Lia to the office, telling her about the meeting in the bar of the posh hotel as we walked past. They rounded the corner and walked down the block until they reached the office. -These are pretty fancy buildings, is it a big publisher? - Lia asked. -It -(TM)s one of the bigger publishers, this office just covers part of the operation, - I replied, -they have other offices for non-fiction, biographies, teen fiction, stuff like that. They keep talking about moving everything into the same building as the parent company. - -Where -(TM)s that building, is it nearby? - Lia asked, looking around. -Unfortunately not, it -(TM)s in New York. - -Ahh, that -(TM)s no good, I don -(TM)t have a passport, - Belle sighed. -If it happens, I -(TM)ll make sure you -(TM)ve all got passports, which will be easy now you -(TM)ve all got birth certificates and legal names. - -Yayyy, then we can go to New York, it looks great there, all those skyscrapers and yellow cabs, have you ever been? - -I -(TM)ve not been to New York, Belle, but I -(TM)ve been to Boston and Washington, and I went to LA a couple of times to meet film people. - -Have you been in a film? - Belle asked, suddenly very excited. -Ahh, no, I thought you knew. I got most of my money from writing films and selling my books to film and TV. - -Ahh, yes, you did mention that, boo, I thought you -(TM)d been in a film. - -Helen -(TM)s been in a film, - I replied. -Well duh! We know, that -(TM)s what last night -(TM)s drama was about. - -No, she -(TM)s been in a proper film, only a small part, but she does say a few lines. And she -(TM)s been in a couple of TV programs. Depending on what happens tonight, maybe we can watch the film. - -That would be amazing, - Belle replied as she climbed the three steps up to the door and entered the offices. -Hey Belle, you -(TM)re back! - Paige cried as she ran from her desk to greet us, -oh wow, Lia! Oh my god, you look great! - -You know Lia? - Belle asked. -Oh wow, Paige, so good to see you again, you look gorgeous. - -I used to live up Camden way and I spoke to Lia a lot. Have you moved in with Belle? - -Yeah, they came looking for me at the weekend. And now I -(TM)m here to meet Esther, I think? - -Oh really, let me look at the room bookings, - Paige dashed back to her desk and checked her computer, -yep, you -(TM)re in 204, and Alex, I can see you -(TM)ve got 206 booked, you asked for a computer and printer, there -(TM)s one set up in there. - We set off towards the stairs, Lia waved to Paige, -thank you, we -(TM)ll see you in a bit. - -You know, London is such a big city with so many people, then you find out Lia and Paige have met before, it -(TM)s amazing. - -It -(TM)s that 6 degrees of separation thing, Belle, - Lia replied, -where everyone in the world is linked by 6 jumps or something, like I know Paige, Paige knows someone else, who knows someone else who once met Barak Obama. - -Amazing! I -(TM)ve never heard of that, is it true do you think, there -(TM)s only 6 people between me and Taylor Swift? I want to meet those people. - On the second floor Belle stopped thinking about Taylor Swift for long enough to walk Lia down to room 204, she knocked and pushed the door open when Esther answered. -Hello again Belle! So good to see you, and you must be Lia. - They shook hands as Esther showed Lia to a table where she -(TM)d laid out several piles of papers. -I -(TM)ve ordered sandwiches and drinks for all of us for 12:30, - Esther told us, -If you come back then we can chat about where we -(TM)re up to. I -(TM)m happy to spend a couple of days with Lia, if you -(TM)re up to it of course, - she added, looked at Lia whose eyes were wide with shock. -Err, I -(TM)m fine with it, I think. Let -(TM)s see how fried my brain gets today. - -~Of course, - Esther laughed., -this is my passion you see, working with non-profits, and I get a little over-enthusiastic sometimes. Please, tell me if I -(TM)m going too fast or too deep. - -Ok, we -(TM)ll leave you to it, - I told them, -we -(TM)re in 206 typing up Belle -(TM)s apology, then we might pop out for a walk. Ring us if your brain explodes. - -Will do, - Lia replied, smiling nervously as we left. -Will she be OK, - Belle asked as I sat her in front of the keyboard in room 206. -She -(TM)ll be fine, you said yourself, she -(TM)s really bright, and Esther is lovely. We -(TM)ll go back in an hour, assuming you -(TM)ve finished your letter by then. - -Ahh yes, - she sighed, digging through her many pockets until she found a folded sheet of paper in her jeans pocket. She unfolded the sheet and flattened it out on the desk, -Lia helped me write this last night, it -(TM)s quite short, but she said it was best to keep it that way. - -She -(TM)s right, if you waffle on you -(TM)ll just start saying stuff you really don -(TM)t want to say. So, this is the same computer system as your laptop, and the same as my computer at home. You -(TM)ll need to use my login, - I leant over and typed my username and password into the computer. -Here we go, the desktop background is different, but the icon menu at the bottom should be similar. - Belle wiggled the mouse around the desktop, getting used to it, -err, what do I press? I watched Katie the other day, but I got distracted by a video Poppy was watching, it had kittens in it. - -Easily done, computers do so much that they are simultaneously our most powerful tool and the biggest distraction. Sometimes I get more work done by turning the computer off and writing in a notepad. - -Ok, what do I do? - -Right, so you -(TM)re writing a letter, you need to use a program called a word processor, the one we have here is called Word, you -(TM)ll see the same program on almost every business computer. Click the mouse on the icon with a W, - I pointed to the icons at the bottom of the screen. With a bit of trial and error as Belle had never used a computer of any kind before, we got Word opened and a fresh document started. The first task was showing her how to type, because she -(TM)d also not used a typewriter before, and her phone was an old Nokia with just a number pad. Thirty minutes later, Belle was comfortable with the concept of how everything worked, now we had to start the letter. I first rewrote her letter on paper, but formatted properly, with her address at the top, we didn -(TM)t have an address for Jade, so just our address on the letter. -Actually, - Belle interrupted me as I wrote, -do we want her to know where we live? I -(TM)m not sure I do. - -That -(TM)s a good point, and one of the reasons why we write drafts out first, so we can correct ourselves. I think we -(TM)ll just put the address down as care of the school. - With the letter correctly formatted on paper, I showed Belle how to use Tabs and Justification to format text correctly, and how to use the text and paragraph formatting tools to give the letter a style she liked, which may have been a mistake, as she wasted about 20 minutes choosing a font. I upset her by rejecting three fancy but totally inappropriate choices, before we settled on a nice simple sans serif font, then we got onto colours. -We cannot type the letter in pink, this is a formal apology, we -(TM)re using black text. - -Can we try it in pink, just to see what it looks like? - -Ok, - I sighed, she -(TM)d not even started typing it yet. Belle typed the first part of the letter in pink, then sent it to the printer, I walked across the room and retrieved the sheet, sliding it across the desk so she could read it. -Ahh, I can barely read it, maybe pink isn -(TM)t the right choice. - I sat down next and watched her select all the text and change the colour, -maybe purple, would purple be OK? - -Err, no, black, it has to be black. - As she typed, in black this time, I pointed out the red and blue underlining, -these are spelling and grammar mistakes. The red is showing that you -(TM)ve spelt apologise incorrectly... - -But that -(TM)s right, isn -(TM)t it? - -It would be if you were in the USA, they spell it with a Z, we use an S. Don -(TM)t ask me why English isn -(TM)t consistent everywhere. - -Ok, so what -(TM)s the blue line telling me. - -You -(TM)ve used -~where -(TM) when you should use -~were -(TM). - -Now I -(TM)m confused, what -(TM)s the difference? - -Were, without the H, is a verb, a doing word, so you use it to describe when more than one person was doing something in the past, for example -~Poppy and Katie were doing their homework. -(TM) If it was just Poppy, you -(TM)d say -~Poppy was doing her homework. -(TM) -Where, with an H, describes a place, -~Where did Poppy do her homework? -(TM) uses where with an H. - -Ahh, I see. So, if I take the h out, ha ahh, the line -(TM)s gone. This is very clever. - A few minutes later Belle had her letter written, she read it through twice and was about to print it when I asked her to stop. -You can -(TM)t always trust the spell checker, because sometimes you spell a word incorrectly, but the spell checker doesn -(TM)t know because you accidentally made a real word. - -What do you mean? - -Read it again, pay extra attention to the third line. - Belle leant in close to the screen, concentrating hard on the letter before she rocked back in her chair and slapped her forehead, -duh! I -(TM)ve called her Jude! How did I do that, U is miles away from A on the keyboard. - -You might have hit U at the same time as J, then Word automatically corrected Juade to Jude instead of Jade. - -It does that? Maybe next time I -(TM)ll just talk to the computer and let it type itself. - -You can do that on the iPad, I -(TM)ve tried it but I spent longer correcting all its mistakes. - -Oh really, I can talk to my iPad and it will type for me? - -Yes, but it -(TM)s not very natural, you have to read out all punctation marks, I hated it. - -But you miss my point, I can talk to my iPad and it -(TM)ll type for me, that -(TM)s amazing. I -(TM)ve never heard of anything that clever. I -(TM)m definitely trying it tonight. - Once Belle got over her iPad -(TM)s cleverness, she corrected the errors Word hadn -(TM)t noticed and printed the letter. -OK, now read it again before you sign it, there may still be mistakes. - -Why is writing a letter so hard? - -Normally it wouldn -(TM)t be so important, if you -(TM)re just sending a letter to a friend then correcting every little mistake isn -(TM)t vital, but sometimes you need to make a very positive impression, to show you have put a lot of effort into the letter. This is one of those occasions. - Belle read the letter carefully, running her finger along each line as she read. -I think it -(TM)s right, - she said, smiling. -And so do I, you can sign it at the bottom, - I told her, passing her a pen. She carefully signed her full name, Belle Amelia Saffron Harrison-Dean, at the bottom before asking, -what now? - -Now you need to carefully fold it into this DL envelope. - -Err, that -(TM)s smaller than half the page. - -Yep, you fold the page into three, like this... - I picked up her first sheet with the pink text and showed her how to neatly fold the letter into thirds. -I think I need to practice that. - I gave her a blank sheet and she made a good attempt that didn -(TM)t quite work, the second try was better, and she managed to neatly fold her letter into the envelope. I took it and slipped the envelope into my jacket pocket. -Well done, I think that was a successful lesson, you -(TM)ll be able to work with Poppy to type up your book now. - -Oh yes, that would be good, because Poppy will be doing most of the content for the book, so I can do the typing. I quite fancy taking some photos as well, do you know how to use a camera? - -It -(TM)s not really something I have much experience of, but Helen might be able to help. - -Duh, of course, she must have some idea of what -(TM)s going on when she -(TM)s waving her tits at a photographer. On that subject, how do photographers manage to concentrate when they -(TM)re photographing naked people, I -(TM)d be too busy staring at their boobs and bits. - -I guess even stuff like that must get mundane after a while. - -Oh, that -(TM)s sad, boobs are the best thing in the world, I could sit and look at Poppy -(TM)s boobs all day, sometimes that -(TM)s all I do at night, look at Poppy in the glow of the nightlight. - -Don -(TM)t you sleep? - -Sometimes, I sleep when I -(TM)m with you because I know I -(TM)m safe. - I pulled my chair closer and held Belle -(TM)s hands, -Don -(TM)t you feel safe when you -(TM)re with Poppy and Katie? - -Well, yes, and no. I know I -(TM)m safe, how could anyone get in, but sometimes my head plays tricks you know, and I worry, so I watch Poppy sleeping, it makes me feel better, but I still don -(TM)t sleep properly. - -Does this happen often? - -Not every night, but a few nights. - -And when you were in the squat? - -Weirdly, I was usually OK. Some nights, if something bad had happened, or Poppy was out really late, I -(TM)d get scared and I -(TM)d just curl in a ball and cry myself to sleep, but mostly I was OK. -Which is why it -(TM)s odd that I -(TM)m now worried at night. - -Do you think it -(TM)s because you were worried Poppy liked Katie more than you? - -Maybe ... but you can never tell her that, - she added quickly. -Poppy loves you more than anyone, Katie could see that, and even though she knew it could mean losing her, Katie went with Poppy to look for you, Katie found you. She knew that Poppy could never be at peace until she had you back, so she sacrificed her own relationship to help Poppy find the peace she needed. - -Really! Oh man, I didn -(TM)t realise that. - -That -(TM)s why we went looking for Lia, because we knew Katie liked Lia. - -So, I -(TM)m safe, Poppy isn -(TM)t going to get Katie back from Lia? - -I doubt it. You -(TM)re everything to Poppy, absolutely everything. You -(TM)re more than a girlfriend, you -(TM)re like part of her soul. She treats you like a daughter sometimes, and like a sister, but mostly like a soul-mate. - Belle smiled her wonderful, beautiful, shining smile. She pulled on my arms until I was close enough to throw her arms around my back, hugging me like her life depended on it. -Thank you Alex, that was nearly as good as one of Helen -(TM)s talks, and you -(TM)ve made me feel so much better about myself. I -(TM)ll remember this tonight and try to sleep properly... - ... I -(TM)ll miss looking at Poppy -(TM)s boobs though. - -I -(TM)m sure she -(TM)ll let you look at them before bedtime. - -Yeah, she will, because I -(TM)ll let her look at mine, she loves my boobs. - -So do I. - -Why? When you -(TM)ve got Jenny -(TM)s whoppers, and Helen -(TM)s, and Poppy -(TM)s, why do you love mine? - -Because they -(TM)re so damn cute, and you react in the most amazing manner when I play with them. - -Oh, stop it, I -(TM)m getting all horny and I -(TM)ll stain my pants. - She thought for a moment, -mmm, can we lock the door and have a bit of fun? - I looked at the clock, -ahh, I -(TM)m afraid not, we -(TM)ve got lunch and a catch up with Lia. - -Yes, we have, mmm, I -(TM)m going to have to go to the ladies though, I -(TM)m err, a little damp down below. - -Ahh, I am sorry. They -(TM)re just at the end of the hall. - She dashed off, turning at the door, -thank you Alex, really, that was a great talk, Helen couldn -(TM)t have done better, and she probably wouldn -(TM)t have got me as horny either, so win win. I -(TM)ll see you in Lia -(TM)s room in a few minutes. - As Belle left I shut the computer down and threw the draft letters into the secure waste sack by the door before leaving the room and going two doors down to see how Lia was getting on. -Hey Alex, - she called out as I open the door, -oh, where -(TM)s Belle, have you scared her off? - -Ahh no, she -(TM)s in the loo, she -(TM)ll be back in a minute. How are you doing? - -She -(TM)s doing great, - Esther replied, -we -(TM)ve covered setting up a charity, which wasn -(TM)t completely necessary, as I -(TM)ve already set yours up, but you may want to set other charities up in future. I -(TM)ve covered reporting large donations and claiming gift aid. The financial basics are covered, this afternoon I think we -(TM)ll go through some legalities over working with volunteers, if Lia -(TM)s ok with that? - -Oh yes, this is fun, like being back in school. I enjoy learning new stuff, that -(TM)s why I did so much reading when I was on the streets. - Lia looked up as the door opened again, -Hey Belle, look at all these sandwiches, and we -(TM)ve got donuts. - -OMG! I love donuts, - Belle cried as she ran to the table and grabbed one topped with chocolate icing and sprinkles. -Oi, put that back, - I told her, -sandwiches first, then donuts. - -I can eat in any order I like, - she sulked. -Of course you can, - I told her, running a hand across her back, she looked up and her smile melted my heart once more, -I -(TM)m sorry, I shouldn -(TM)t have shouted like that. - -It -(TM)s OK, Poppy would have said exactly the same, and I should have sandwiches first. - She put the donut back on the plate, but not before she dug a finger in the icing, -that one -(TM)s mine. - -I think we -(TM)ll let you have that one, - Esther laughed. Belle -(TM)s phone rang during lunch, -hey Poppy, how -(TM)s everything? - -Hey babe, it -(TM)s going OK. I -(TM)ve just spoken to Mrs Bloom in the pastoral office, she -(TM)s met with Jade -(TM)s parents this morning. They wanted to sue you and dad, but Mrs Bloom showed them some camera footage they -(TM)d got off a few kids and it clearly shows Jade come running for you with her hand ready to hit you, so they -(TM)re not going to complain. -Jade was in hospital overnight, she -(TM)s home now though, they think she -(TM)s got a concussion, so they -(TM)re keeping her off school for the rest of the week. - -Apart from the concussion, is she OK? - Belle asked. -Well, according to Courtney she -(TM)s got an amazing black eye, and I -(TM)ve heard of Marley they had to shave her head to stitch up a nasty gash, she -(TM)s apparently more distraught about her hair than the head injury, so I guess she -(TM)s OK. - Belle let out a huge sigh, -I -(TM)m so relieved, she -(TM)s a cow, but I didn -(TM)t mean to hurt her. - -I -(TM)ve seen most of her friends today, they -(TM)re ok, they won -(TM)t be coming after you. I think they may have until they found out you -(TM)re my girlfriend. For some reason they -(TM)re scared of me, - she chuckled, -it -(TM)s not me they should be scared of, it -(TM)s your Krav Maga skills that put Jade down in a millisecond. - -I don -(TM)t know Krav Maga! I wish I did though, it -(TM)s awesome. - -Yeah, but they don -(TM)t know that. Anyway, you -(TM)re OK coming back tomorrow. - -Thank you for checking. Are you alright about me buying those cameras? - -Of course, I -(TM)ve no idea about that kind of thing, so I -(TM)m glad you took the initiative. Thank you. Anyway, I -(TM)ve got to go, Katie -(TM)s just got my lunch, see you tonight sweetie, I love you. - -I love you so much Poppy, bye. - Esther had been digging through the bookshelves while Belle was on the phone, she came over after Belle cut the call. -I heard you mention Krav Maga, we published a book about it earlier this year, here you go. - Belle took the thick paperback manual off Esther, -oh wow, thanks. - Lia looked across, -I -(TM)ve read that! They -(TM)ve got a copy in Camden library; I can show you a few moves if you like. - -Amazing, - Belle enthused, -yes please. - Lia jumped out of her chair and formed a fighting stance, -ok Belle, come for me. - Belle slipped out of her coat and stood opposite Lia, she raised her fists and ran for her sister, Lia swept her leg across, Belle tumbled, but Lia caught her, grabbed her right arm and twisted it behind back and locked her free hand on Belle -(TM)s other wrist. Belle was trapped. Lia kissed her cheek and let her go. -Perhaps I should have tried that yesterday, - Belle said, panting, her heart racing from the rapid action. -Read the book, there -(TM)s lots of diagrams, and links to YouTube videos. When you get confident, I -(TM)ll find you a club to learn properly. - -Thanks Lia, it -(TM)ll be so cool to know how to do stuff properly, then I can be Poppy -(TM)s bodyguard. - -I -(TM)m not sure she needs one. - -Well, no, obviously she doesn -(TM)t, but I can still pretend. - After we -(TM)d eaten we left Lia and Esther to their work and went for some air. It was a nice afternoon, cold but dry, perfect for a brisk walk across to the Whole Foods store on Piccadilly in search of the ingredients Belle needed for dinner. -I -(TM)m making vegan burritos, just the fillings, I -(TM)m not making the wraps, although I bet I could if I wanted to. - -I -(TM)m sure you could, but don -(TM)t over-stretch yourself. - Belle stopped walking and thought for a moment, -ha ahh, yep, I -(TM)m making the tortilla wraps as well, I remember a recipe, they -(TM)re a piece of piss. In fact, I -(TM)ll make the dough, you can cook them in the frying pan while Lia and I make the fillings. - -OK, I guess that will work, but please buy some in the store just in case I burn them. - Belle took my hand as we set off again to the store, a spring in her step now she -(TM)d enrolled me in the cooking. Belle stopped again when we were just outside the store, -ahh, I -(TM)ve just thought, how anal is Nita about vegan stuff? - -What do you mean? - -Well, I want to make guacamole, but some vegans won -(TM)t eat avocados because they don -(TM)t like the idea that we enslave bees to grow them or something. - -I really don -(TM)t know, the subject hasn -(TM)t ever come up. - Belle pulled out her phone, -I -(TM)d better ring her ... oh hey Helen, I was just wondering, does Nita eat avocados? She does, oh great, that -(TM)s just made my life a whole lot easier, thanks. - With that decided, we entered the store where Belle had great fun collecting all the ingredients she needed, avocados, onions, black beans (canned she told me sadly, as she didn -(TM)t have time to soak them overnight), wild rice, tomatoes, peppers, lime, jalapenos, tortilla wraps, cabbage. As we approached the till she stopped suddenly and dramatically slapped her forehead, -duh! I need sour cream, but Nita can -(TM)t have that. - I followed as she wandered over to the fridges, where she thrust the basket at me as she started to investigate the tubs and jars. She grabbed tub after tub and read the ingredients, thought for a while then put it back, until finally she put one in the basket and took it from me. -We -(TM)ll have to hope she -(TM)s not allergic to nuts. Next time I -(TM)ll make my own sour cream substitute, the ingredients look simple, I just don -(TM)t have time to make this today. - Belle insisted on paying, saying it would be worth every penny if the meal is good and helps build an atmosphere where Helen can work up the courage to talk to Nita about her past. Back in the office we left the Whole Foods bags with our other shopping and went upstairs to see how Lia was getting on. -Hey, just in time, - Esther said brightly as we entered the room, -I think I -(TM)ve beaten Lia -(TM)s brain enough for the day. - -It -(TM)s been great, like being back at school. When can you fit me in next? - -You -(TM)re so keen, let me check my diary. - Belle skipped over to the table and checked if there were any more donuts in the box, letting out a cheer when she found one. She sat next to Lia, and they talked about their afternoons as Esther slipped out of the room to check her diary. -It -(TM)ll be awesome working with you on the charity stuff, you -(TM)re so clever Lia, Poppy -(TM)s great, but I don -(TM)t think she -(TM)s got a planning brain, do you know what I mean? - -Oh yes, she -(TM)s good at making decisions and stuff, but working through a plan, not really her area is it. - -Because she -(TM)s a super hero, she doesn -(TM)t sweat the details, that -(TM)s our job. - -We -(TM)re her scooby gang... - -Yes! That -(TM)s exactly what we are, - Belle cheered, -and you -(TM)re also my kitchen porters, let -(TM)s get home and get cooking. - Esther came back with her diary as Belle was tucking into her donut. -Is that not a bit dry? - she asked. -It -(TM)s a donut, I don -(TM)t care, - Belle replied as she swallowed. -I can tell, - Esther laughed, -anyway, are you ok for Friday, I can fit you in from 10 until whenever you need to go home. - -That works for me, providing I can remember how to get here. - -Take my card, if you get lost phone me and I -(TM)ll come and find you. - Belle took hold of Lia -(TM)s hand, -you never know, I might have got myself suspended again by then, so I can show you the way. - Back home the girls quickly tried on their new clothes, Belle looked great in her new boots, Lia proclaimed her coat to be roasting indoors. They put their clothes away and were soon busy in the kitchen. It was my job to finely chop the tomatoes to make the salsa and guacamole, then I chopped the jalapenos whilst Lia chopped up onions and shredded cabbage and Belle chopped up the avocados. She put the avocados, some of the tomatoes, a few chillies, onions, a pinch of coriander and a couple of squirts of lime juice in a bowl and mashed them all together. -There you go, guacamole I hope, - Belle said with a shrug. I dipped a finger in the bowl and tasted it, -yep, definitely guacamole. Really rather good guacamole actually. - I covered the bowl with clingfilm whilst Belle mixed flour, oil and a pinch of salt into a thick dough, she added a little warm water then kneaded it thoroughly before she split it into separate balls, placing them on a plate to one side. -I -(TM)ve seen them make tortillas in a takeaway, - she told me, -you roll them into a thin circle and chuck it in a hot pan, a minute each side. - -Simple as that? - I asked. -Yeah, they make it look simple. Do you want me to try first, then if it -(TM)s a disaster we can go with the packet I bought? - -OK, you -(TM)ve at least seen someone do it. - Belle pulled my best frying pan from the cupboard and put it on a high heat, -they had the pans really hot in the takeaway, - she told me as she started to roll out one of her dough balls. When the tortilla was around the size of the pan she tossed it in and started to move the pan so it didn -(TM)t stick, then she flipped it with a spatula and cooked the other side. -See, easy, - she proclaimed as she tossed the finished tortilla onto a piece of kitchen towel, -now you do the rest, make sure it -(TM)s not too crispy or I can -(TM)t use it to wrap the burrito, it has to be like a pancake. - -And if I ruin one? - -Not to worry, I have spare dough, - Belle replied as she opened a can of black beans and tipped the contents into a sieve, -Oh Lia, do you know how to cook rice? - -I think so, do I just toss it in a pan of hot water for ten minutes or so. - -Basically, rinse it first, boil some water in the kettle first, it -(TM)s quicker than doing it in a pan. - On we worked, chopping, washing, cooking; filling bowls with prepared ingredients; lining them up to make a production line like a proper takeaway. We were just finishing up, Belle was wrapping the tortillas in foil to keep them moist as the door opened, Poppy and Katie stepped into the kitchen. -Oh wow, this is a sight to behold, - Poppy said with a smile, -it -(TM)s like a proper kitchen. - -I -(TM)m getting practice for when I -(TM)m running the soup kitchens, - Belle replied as she dashed around to greet her girlfriend, she stopped short before she hugged Poppy, -ahh, my hands are all floury, I can -(TM)t hug you. - -But I can hug you, - Poppy laughed as she wrapped her arms around Belle and danced around the kitchen. Lia held her arms out, -do you want to do that to me? - she smiled at Katie. -I -(TM)m not sure it works so well when you -(TM)re taller than me, but I -(TM)m willing to try. - As the girls danced, I rinsed the hundreds of knives, chopping boards and other utensils we -(TM)d used and popped them all in the dishwasher. -How was your meeting at dad -(TM)s publisher? - Katie asked after they -(TM)d stopped dancing and settled at the table with mugs of coffee. -It was interesting, I -(TM)d no idea how much work was involved. I -(TM)m going back for more on Friday. - -Do you want to know the best bit, - Belle chimed in, -do you remember me telling you about the really pretty receptionist, Paige? - -Oh yeah, she was wearing great DM boots you said, - Poppy replied. -That -(TM)s that one, she knows Lia! They met when Paige lived in Camden. - -Wow, it really is a small world. - -What did you say Lia, 6 degrees of something? - -Yeah, 6 degrees of separation, you know someone, who knows someone etc until you get to Taylor Swift in 6 steps. - -And I definitely want to meet those people. - Poppy put her arm around Belle, pulling her close to kiss her, -if we can find the people, I -(TM)ll definitely come with you to meet Taylor Swift, if only to thank her for finally releasing the 10-minute version of All Too Well. - After they -(TM)d finished their drinks Poppy and Katie went upstairs to start their homework. Lia pulled out some notes she -(TM)d taken today and started to go over them. Belle moved around the table and sat on my lap, she put an arm around me, -thanks for our chat earlier, I think I -(TM)ll be ok sleeping tonight, you really put my mind at ease. - -My pleasure, I didn -(TM)t ever expect to have a daddy -" daughter talk. - -You did well, clearly some of Helen -(TM)s brains have rubbed off on you. - -Thank you. - -In completely unrelated matters, didn -(TM)t you say you -(TM)d look at building Lia an office in the garden so she can work somewhere other than the kitchen table? - -I did, and thanks to various dramas and meltdowns I -(TM)ve not had chance, and it looks like tonight -(TM)s out of the window as well. - -We could do it now, if I bring my laptop, you show me how to work the internet. - -Ok sweetheart, and Lia can look as well. - A few minutes later we sat around Belle -(TM)s laptop as Lia reminded her how to log into the system and search the Internet. -Am I the only teenager who doesn -(TM)t know how to use a computer? - Belle asked, getting a little frustrated about her lack of skills. -Yeah, but I bet there -(TM)s very few teenagers who can do what you just did in the kitchen, - Lia replied, rubbing Belle -(TM)s back tenderly. -I guess we -(TM)ve all got different skills. - -And you -(TM)ll pick this up soon enough. I had no idea how to use a computer or the internet until I started using the library. One of the ladies there was lovely and spent such a long time showing me how to use the internet so I could do my research. - Belle eventually fired up her web browser and reached Google, -err, what now? I guess I have to ask a question, but what do I ask? Can I just type -~show me garden offices -(TM)? - -Pretty much, Google is really clever. - So she did, and we were presented with several websites offering garden buildings, Belle picked the first result and clicked on it. -Some of these are just sheds, this is so disappointing. - Lia put her hand on Belle -(TM)s, -before you go back, look around the page, there -(TM)s so much going on here that you need to know where to look to refine your searches. Usually there -(TM)s some options along the top or on the left, see here, - she pointed, -you can select the building type, style and price range. - -Oh yes, so we -(TM)ll pick garden office, and, err I -(TM)ve no idea about size, shall we go for the middle option? - -Sounds like a good idea, click the button that says refine search when you -(TM)re done. - -Ahh, this is more like it, - Belle sighed as she scrolled through the new page, -ooohh, I like this one. - I reached out and scrolled a little until the price was hidden, -see the row of dots under the picture? - I asked. -Oh yes, what do they mean? - -They usually mean there -(TM)s more than one photo, the number of dots will tell you how many photos, - Lia told her, -click on the picture and it -(TM)ll go full screen. - -Ahh yes, I like this building, it looks good enough to live in. - -They use similar buildings as holiday cottages, - I told her, -now move to the next photo with your arrow keys. - -That -(TM)s clever, now we can see inside. It is nice, isn -(TM)t it Lia. - -Oh yes, I could definitely work in there. I guess we -(TM)d have to run cables for the electric and internet. - -I -(TM)d imagine so, for the electric definitely, we could maybe use wireless for the internet. - -Is it big enough for two desks, if Poppy wanted to work here, or someone else. - I looked at the measurements from the floor plan and paced it out in the kitchen. -Yep, I -(TM)d say so. - I told her, -is that the sort of office you -(TM)d like? You wouldn -(TM)t be lonely working on your own? - -I -(TM)ve been on my own for a long while, I mostly try to avoid other people ... except you of course. Anyway, if there -(TM)s room for more than me, you could work in there some days. - Belle scrolled through the rest of the images, some were of customers -(TM) own offices in place, they gave us a great idea of how the space could be used. -Yes, I like this office, - Lia said finally after she -(TM)d scrolled through a couple of other options then back to the first one. I checked the bottom of the page for an address and saw they were based in Teddington. -We can go to their offices tomorrow, I -(TM)m sure their sales people will be able to design the perfect office for you. - -Will it be expensive? - Lia asked. -Look at it this way, it would cost almost £4,000 a year to rent a tiny office around here, and that would just be for one person, and I -(TM)d have to add a phone line and internet access onto that cost. -A building like this at the bottom of the garden will cost about £12,000 to buy, then about £2,500 for the concrete base and we -(TM)ll build it ourselves... - -Ernie could help, - Belle added brightly. -Yes, Ernie could help. So, for 4 years office rent, we -(TM)ve got an office that will last us a lot longer, you -(TM)ll have no commuting time, and the space is your own, no sharing a kitchen and toilets with people from other offices. - -I -(TM)m sold, - Lia chimed happily, -it sounds perfect. - Belle was just about to shut her browser down when the front door opened, Jenny, Helen and Nita came through, shaking rain off their coats. -It -(TM)s just started raining so heavily, - Jenny told us as she entered the kitchen. We all looked out of the window, -we hadn -(TM)t noticed, we -(TM)ve been busy looking at office buildings for Lia, - I replied. -Did you have a good session today, Lia? - Jenny asked as I started a fresh pot of coffee. -I really did, there -(TM)s so much to learn, - she patted a pile of notes, -these are my notes from today, I go back for more on Friday, and she -(TM)s got a few books for me to read. - -That -(TM)s great, and now we -(TM)re getting you an office, can I see? - -Oh yes, here it is, - Belle said as she clicked the slideshow, -dad paced it out and it -(TM)s kind of the same size as the kitchen from the back door to the hall, and the dining room to the island. - -That -(TM)s a good size, all for you? - -Oh no, we could fit two, or even at a pinch, three desks in there, look at that photo there, - she pointed at one of the thumbnails and Belle clicked it, -see it -(TM)s so roomy. Alex could work in there with me, and Poppy if she was doing charity work, or homework even. It -(TM)s not big enough for all four of us though. - Helen and Nita sat with Jenny at the table, Belle passed Nita a mug of coffee, -you had a late-night last night. - -Late night? I didn -(TM)t get home until just after 10 this morning. We had to rebuild someone -(TM)s face after an accident, I won -(TM)t go into any more details, or it -(TM)ll put everyone off their food. - -Oh, food! Yes, we -(TM)re making vegan burritos, is that OK? - -That -(TM)s more than fine, I love burritos. - -It -(TM)s all homemade as well, apart from the black beans for the rice and bean filling, I had to buy a can of those. - -You -(TM)ve made the wraps as well? - Helen asked. -Oh yes, dad made the wraps. - -I cooked the wraps, - I corrected her, -Belle made the dough, that -(TM)s the skilled bit. - -And Lia did a lot of the chopping and cooked the rice and bean filling. - -We all worked under Belle -(TM)s direction, - Lia replied, -she -(TM)s amazing at working out who should do what job at what time, she should be working in a restaurant kitchen, - -No thanks, I don -(TM)t want to be cooking for people who -(TM)ve actually paid for the food, that -(TM)s way too much pressure. Anyway, I think it -(TM)s time to assemble the burritos, can someone shout for the scholars upstairs. - We reformed our production line as Poppy set the table in the dining room and Katie sorted the drinks. I warmed the wraps one at a time and passed them to Lia, who added rice and beans, shredded cabbage and grated vegan cheese, Belle added salsa and vegan sour cream before carefully wrapping the burrito and rolling it in foil to keep it warm. -Look, exactly like you -(TM)d get in a takeaway, - Belle cried triumphantly as she stacked the packages on a tray, -go and grab a seat, I -(TM)ll bring them in. Oh, hang on a sec dad, take these in as well, - she asked, handing me a big bag of tortilla chips and some dips. A few minutes later we unwrapped our burritos and dug in. -Oh wow, this is amazing, did you make the sour cream? - -Thanks Nita, I -(TM)m glad you like it. And no, I didn -(TM)t make the cream, but I will next time, I checked the ingredients and it -(TM)s mostly mashed cashew nuts, mustard and cider vinegar. - -I love how you -(TM)re so casual about making stuff I wouldn -(TM)t even attempt to make. - -Ahh, it -(TM)s easy Helen when you have all the ingredients and kitchen gadgets. - -I -(TM)ve had access to that kitchen for years and never attempted to make anything more impressive than a lasagne. - -I love lasagne, - Belle gushed, -oh god, that -(TM)s exactly what we -(TM)re having for dinner tomorrow. - -It -(TM)s my turn to cook tomorrow, - Katie broke in, -pretty sure I -(TM)ll need help making a lasagne. - -I -(TM)ll show you how, the hardest part is the bechamel sauce, it goes lumpy if you -(TM)re not concentrating. I know, we -(TM)ll make the pasta as well, I -(TM)ve never done that before. - -Had you made burritos before? - Nita asked. -Nope, I -(TM)ve not really cooked anything before I came here, so everything is new. - -So how did you know what to do? - -Well, like I said the other day, it -(TM)s all from reading recipe books, then thinking up menus. I liked watching people cook in takeaways as well, so I know the ingredients and the process, so I just put the two together in the kitchen. - -Amazing, nobody would ever guess from eating this that it was your first attempt, it -(TM)s as good as any I -(TM)ve eaten before. - -It really is, - Poppy confirmed, -it -(TM)s better than Pedro -(TM)s Cantina definitely, that that -(TM)s the best Mexican food we -(TM)d ever had. - -I guess I -(TM)d better give it a try, seeing as you -(TM)re all enjoying it. - Belle bit into her burrito, she chewed it thoroughly then her face lit up with the bright smile we all loved so much. -Oh man, it is good isn -(TM)t it. I think it -(TM)s the sour cream, it cuts through the salsa and the rice and beans. I think we -(TM)ll have these again. Oh yeah, the wrap is great dad, well done. - After we -(TM)d eaten, Poppy and Katie volunteered to clear the table and load the dishwasher while we moved to the lounge. -Helen, dad was saying today that you -(TM)d been on TV and in a film, is the film on Netflix? - -Oh that, I had about 10 lines in a tiny section of a rom-com. If it -(TM)s not on Netflix I -(TM)m sure Alex has it on DVD. - -What were your lines? - -Oh god, this is so embarrassing, I was selling perfume in a department store and Hugh Grant comes in to buy a valentine -(TM)s gift for a woman half his age, my boobs have the starring role. - -I don -(TM)t see a problem with that, - Belle replied matter-of-factly. -Neither did the director, but I was hoping to get some more acting work from the role, and all I got was more glamour modelling work. - -What about the TV stuff? - -That was a bit more serious acting, although I cringe when I watch it, as I wasn -(TM)t very good. I had minor parts in a few murder mystery type shows, Midsomer Murders, Death in Paradise, that kind of thing. -Death in Paradise was fun, because it involved a week in Guadeloupe, even if it was February and pretty cold at night. - -I love Death in Paradise, - Nita said, -why -(TM)ve you not told me about this. - -Ahh, that -(TM)s kind of why we -(TM)re here tonight, - she took a deep breath, steeled herself and ploughed in, -there -(TM)s a few things I -(TM)ve not told you, and I -(TM)ve decided that I love you too much to keep secrets from you anymore. - Poppy and Katie slipped in the room and sat with Lia and Belle, who were silent, waiting whatever was about to happen. -It -(TM)s make or break time Nita, I want you to be my wife one day, but I can -(TM)t ask you to make that commitment if you don -(TM)t know everything about me. - -Ok, is this going to need wine? - -It might need vodka. - Jenny pulled a bottle of vodka and a couple of glasses from the cupboard under the TV, Belle ran to the kitchen for tissues. -Thanks, - Helen whispered as she slipped off the sofa and knelt before her girlfriend. -Before you start, I -(TM)m pretty sure you didn -(TM)t stick to glamour work. I -(TM)ve done work on a few Page 3 girls, they -(TM)ve all told me they did porn at least once. - Helen sighed deeply and relaxed a little, -well, that -(TM)s part of it. I did a lot of escort work, mostly for clients of the porno mag publishers. Some of that work was pretty, err, gross I think is the best word. - Nita didn -(TM)t look fazed yet. -I did some BDSM porn work, and that -(TM)s partly what prompted me to tell you this, because it was the same studio where Poppy did some work. I did mine voluntarily, although under the influence. Poppy was practically raped, and filmed, and the films put online. - -Oh shit, that -(TM)s terrible... - -And yesterday Poppy -(TM)s friends burnt the building to the ground, with the owner strapped to a chair and his computers and equipment in a pile. The films are gone, but my memories came flooding back yesterday and I, well there -(TM)s no other way to say it, I had a complete meltdown last night on Alex, then Jenny. - -So, you made films, - Nita asked. -I did, but not there, my films and photosets were more mainstream, - she turned to Belle, -I think we need the box honey. - Belle jumped up and ran for the door, she was back in a minute, passing the box across to Helen before she sat back down, this time on Poppy -(TM)s knee, cuddling up for comfort. -We had a less then fun night last week cutting these magazines up, because they had some quite distressing underage photos, and some other shit that -(TM)s quite rightly illegal in this country. - She passed the box to Nita, who took it but didn -(TM)t lift the lid. -There -(TM)s more than me in the box, - Helen told her quietly, -my mum is in there, she did porn when she was younger, before she met dad. So, you see, I -(TM)m just following in my mum -(TM)s footsteps, just like Alex followed in dad -(TM)s. I -(TM)m just thankful mum never saw any of the porn I did. - -Was your mum -(TM)s work like yours, did she just do mainstream porn? - -That -(TM)s not an easy question to answer, as there was no such thing as mainstream porn in Europe back then. The US made the straight porn, Europe made the rough stuff, anal, gay, underage, trans and other shit we won -(TM)t talk about. - -But what you both did, it was fairly, err, straight? - -Yes, I never made any films that would be illegal, I -(TM)ll leave it at that. - -And your mum? - -She did some weird stuff I think, she -(TM)s double penetrated by a couple of trans women in one scene. - -OK then, I won -(TM)t look in here, and you don -(TM)t need to tell me anything else. - -But, I did horrible stuff, and I took so many drugs to block it all out. - -And? Have you done any of that since we met? - -No, I was clean for a year before I met you. - -And since we met have you slept with anyone not in this room. - Helen was quiet for a moment or two, -I -(TM)m just getting my dates in order, I slept with a couple of girls after we met, but I don -(TM)t think it was after we started dating. - -It doesn -(TM)t matter if it was before or after we started dating, as long as it wasn -(TM)t recently. What about guys? - -Just Alex, since I left porn I was girls only until Alex, and you know about every time I -(TM)ve slept with Alex. - -What did you do last night? - -Slept with Jenny, we cuddled and talked into the early hours. - Nita put the box to one side and leant forwards, she reached out and pulled Helen -(TM)s face to hers, their lips touched. They kissed for the longest time, we were getting ready to leave the room before they pulled apart. -Yes, - Nita whispered, still panting from the kiss. -Yes what? - Helen asked. -When you get round to proposing, that -(TM)s my answer. - -What! Even after all I just told you. - -Because of what you just told me. All that is in the past, you did some stupid shit, you stopped, you got clean, you -(TM)ve done a degree, you -(TM)re a qualified therapist. The two strongest people I know are in this room, of course I want to marry you. - Helen fell forward, her head in Nita -(TM)s lap, and she cried, tears of relief, tears of joy, tears of sorrow for her past. A past that, no matter how misguided, built the woman I was watching breakdown on her fianc(C). We left them to their private moment.